Summer Job

S: It has been a busy couple of weeks, but I'm happy to say that I've signed for a job for 8 weeks. The picture above shows what the harbor looks like in the city I'll be working in. It will be very nice and interesting.

O: There were more steps than I realized to getting to this point. After the phone interview with the facility, they offered me the job one hour later. I wanted to wait until the next morning so I could talk to my family. The job was still available the next morning and I accepted. Now I'm in the process of getting a physical, taking a drug test, filling out all the paperwork for benefits, and getting my many questions answered!

A: I'm excited to be starting a traveling job for the summer. My husband will come with me for part of the time and help me settle in.

P: The next step will be finishing all the paperwork.

My travel company

S: I'm happy to say that I heard from my account rep today and she asked if I would interview for another position. I was beginning to get a little worried because I've only got one interview set up for one facility.

O: I told my rep that I would be interested in interviewing for another position. I've already got one interview for Tuesday 5/7 and she will try to set up another one on the same day. I also asked her some of the questions that I had been meaning to ask regarding the pay and package. I asked if I was guaranteed to be paid even if the census is down and I'm sent home early. She said that her company guarantees a 40 hour work week even if I'm sent home early.

A: I was happy to hear this because although I'm expecting to work every minute I'm there, it would be bad for me if I was sent home early and not get paid. I wonder what the facility thinks about this arrangement though?

P: I plan to continue to read and ask questions about the benefits and pay package.

Phone interview

S: My account representative called today and said that an interview will be set up for 5/8. I'm so excited to have an interview.

O: I've already gone online and looked at the site. I've got a few questions for them, but I totally forgot to ask the account rep the questions about the pay and perks.

A: I feel really good about getting an interview and will be even more excited when I talk to the therapist at the facility.

P: My plan is to ask the account rep the pay and perks questions before I have the interview.

Healthcare Traveler Magazine

S: I'm still waiting for the facility to call me for an interview. I'm told by the account representative that the problem is the manager is too busy to call me, but is interested.

O: I found an article from Healthcare Traveler magazine which explains what to ask when negotiating the salary and benefits package. It lists questions that I need to ask such as do I get paid weekly or when I complete the assignment, will I have malpractice insurance, and is there 24/7 customer support for me when I'm traveling.

A: I like this article because it gives ideas of what questions should be asked. I wouldn't have thought to ask these questions so I'm glad I read this article.

P: I'm going to call the account representative and ask these questions.

Maintain access to herbs and vitamins

S: Many of our patients use herbs, supplements, natural remedies. My professor brought to my attention that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is attempting to classify natural remedies as medicine. This would make it illegal for people in the USA to buy vitamins over the counter.

O: This is a quote from an investigator who is trying to get the word out. "When I first heard about this FDA attack on complementary and alternative health care, I considered it another "Chicken Little" rumor. On further study, I'm appalled at the speed with which the pharmaceutical companies are implementing Codex Alimentarius in the USA. If you don't suspect the pharmaceutical companies control the FDA, you may want to research that further by visiting http://www.HealthFreedomUSA.org." I got this quote from a press release: FDA Attacks Complementary & Alternative Healthcare by John F. Gilbert, Ph.D. - President/NTCB.

A: I went to the link posted in the title and signed the petition. The deadline is April 30th 2007.

P: I hope more people sign the petition and make their voice heard.

PEAT (Practice Exam and Assessment Tool)

S: I've been exploring different exams to prepare for the NPTE. One option is to use the online test from the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT).

O: The online exam is called the PEAT (Practice Exam and Assessment Tool) and is linked to the website from this blog. The advantage of taking the PEAT is that it is developed by the organization that administers the national board exam so it closely resembles the actual exam.

A: If you have test anxiety, then practicing with the PEAT may help because it simulates a time-based computer exam.

P: I plan to share this website with the students at the university.

My YouTube video

S: I read in the blogger notes that we can add video now to our blogs. I couldn't figure out how to add the video, but when I was messing around with the tool bar I discovered how to add a link in the body of the blog. The icon to select is the green circle (maybe representing the earth??) next to the capitol "T". Yeeha!

O: This is the link to my YouTube video showing how to perform progressive relaxation. I did this for one of my university classes. I'm getting a Complimentary Medicine and Wellness certificate and this video was designed to help viewers use relaxation to lower their blood pressure (consult your doctor also!).

A: I can't wait to post the blog and test the link to see how it works. I hope it takes the reader straight to my video.

P: Planning to go test the video right now......