Dear Burned-Out PT: There's Life After the Hospital (And Your Back Will Thank You)

Editor's Note: This post was written in collaboration with a physical therapist who joined Essential Therapy Solutions in 2024 after 7 years in acute care.

Hey there, fellow PT scrolling through your phone at 2 AM because your back won't let you sleep. I see you. I was you.

If you're reading this between documentation notes, eating lunch at your desk, or (let's be honest) from your chiropractor's waiting room, this letter is for you.

When Your Body Becomes Your Biggest Patient

Last year, I was treating 12-15 patients daily in acute care. My back hurt constantly from those awkward transfers in cramped hospital rooms. You know the ones – trying to mobilize a 300-pound patient while wedged between the bed and the wall, praying your L5-S1 holds up for just one more transfer.

My breaking point wasn't dramatic. It was a Tuesday. I'd just missed my daughter's kindergarten graduation because I couldn't get coverage. I was sitting in my car, heating pad cranked up, scrolling through job posts and wondering: Is this really what the next 20 years looks like?

The Plot Twist I Never Saw Coming

When Essential Therapy Solutions' pediatric home health posting popped up, I almost scrolled past. Kids? Home health? I was an ortho-trained, acute care PT. What did I know about pediatrics?

But something made me click. Maybe it was desperation. Maybe it was the phrase "work-life balance" (which I'd stopped believing existed). Or maybe it was my physical therapist brain finally admitting that my current job was literally breaking my body.

Here's what I discovered:

My Hospital Reality:

• 12+ patients per day

• Max assist transfers that required three people (but usually just me)

• 10-hour days that turned into 12 with documentation

• Eating standing up because sitting triggered my back spasms

• Weekends "off" (unless we were short-staffed... so never)

My Pediatric Home Health Reality Now:

• 5-7 kids per day

• My heaviest "transfer"? A wiggly 50-pound 8-year-old

• 8 AM - 4:30 PM (and I actually leave at 4:30)

• Lunch breaks where I actually digest my food

• Every. Single. Weekend. Off.

Let's Talk Money (Because We All Have Bills)

I know what you're thinking: "But what about the pay cut?"

I thought the same thing. Turns out, I was wrong. My base salary is comparable to what I made at the hospital. But here's the kicker – when you factor in the mileage reimbursement (hello, tax-free money), the lack of unpaid overtime for documentation, and the fact that I'm not spending hundreds on monthly chiropractic visits? I'm actually coming out ahead.

Plus, working four days a week means I'm making the same money for fewer days. My hourly rate effectively went up while my cortisol went down. Win-win.

The Schedule That Saved My Sanity (And My Spine)

Here's my actual weekly schedule:

• Monday-Thursday: See my kids, document between visits, home by 4:30

• Friday: OFF (grocery shop without crowds!)

• Saturday: OFF (youth soccer coach now)

• Sunday: OFF (meal prep without exhaustion)

• On-call: What's that?

Essential Therapy Solutions actually means it when they say "flexible." Need to start later because of school drop-off? Cool. Want to cluster your visits to be done by 2 PM on Fridays? They'll work with you. This isn't the "flexible*" with fine print – it's actual human-centered scheduling.

"But I Don't Know Anything About Kids!"

Neither did I. My entire career was knees, hips, and shoulders. The closest I'd come to pediatrics was treating teenage athletes.

Here's what nobody tells you: Your movement expertise transfers. Kids are just smaller humans with developing motor patterns. Essential Therapy Solutions provided comprehensive training and paired me with a mentor. Within a month, I was confidently treating kids with CP, developmental delays, and genetic conditions.

And honestly? Helping a 4-year-old with cerebral palsy take her first independent steps beats another knee replacement any day. These kids remember you. Parents cry happy tears. You're changing trajectories, not just checking off therapy goals.

The Hidden Gems: Rural Opportunities

Essential Therapy Solutions especially needs PTs in Lake Havasu, Kingman, and Bullhead City. Before you dismiss these locations, consider:

• Cost of living that actually lets you save money

• Relocation assistance to help you make the move

• Being THE PT families have been waiting for

• Zero traffic (your commute is desert views, not brake lights)

• A team that becomes your chosen family

One of my colleagues moved to Lake Havasu from Phoenix. She bought a house for half the price, has a boat now (lake life!), and says she'll never go back to city traffic.

The Real Talk Section

Is pediatric home health perfect? No.

You'll drive between houses (I've listened to every true crime podcast twice). You'll encounter challenging behaviors. You'll MacGyver treatment activities with whatever toys the family has.

But you know what you won't do?

• Destroy your back with impossible transfers

• Work mandatory overtime

• Miss your life because of productivity standards

• Feel like a cog in a healthcare machine

• Wonder if this is all there is

Your Sign to Make the Change

If you're:

• Googling "SI joint pain relief" more than job posts

• Dreaming about documentation (nightmares count)

• Jealous of your non-healthcare friends' weekends

• Feeling more like a productivity robot than a clinician

• Reading this at 2 AM because you can't turn off your brain

Then yes, burned-out PT, this is your sign.

The First Step Is the Hardest (But Also the Most Important)

Essential Therapy Solutions is actively recruiting PTs across Arizona. They need experienced PTs who remember why they entered this field. Who want to use their clinical judgment without justifying every decision to insurance. Who believe work-life balance shouldn't require a career change.

Ready to save your back and your sanity?

• Call 480-677-3349 (Elizabeth will answer your real questions, not just recruit you) Can we put our Hiring manager Jennies name here.

• Visit etherapyaz.com/careers

• Email your resume (even that outdated one from 3 years ago) you can add etshr@etherapyaz.com if you would like to add the email.

Still hesitating? I get it. I waited six months before applying, convinced it was too good to be true. Those were six months of unnecessary back pain and missed family moments I'll never get back.

One Year Later: A Different Kind of PT Story

Today, my back doesn't hurt. I haven't seen my chiropractor in months. I coach my daughter's soccer team. I actually look forward to Mondays (who even am I?). And I'm a better PT than I ever was in the hospital – because I'm not exhausted, in pain, or burnt out.

Your future self – the one with a functioning spine and actual weekends – is waiting. What are you waiting for?

Sincerely, A PT Who Remembers What It's Like to Love This Job Again

P.S. – Still reading at 2 AM? That's your back telling you it's time for a change. Listen to it. It's smarter than we give it credit for.

Want to learn more about PT opportunities that won't break your back (or spirit)? Contact Essential Therapy Solutions at 480-677-3349 or visit etherapyaz.com. Positions available across Arizona, with immediate needs in Northern Arizona.