Like most physical therapists (PTs), Chris Studebaker, PT, DPT, has never witnessed or been a victim of workplace violence. He has, however, encountered many irate patients and is well aware of the potential for violence.
Studebaker, national therapy and athletic trainer lead at Concentra Medical Centers in Charleston, South Carolina, and a board-certified clinical specialist in orthopaedic physical therapy, provides onsite physical therapist services to employees at a major manufacturing plant. Such sessions typically go off without a hitch, but sometimes that's only because he's talked the patient down.
"It's usually because they're upset with the system," he explains. "They might feel slighted by the workers' comp process or maybe just the way their employer is handling it. They come in to see me and they're angry as a hornet." As a PT treating in the workplace, he's "smack dab in the middle" of any potential conflict, Studebaker notes. "Sometimes they see me as an extension of their boss," he adds, "so, if they're unhappy about something related to their case, they might bring that animosity into their interaction with me."
