Apr 27 2018

Cheyenne Brown

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Professional Goal Statement

My goal is to provide compassionate, comprehensive care to patients at varying functional levels in order to promote both recovery and wellness. I want to effectively apply my skills to address both the physical and cognitive deficits that can create complexity in the geriatric population that I am interested in. I also hope to further development my interest in cardiopulmonary deficits that can be a significant co-morbidity and barrier to mobility and function. I would like to begin my career at a skilled nursing facility or in acute care to cultivate these interests, while also volunteering my skills outside of the clinic to provide community-based resources for the wellness and continued independence of seniors.

Career Plan

  • Academic Background
    • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill – Bachelor of Arts in Exercise and Sport Science (05/2015)
    • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill – Doctor of Physical Therapy (expected 08/2017)
  • UNC DPT Program Clinical Rotations
    • Clinical Rotation 1: Tri-County Orthopedic and Sports Medicine, Outpatient Orthopedics, Elkin, NC
    • Clinical Rotation 2: UNC Home Health, Home Health, Chapel Hill, NC
    • Clinical Rotation 3: Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center, Acute Care, Charlotte, NC
    • Clinical Rotation 4: Carolinas Rehabilitation, General Outpatient, Mt. Holly, NC
  • Future Goals
    • Graduate with a Doctorate in Physical Therapy from UNC in August 2018
    • Sit and pass the Federation of State Board Physical Therapy Examination  in October 2018
    • Obtain employment in either an acute care setting or a skilled nursing facility within 3 months of graduation
    • As a volunteer activity, I would like to train my personal dog to be a therapy dog to visit the facility in which I work after hours to provide comfort and affection to patients, within 3 years of graduation.
    • Volunteer to coordinate/implement a fall prevention program for seniors, such as at a local retirement community or assisted living facility within 3 years of graduation.
    • Become a clinical instructor after 3 years of beginning employment
    • Within 5 years of graduation, sit for and pass the Geriatric Certified Specialist Exam

Self Assessment

Strengths

  • Clinical experience throughout the continuum of care, from acute care, to home health, to outpatient care.
  • Previous leadership experience in a fitness setting, in both general recreational fitness as well as geriatric fitness.
  • Motivation for community involvement and promotion of wellness.
  • Empathy and respect for both patients and other professionals as individuals more complex than their chart or diagnosis.

Areas for Further Development

  • Increased activity in APTA events and other professional opportunities
  • Knowledge and utilization of the most current evidence-based interventions
  • Continued clinical experience in performing evaluations and implementing a plan of care that is flexible for changes in a patient’s status

Objectives

  1. Graduate from UNC’s DPT program in August 2018 and pass the Physical Therapy Licensure Exam in October 2018
  2. Become employed in a skilled nursing facility or other geriatric setting and begin gaining experience to successfully become a Geriatric Certified Specialist – October 2018
  3. Utilize a variety of clinical education coursework to obtain and refine my skills in order to become a more well-rounded clinician for approaching more complex patients with multiple comorbidities – by August 2023

Specific Strategies

  • Participate in various continuing education opportunities after graduation to augment my existing knowledge and obtain new skills.
  • Become more active in APTA events, such as meetings and conferences to encourage my professional development
  • Seek out resources (such as online, at my place of employment, or through the APTA) for being able to efficiently stay up to date on research and evidence-based practice.

Electives

Fall 2016: Advanced Orthopedic Assessment and Intervention (PHYT 875)

Spring 2017: Advanced Neuromuscular Intervention (PHYT 885)

Product Examples

  • Capstone Site: With my interest in geriatrics, I chose to focus my Capstone project on strategies to effectively communicate with patients with dementia. Communication is such a vital component of patient care, and with patients with cognitive deficits, communication can suffer if you do not have a mindful, deliberate approach.  For my capstone product, I created a website for second-year students of our program to have as a resource about dementia and communication to prepare them for upcoming clinical rotations.  An annotated bibliography organizing evidence-based support of strategies was completed to inform the pages of the website.
  • Exercise and Central Sensitization: The central sensitization of pain is a common yet complex process that can limit function of patients across the lifespan and across settings. Physical therapists are in a unique position to help these patients find relief without the use of medications. I used my special topic summary in the Advanced Neuromuscular Intervention elective to explore the use of exercise as an intervention for those experiencing central sensitization of pain.
  • Diagnosis and Management of Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome: The mechanics of the knee have been a particular interest of mine, so when given the opportunity to explore an area of our choice in our Advanced Orthopedic Assessment and Intervention elective, I knew just what I wanted to research. The etiology of Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (PFPS) can be surrounded by ambiguity, making diagnosis and treatment of this pathology challenging.  I used our final course paper to look into the evidence surrounding the various examination procedures and interventions used with PFPS.
  • Review of Outcome Measures for Acute PT: During my acute care rotation, I had discussed the use of outcome measures with my clinical instructor, who expressed that while their staff recognized the utility of their use, it can be difficult to keep track of the exact procedures and data for various measures. Therefore, as my in-service at this site, I chose to review common outcome measures appropriate for the acute care setting and create a handout for staff members to be able to reference in the future. Detailed procedure forms from the creators of each test were also provided with this handout.

Reflective Statement

Over the past three years, my experiences have made me so proud to be entering such a dynamic and diverse profession.  Learning the history of the field of physical therapy and its many applications and roles today has helped me understand the value of what we do and be able to share this with others.  From working with brilliant instructors and classmates, I am excited to see how our field will evolve throughout my career through both their contributions and my own.  As I have grown in this program, I have acquired skills and knowledge that feel so natural to me when they were completely foreign to me just a few years ago.  I have also developed a confidence that I can have a greater contribution to our profession and to the lives of patients than I ever realized.  Physical therapists can have an influential role in the community to improve the health and wellbeing of those around us, and this is what I most look forward to being a part of as I begin my career.  While I have always had my interest in geriatrics, my exposure to other areas has made me open-minded to participating in a wider range of interests than I expected when I entered the program.  I discovered I have a love for acute care, which I did not see coming at all, to the point where I would like to pursue it after graduation in addition to considering positions in a more geriatric-specific setting.  I have learned that I do not have to be employed with a certain setting or population to still remain involved, so I plan to use my skills outside of my employment in volunteer opportunities throughout the community.

One response so far




One Response to “Cheyenne Brown”

  1.   Lisa Johnstonon 18 Jun 2018 at 7:16 am

    Cheyenne: Great job on your portfolio. I am so glad to hear about the development of your confidence. Much deserved! I think it is great that you have really found an unexpected love in acute care. You have great choices! Good luck. Lisa

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