As a rehab therapist, you will have to make countless decisions, choices about the care you will be providing to your patients, and choices about how to run your practice.

Like most people, you will try to make your decisions rationally, by gathering information, talking to colleagues and sorting out the options open to you. And this is fine as far as it goes. But it may actually be limiting your options and not giving you much of a chance to evaluate how good your decision was.

The problem with this model is that it treats decision-making as a once-and-done thing, a discrete, finite action, rather than an ongoing process, and something that is part of a larger context. A decision really is a part of a process that works out over weeks or months or even years.

Making good decisions means working with others to solve problems, testing and evaluating, and analytical thinking. To make a good decision you have to look at all sides of a problem and be able to take criticism. You need to get everyone involved on a collaborative basis, people at all levels in your practice who may have something to contribute.

Good decision making should be an open process where people come up with a number of different alternatives, where ideas are communicated easily, and the solution is tested thoroughly.  But too often the process degenerates into one where people take sides and protect territory or certain special interests.  People become passionate about their views and tend to dig in their heels instead of looking at differing viewpoints.  People see their role as presenting as strong a case as possible for their side, rather than taking a balanced view of things.

Emotions and egos come into play when this happens and people, instead of looking at all of the evidence, actually may suppress evidence that is not favorable to their view.  The idea that a good decision will result from a competition of views is misguided, because this way generally leads to contests, to less innovation, and to people going along just to prevent further acrimony.

We have many rehab therapy positions just waiting for a skilled professional to fill them. Whether you’re looking for the excitement of a travel therapy job, the flexibility of temporary positions or if you desire a regular, full-time position, contact us at Centra Healthcare Solutions today.