Prison PT

handshake

to shake or not to shake

I know I’ve written about “touch” before. Whether it be for therapeutic reasons or just not feeling comfortable shaking a hand of a patient who was on death row.

I think all of us started to question shaking a hand, during the time of the pandemic. Maybe a fist bump or an elbow bump would be less of a spreading event.

And in the prison, these are all still thoughts that cross my mind.

I will say, I’ve gotten more comfortable with the hand shake in the year and 8 months that I’ve been working there. And I’m very aware of the shift.

The other day I was in the Chapel attending an award ceremony for staff. These were awards for staff that were nominated by inmates/residents and my fellow PT had been awarded. Many of our current and past patients in attendance came up to greet us after the ceremony commenced. I was very aware that I was shaking their hands without even a second thought. It’s now become instinctual and normal.

There’s no more pause with deer in the headlights look and then the “safer” fist bump. I think I must have mentioned this in one of my other posts, but I can’t recall which one. I had a patient who was on death row and it was early in my days at the prison. It was his graduation day from PT and he went to shake my hand and I froze and stuck out my fist for the bump. At that time, it was “my policy” to just fist bump everyone. This way, no one felt I was favoring one over the other. It would just appear to be “what I do.”

So, at the ceremony, I was genuinely happy for one of my patients that came up and said hello. I had discharged him from PT months ago. I heard from another patient that he had been found suitable and would be likely paroling soon. I naturally shook his hand in congratulations. He’s “one of the good ones,” so to speak—really putting efforts to rehabilitate and to be a good person.

I do still have the deer in the headlights with some patient, though. Instead of having a “policy,” I just do what feels instinctual. Elbow, fist, hand….or just meet them where they are.

I guess I’m sharing this because I am very aware of the shift that has occurred with time here. At first I didn’t want to be overly friendly or as though I was handing something over or accepting something in a handshake.

Now I just see it as a human thing to do. It’s a gesture of greeting, or of congratulations, or of a thank you. And I don’t want anyone to feel “less than.”

*just to note, I’ll be leaving out the name of the institution that I work at. It’s a state prison for reference. Images are not from the prison as no devices are allowed in.

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caring for the incarcerated

Prison PT

I’ve been a physical therapist (PT) for 19 years. Worked in all different settings: Acute care, inpatient rehab, home health, hospice care, outpatient clinic, telehealth, and I’ve run my own concierge practice. As a yoga therapist and PT I’ve been able to help those see a new perspective around their pain. Not to expect a pain-free life, but to relish a life that exists in the presence of pain—because we will all experience it at some point.  But now, I’ve chosen a new path. I wanted to serve the underserved, and I wanted something unique. Working at a prison was not something I thought possible. But it is. There are a small world of PT’s doing just that. But if you search out there to find information on the experience, you won’t find much. I found several sites about nursing for the incarcerated, but the PT landscape was bleak.  So, it’s with this intention that I began to share the stories here. A source to inform those who are curious and have questions and provide them a place to land. Please share if you know someone who might be interested.
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2 responses to “handshake”

  1. jmh8346

    Thank you TatianaJeanne Heffernan Sent from my iPhone

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    1. Prison PT

      Thanks for stopping by to read Jeanne

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