RT Month Alumni Spotlight: Victoria Crouch
February is National Recreational Therapy month! Join The College of Health and Human Performance and the Department of Recreation Sciences as we celebrate all month long.
Name: Victoria Nicole Crouch
Degree, graduation year and credentials: Bachelors of Science in Recreational Therapy with a minor in psychology. LRT, CTRS
What brought you to ECU?
From a young age I knew I wanted to help others, I just wasn’t sure exactly in what way I wanted to do so. When touring colleges, I was significantly impressed by East Carolina University’s familial vibe. I had been searching for a place that felt like “home” or the place I would grow into who I would become one day. ECU was it for me. I felt supported by staff, teachers, peers, and my family to make the decision to call ECU my home in the same way so many others do. Pirate nation is unlike any other.
What is your favorite aspect of Recreational Therapy?
Recreational Therapy is so unique in nature that you truly never know what might happen next and I thrive in that kind of adaptable environment. I find Recreational Therapy to be the passion behind why people do things and that passion lends itself to navigating a whole world of leisure, coping, relaxation, stress management, education, and so much more. To navigate your life with your passions at the forefront says, “I will not back away from a challenge, I will continue to grow and learn new facets of myself, I will celebrate each new trial or challenge with respect for myself and motivation to be authentic to who I am.” That drive and motivation is my favorite aspect of Recreational Therapy and it inspires me daily.
What is a typical day like for you with your current role/employer?
I work in the Acute Rehab which means each day is completely different. Typically, I like to start my day by chart reviewing my patients and responding to any messages from providers or staff with patient reported needs and tend to those first. I then proceed to plan my schedule for the day and which patients I will see. I include more patients than I would typically be able to work with in the event a patient is out of their room in procedure, with another discipline, in dialysis, and so on and so forth. I cover several units within our Acute care setting. I am the primary RT for the Adult Special Care Unit, Neuro floors, MICU (medical intensive care unit), and assist in covering in the general medicine units as needed. This could mean I am conducting 1:1 sessions, groups, or animal assisted therapy on any given day depending on patient to RT ratio and space availability. I will document my patient progress notes, group notes, and assessments in the middle of the day and the end of the day to help keep as much information as accurate as possible.
This year, in celebration of ATRA’s upcoming 40th birthday, the theme for RT Month is “Together We Thrive, Together We Rise!” What initiatives or activities do you think foster a thriving environment within the realm of recreational therapy, and how can individuals contribute to this goal?
Creating a healthy environment to co-treat with other disciplines and educate on our services to best serve our patient populations is the best way I can personally think of to create a cohesive environment. Where RT is at tables we need to be at, advocating for our discipline and our services. I often take any opportunity to “give my elevator speech” as to what RT is, what we do, and how it can positively impact the patient with outcome driven goals and evidenced based practice. Continuing to educate and jump in at every chance to show what we as a discipline can bring to the table is exactly how we each can individually impact our overall goal of patient success.
Do you have any words of advice for prospective and/or current Recreational Therapy students?
The biggest thing I learned going from a Recreational Therapy student to a practicing RT in the field is to be confident. You know what Recreational Therapy can do for patients, you’ve seen the research and learned the material, go apply it and show everyone else! You are not the little guy unless you let yourself be, and Recreational Therapy does not have a little impact. Talk to people, learn what others in the facility do and how you can mutually benefit each other and the patient by advocating for yourself and your field along the way. You will be successful if you set yourself up for success.
Anything else you’d like to share about yourself or your passion for Recreational Therapy?
You don’t go into this field unless you have a heart for others and want to be their cheerleaders along the way. You will have good and bad days, but at the end of it you are making impacts in every single person’s lives you come into contact with. Whether that is for the better or worse is up to you. I find in this field that being self-motivated is one of the best qualities you can have. Hunger after that ambition and show others what a leisure centered life can do for them. I love my job and what we aim to do daily. I feel honored to be a part of this field and have so many wonderful clinicians as peers. Happy RT month!