Physical Therapist Assistants
Health Science > Therapeutic ServicesProjected Growth: Much faster than average
Projected Job Openings
Medium Preparation Needed
Job Description
Your job is to Assist physical therapists in providing physical therapy treatments and procedures. May, in accordance with State laws, assist in the development of treatment plans, carry out routine functions, document the progress of treatment, and modify specific treatments in accordance with patient status and within the scope of treatment plans established by a physical therapist. Generally requires formal training.
Common job titles of Physical Therapist Assistants include:
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Experience and Education
Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
99.83% said they needed a Associate's Degree.
0.17% said they needed a Bachelor's Degree.
Tasks
Observe patients during treatments to compile and evaluate data on their responses and progress and provide results to physical therapist in person or through progress notes.
Perform clerical duties, such as taking inventory, ordering supplies, answering telephone, taking messages, or filling out forms.
Instruct, motivate, safeguard, and assist patients as they practice exercises or functional activities.
Administer active or passive manual therapeutic exercises, therapeutic massage, aquatic physical therapy, or heat, light, sound, or electrical modality treatments, such as ultrasound.
Confer with physical therapy staff or others to discuss and evaluate patient information for planning, modifying, or coordinating treatment.
Measure patients' range-of-joint motion, body parts, or vital signs to determine effects of treatments or for patient evaluations.
Clean work area and check and store equipment after treatment.
Secure patients into or onto therapy equipment.
Transport patients to and from treatment areas, lifting and transferring them according to positioning requirements.
Prepare treatment areas and electrotherapy equipment for use by physiotherapists.
Communicate with or instruct caregivers or family members on patient therapeutic activities or treatment plans.
Administer traction to relieve neck or back pain, using intermittent or static traction equipment.
Assist patients to dress, undress, or put on and remove supportive devices, such as braces, splints, or slings.
Monitor operation of equipment and record use of equipment and administration of treatment.
Train patients in the use of orthopedic braces, prostheses, or supportive devices.
Fit patients for orthopedic braces, prostheses, or supportive devices, such as crutches.
Perform postural drainage, percussions, or vibrations or teach deep breathing exercises to treat respiratory conditions.
Attend or conduct continuing education courses, seminars, or in-service activities.
Tools
Wrist splints
Whirlpool therapy baths
Wheelchairs
Upper-body isokinetic machines
Ultraviolet UV phototherapy lamps
Ultrasound machines
Transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation TENS equipment
All ToolsTotal lift chairs
Tilt tables
Therapeutic treadmill exercisers
Therapeutic hot packs
Tablet computers
Swiss exercise balls
Surgical masks
Stretchers
Stationary bicycles
Standing tables
Standing cages
Splints
Slings
Sliding boards
Single point canes
Short wave diathermy devices
Sequential compression devices
Safety goggles
Safety gloves
Sacro-illiac joint lumbar corsets
Rotating bed
Resistive exercise bands
Reflex hammers
Reciprocating walkers
Reachers
Quad canes
Pulse oximeters
Protective gowns
Powder boards
Posture grids
Portable oxygen equipment
Plumb lines
Platform walkers
Pick-up walkers
Personal computers
Pelvic traction equipment
Patient positioning devices
Parallel bars
Paraffin baths
Notebook computers
Muscle strength dynamometers
Medicine balls
Medical nasal cannulae
Mechanical stethoscopes
Mechanical percussors
Massage equipment
Lower-body isokinetic machines
Lavage hydrotherapy equipment
Knee braces
Iontopheresis equipment
Intermittent compression units
Interferential electrical stimulation machines
Inclinometers
Hydrotherapy pools
Hoyer lifts
High-voltage Galvanic stimulation machines
Hi-lo manipulation tables
Hemi walkers
Hand grips
Goniometers
Gait belts
Functional electrical stimulation FES equipment
Front-wheel walkers
Free weights
Exercise trampolines
Ergometers
Electromyographs EMG
Digital video cameras
Digital cameras
Desktop computers
Crutches
Continuous passive motion CPM equipment
Cold packs
Cervical traction equipment
Cardiac monitors
Body-fat calipers
Blood pressure cuffs
Below-the-knee prosthetics
Balance boards
Balance beams
Back braces
Automated external defibrillators AED
Arm prosthetics
Ankle-foot orthotics
Above-the-knee prosthetics
Technologies
Medical condition coding software
Accounting software
Arena Health Systems Phys-X
Beaver Creek Software The THERAPIST
Billing software
BioEx Systems Exercise Pro
Bookkeeping software
All TechnologiesClient caseload management software
dBASE
Eazy Application Systems QuickEMR
Email software
FileMaker Pro
Knees Software PT DocTools
Laboratory information system LIS
PhysioTools Tools RG
Rehab Documentation Company ReDoc Suite
Scheduling software
SpectraSoft AppointmentsPRO
SpectraSoft DocuPRO
Spreadsheet software
Summit Software CarePoint
TherAssist
Video game software
Virtual reality game software
Skills
Active Listening
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Speaking
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Monitoring
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Social Perceptiveness
Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Service Orientation
Actively looking for ways to help people.
Critical Thinking
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Coordination
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Reading Comprehension
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Active Learning
Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Instructing
Teaching others how to do something.
Judgment and Decision Making
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Writing
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Learning Strategies
Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
Time Management
Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Abilities
Listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Cognitive Abilities › Verbal Abilities › Oral Comprehension
Communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Cognitive Abilities › Verbal Abilities › Oral Expression