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Physical Therapist Assistant Job Description
Career tips, salaries, and lists of schools.
Improving an individual's mobility or relieving his/her pain through physical therapy can be a demanding job. In many cases a thorough treatment requires more than one individual. This is the reason why physical therapists rely upon the help provided by other health care workers known as physical therapist assistants.
Assistants perform a variety of tasks but they all have the same purpose: to provide part of a patient's treatment under the direction and supervision of a physical therapist. Working together, therapists and their assistants provide services to injured or diseased patients with the goal of improving their strength, flexibility, and fitness; relieving their pain; and improving their quality of life. Duties can include many of the following:
- Conferring with physical therapy staff to coordinate treatment
- Helping patients exercise
- Observing patients during treatment
- Preparing therapy equipment
- Administering massages, electrical stimulation, and ultrasound
- Recording the patient's response to treatment
- Measuring patient progress
- Reporting the outcome of each treatment to the physical therapist
- Keeping the treatment area clean and organized
- Assistance patient if necessary when moving to or from a treatment area
- Fitting patients for support devices such as crutches and instructing them on their use
- Performing clerical tasks as needed (e.g., ordering supplies, answering phones, etc)
Being good at this type of job requires strong interpersonal skills. In addition, it helps if an individual is attentive to detail and has good organizational abilities. Physical therapist assistants work in a wide variety of health care settings. Most work in hospitals or in physical therapy clinics. Some others can be found in places like nursing homes, outpatient care centers, rehabilitation facilities, and home health agencies.
Degrees and Schools
Most states require physical therapist assistants to graduate from an accredited two-year program with an associate degree in order to be able to apply for licensure. Accreditation is conferred by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA). At the present time, there are over 250 accredited programs in the U.S. A list of accredited schools can be found on the APTA web site.
Classes
Most physical therapist assistant programs last two years and culminate in an associate's degree. They typically include a blend of classroom study and hands-on clinical practice. Common courses found in a typical curriculum are:
- Intro to Physical Therapy
- Algebra
- Anatomy
- Physiology
- Psychology
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Therapeutic Exercise
Online Classes and Programs
A variety of schools offer online programs which generally provide students with basic medical training along with an understanding of clinical practices. Graduates typically earn an associate's degree, which satisfies the educational qualification for the licensure exam in most states. Coursework is administered online via video lectures, computer-based assignments, and virtual "classroom" discussion. However, it is important that any such training be supplemented with hands-on clinical experience. This can be accomplished through an internship at a medical facility and/or on-site classroom laboratory work.
Employment Requirements
Most states require physical therapist assistants to be licensed. The requirement for licensure is generally twofold: an associate's degree from an accredited program (including a minimum number of hours of clinical experience) and passing a licensure exam. Exams are administered by the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT) and coordinated through the Board of Physical Therapy in the particular state. Some states have additional requirements beyond licensure, such as certification in first aid and CPR. In most states, there is also a continuing education requirement for maintaining licensure. Specific requirements can be obtained by contacting the state's licensing board.
How to Evaluate Schools
Some important questions that should be asked by prospective students considering a school include:
- Accreditation - Are the school's programs accredited by CAPTE? Does the accreditation meet the educational requirement for licensure in your state?
- Program quality - Does the program confer at least an associate's degree to its graduates? Is there a significant amount of clinical training included?
- Time frame - Does the duration of the program match your goals and career plans? Is the duration fixed or can it be tailored?
- Financial assistance - Are there financial aid or scholarship opportunities available? Does the school facilitate student access to them?
- Success of graduates - What is the total number of graduates produced by the school? How many of them go on to obtain licensure and gainful employment?
