Working under the supervision of a registered physical therapist, the physical therapist assistant is involved in patient treatment for various disabilities. These include stroke, broken bones, strained muscles, etc. He or she works to prevent pain and disability, relieve pain and promote healing and rehabilitation.
Graduates in this field commonly experience:
work in hospitals, rehabilitation centers, schools, health care agencies, private practices, educational areas
work under direct supervision of physical therapist
develop plan of treatment for patients
assist in activities of treatment
work in cooperation with other people
work under stress to meet deadlines
overtime/shifts/weekend hours sometimes required
active (much walking, standing, moving around)
lifting (to 100+ lbs.)
stooping, kneeling and/or crawling
good manual skills
Graduates in this field should have:
excellent communication skills, both written and spoken
ability to work well with a variety of people
ability to work with inanimate objects, setting up and maintaining equipment
compassion, honesty
flexibility: ability to change from task to task without losing composure or efficiency
attention to detail
ability to "catch on" quickly
ability to perform simple arithmetic functions quickly and accurately
good motor coordination: hand/eye coordination, accurate and swift movement, finger/manual dexterity
ability to make evaluations, generalizations, decisions
ability to see relationships
ability to follow verbal and written directions
self-discipline and self-motivation
Graduates in this field can expect the following developments:
approximate earnings between $25,000 to $35,000
83% placement rate for 2007-2009 graduates
excellent opportunities if willing to relocate
employment possible in cities and towns of all sizes