Physical therapist assistants usually provide their service under the supervision of physical therapists. A Physical therapist assistant job description, or PTAs provide care to people who have medical conditions such as limited ability to move or perform various functional activities through their daily lives. They work in different settings which include private practices, hospitals, schools, nursing homes, home health, outpatient clinics, sports facilities and other places. Their job is to measure all the changes in their patient’s performance and report those changes to their supervisor as a part of the physical therapy they provide.
PTA’s requirements are to tech patients how to exercise and gain increased mobility and better coordination. They teach and train patients how to walk with canes, crutches or walkers. They provide massage therapy if needed, teach patients about the use and importance of electrotherapy, physical agents as well as electrical stimulation.
How much do PTAs earn? Salary Info;
Physical therapist assistant’s median income is $48,090, but this number may vary from their work position, experience, education, practice and location.
PTAs work positions
The physical therapist assistants PTAs may provide their health services to patients of various ages who suffer from different health conditions. Their health care services may be found in:
- Hospitals
- Outpatient clinics
- Rehabilitation facilities
- Subacute facilities
- Nursing extended care homes
- Education centers
- Hospices
- Schools
- Occupational environments
- Fitness centers
- Sports and training facilities
How to become PTA- Educational requirements
Those who are determined to work as a PTA must earn an associate PTA degree from a community college or university. Before graduating from the PTA program, all physical therapy assistants must pass the national testing to get certified in most states and become suitable to work. They usually work under the supervision of the PT.
Physical therapy assistants’duties are to give instructions to patients how they should exercise, what kind of activities they may perform during the day, and they may use special equipment when needed. Among all the other responsibilities, they are required to give reports on how the patient is progressing and that progress has to be documented.
There are more than 252 PTA programs supported all across the U.S. They are required to be licensed and registered in many countries, because otherwise the PTAs will not be able to work. Their median pay in 2018 was $48,090 per year, which means that PTAs earn $23.12 per hour.
PTA’s job outlook
The employment of PTAs is expected to grow up to 41% from 2012-2022. This is much faster than in the other healthcare occupations. Today the physical therapy services are already in demand much more than in the past years.
