What Do Physical Therapist Aides Do (including Their Typical Day At Work)

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Job Description, Daily Responsibilities, and Work Life

Physical Therapist Aides

Physical Therapist Aides under close supervision of a physical therapist or physical therapy assistant, perform only delegated, selected, or routine tasks in specific situations. These duties include preparing the patient and the treatment area.

Salary
$30110
Becoming One
Easy
Education
No degree required
Job Satisfaction
Job Growth

Personality



Job Description

Job Description

Physical Therapist Aides under close supervision of a physical therapist or physical therapy assistant, perform only delegated, selected, or routine tasks in specific situations. These duties include preparing the patient and the treatment area. They also clean and organize work area and disinfect equipment after treatment.

Other tasks include:

  • Instruct, motivate, safeguard, or assist patients practicing exercises or functional activities, under direction of medical staff.
  • Record treatment given and equipment used.
  • Administer active or passive manual therapeutic exercises, therapeutic massage, or heat, light, sound, water, or electrical modality treatments, such as ultrasound.
  • Transport patients to and from treatment areas, using wheelchairs or providing standing support.
  • Change linens, such as bed sheets and pillow cases.
  • Secure patients into or onto therapy equipment.

We asked Physical Therapist Aides how satisfied they are with their job. Here is what they said.

Job satisfaction

74%

How meaningful is this job

86%


74% of them said they were satisfied with their job and 86% said they find that their job makes the world a better place or helps to make someone else’s life better.



Typical Day At Work

On a daily basis, Physical Therapist Aides clean and organize work area and disinfect equipment after treatment. They record treatment given and equipment used.

A typical day for a Physical Therapist Aide will also include:

  • Measure patient’s range-of-joint motion, body parts, or vital signs to determine effects of treatments or for patient evaluations.
  • Instruct, motivate, safeguard, or assist patients practicing exercises or functional activities, under direction of medical staff.
  • Participate in patient care tasks, such as assisting with passing food trays, feeding residents, or bathing residents on bed rest.
  • Change linens, such as bed sheets and pillow cases.
  • Maintain equipment or furniture to keep it in good working condition, including performing the assembly or disassembly of equipment or accessories.

We asked some Physical Therapist Aides a few questions to find out what else does their work day look like. Here is what we found.

Do you have telephone conversations everyday in this job? 57% said yes
How important is it to work in a team in this job? 68% said very important
Do you have group discussions everyday in this job? 98% said yes
Do you talk or work with customers everyday in this job? 24% said yes
Do you have to deal with angry customers everyday in this job? 7% said yes
Do you have to make decisions everyday in this job? 40% said yes

Other responsibilities

Besides their typical day, Physical Therapist Aides also assist patients to dress, undress, or put on and remove supportive devices, such as braces, splints, or slings. They may also administer traction to relieve neck or back pain, using intermittent or static traction equipment.

On a weekly to monthly basis, Physical Therapist Aides Train patients to use orthopedic braces, prostheses, or supportive devices. They might also Fit patients for orthopedic braces, prostheses, or supportive devices, adjusting fit as needed.

In addition, they Perform clerical duties, such as taking inventory, ordering supplies, answering telephone, taking messages, or filling out forms.

Although specific duties may vary, many of them Maintain equipment or furniture to keep it in good working condition, including performing the assembly or disassembly of equipment or accessories.

To some Physical Therapist Aides, it is also their responsibility to Measure patient’s range-of-joint motion, body parts, or vital signs to determine effects of treatments or for patient evaluations.


Working life

Working hours

Standard 40 hour work week

Working schedule

Regular schedule like a 9 to 5

In a typical work week as a Physical Therapist Aide, you can expect to work 40 hour work week.

Do Physical Therapist Aides work in an office-style work environment?

Every day
85%


Never
13%


Do Physical Therapist Aides work outdoors?

Never
91%


Once a year
4%



Is this right for me

Best personality for this career

The Helpers and The Builders

People who are suitable for this job tends to like working with, communicating with, and teaching people. They like helping or providing service to others..

They also like work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They like working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery.

You can read more about these career personality types here.



Learn more about Physical Therapist Aides

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Related to Physical Therapist Aides Job Description

Physical Therapist Aides job description, what do Physical Therapist Aides do, typical day for Physical Therapist Aides, what is it like to work as a Physical Therapist Aide, how many hours do Physical Therapist Aides work, day to day work of a Physical Therapist Aide

Additional resources

http://www.bls.gov/OOH/healthcare/physical-therapist-assistants-and-aides.htm
http://www.apta.org/
http://www.capteonline.org/home.aspx
https://www.fsbpt.org/


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