Physical therapy assistant jobs are those where a person assists a licensed Physical Therapist by working with the patient after the PT has made the evaluation, and decided on what course of treatment should be conducted from the doctors notes. The amount of schooling required to become a PTA varies from state to state. Let's take a look at some of the functions of a PTA.
A person who wants to be a PTA must have First Aid and CPR Certification, in case there should be any emergency situations with patients or other people in the facility. These courses are usually offered by a local EMT Squad, perhaps the Fire Department. The County Services Office can provide the necessary information on finding out when and where these courses can be taken.
After surgery, or an injury, patients will need to become ambulatory, and the PTA is the one who assists them in walking, doing repetitions of prescribed exercises, and other activities which have been determined necessary by a licensed physician. PTAs also help patients get in and out of their wheel chairs, or assist them while on crutches, and may have to assist them in access to their transportation vehicle.
An assortment of medical devices are used in PT which are designed to help strengthen and support patients while engaged in their days therapy. These can include different types of weights, stairways which are to be navigated, and even the use of machines that are typically found in health spas, such as electronically controlled bicycles. There are other devices which may be computer controlled and require a knowledge of computer operation.
PTAs should be able to work well with people, and understand their needs while dealing with potentially excruciating pain. Often a patient will get discouraged and want to give up because it seems to difficult to continue. The PTA offers moral support, instructions and encouragement to help the patient want to continue with their rehabilitation routines.
Administrative support is another of the duties of a PTA, who maintains documentation on each exercise and rehab routine of the patient. Once the activity is completed, the PTA writes down how many repetitions the patients was able to complete, and indicates any additional notes which could assist the PT in determining the activity for the patients next appointment.
Treatment areas can vary from one facility to another, and sometimes there are separate rooms for certain types of exercises. The PTA is responsible for helping the patient to get from one room to another, and then getting them started on what they are supposed to be doing for that session. A PTA should pay attention to each patient and be ready to assist them, when they are finished with that set.
As with any health care setting, there are patients Rights to Privacy which must be maintained, and the PTA is also required to comply with these laws. They cannot disclose any information, or confidentiality, or patient treatment, and their right to refuse treatment. PTAs are considered health care professionals, too, and are held to the same high standards, with demands for physical therapy assistant jobs being expected to grow well into the future.
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The medical field is an ever-expanding field that is much needed because of the aging population. There is an especially high demand for occupational therapy jobs and speech pathology jobs
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