Therapist Training Class: Physical Therapist Job Description Information

Physical therapists plan, organize, assess and participate in rehab programs that improve mobility, increase strength, relieve pain and decrease or prevent deformity of patients that suffer from injury or disease. They have to evaluate the effects of treatment at a wide variety of stages and adjust those treatments to achieve the maximum benefit.

The duties of a physical therapist include planning, preparing and carrying out individually designed programs of physical treatments to improve, restore or maintain physical functioning, obtaining patients’ informed consent to proposed interventions, recording prognosis, treatment, response and progress in each patient’s chart, and performing and documenting an initial exam to identify problems and determine a diagnosis prior to invention. They are also responsible for administering manual exercises, traction or massages to help relieve pain, increase strength or prevent or decrease deformity or crippling, discharging patients from physical therapy, testing and measuring each patient’s strength and instructing the patient and their family in treatment procedures.

The skills required of a physical therapist include active listening skills, time management skills, speaking skills and instructing skills. Active listening skills are useful for giving full attention to patients when recording medical history. Time management skills are useful for managing time between patient appointments during the day. Speaking skills are helpful when talking to patients and trying to convey information effectively. Instructing skills are useful when trying to explain home treatment procedures to patients and their families. Physical therapists should also possess inductive reasoning skills, oral expression skills, oral comprehension skills and written comprehensions skills in order to listen and understand verbal information, communicate verbal information effectively, read and understand written information and to combine pieces of information to form conclusions.

Physical therapists must have a degree or certificate in relation to physical therapy. They must then pass a licensure exam before they are able to practice. Some programs offer Master’s degrees and some offer doctoral degrees. A physical therapist is required to have a minimum Master’s degree in order to qualify for licensure. The courses taught in these training and degree programs include anatomy, chemistry, physics biology, social science and mathematics. Many professional education programs require applicants to have experience as a volunteer in a physical therapy department of a hospital or clinic before granting them admission.

Physical therapists usually work in clinics, doctor’s offices and hospitals, but they may also treat patients in homes or schools. Most physical therapists work a standard 40-hour work week and some work evenings and weekends in order to fit the needs of the patients. The job for a physical therapist can be physically demanding. Physical therapists often have to crouch, stoop, kneel and stand for long periods of time. They also have to lift heavy patients, help them turn, walk or stand and lift heavy equipment.

The average annual salary for a physical therapist was $60,180 in May 2004, according to My Plan.

Therapist Training Class

Physical Therapist Job Description Information

Duties

Skills

Requirements

Working Conditions

Salary