What You'll Do

  • Instruct, motivate, safeguard, and assist patients as they practice exercises or functional activities.
  • Confer with physical therapy staff or others to discuss and evaluate patient information for planning, modifying, or coordinating treatment.
  • Measure patients' range-of-joint motion, body parts, or vital signs to determine effects of treatments or for patient evaluations.
  • Secure patients into or onto therapy equipment.
  • Fit patients for orthopedic braces, prostheses, or supportive devices, such as crutches.
  • Train patients in the use of orthopedic braces, prostheses, or supportive devices.
  • Transport patients to and from treatment areas, lifting and transferring them according to positioning requirements.
  • Monitor operation of equipment and record use of equipment and administration of treatment.
  • Clean work area and check and store equipment after treatment.
  • Assist patients to dress, undress, or put on and remove supportive devices, such as braces, splints, or slings.

Essential Skills

Active Listening 4.0/5
Speaking 3.75/5
Monitoring 3.75/5
Social Perceptiveness 3.75/5
Reading Comprehension 3.25/5
Writing 3.25/5
Critical Thinking 3.25/5
Active Learning 3.25/5
Service Orientation 3.25/5
Coordination 3.12/5
Instructing 3.12/5
Complex Problem Solving 3.12/5

Career Fit Overview

Use this summary to sense whether the day to day rhythm and focus of this path line up with what energizes you.

Top passions

  • Helper: Supporting people and making a difference matters to you.
  • Maker: Building and fixing energizes you. You like tangible results and practical tools.
  • Organizer: Bringing order to data and processes satisfies you.

Common styles

Dependability, Integrity, Cooperation, Self-Control, Concern for Others

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Key Abilities

This career demands strong capabilities in the following areas:

Oral Expression 4.12/5
Oral Comprehension 4.0/5
Speech Recognition 3.88/5
Speech Clarity 3.88/5
Written Comprehension 3.75/5
Problem Sensitivity 3.75/5
Near Vision 3.75/5
Written Expression 3.25/5

Technologies & Tools

Accounting software Arena Health Systems Phys-X Beaver Creek Software The THERAPIST Billing software BioEx Systems Exercise Pro Bookkeeping software Client caseload management software dBASE Eazy Application Systems QuickEMR eClinicalWorks EHR software Email software FileMaker Pro Knees Software PT DocTools Laboratory information system LIS Medical condition coding software Microsoft Access Microsoft Excel Microsoft Office software Microsoft Outlook Microsoft PowerPoint

Work Environment & Style

Common Styles for This Career

  • Dependability (High importance: 4.8/5)
  • Integrity (High importance: 4.79/5)
  • Cooperation (High importance: 4.63/5)
  • Self-Control (High importance: 4.61/5)
  • Concern for Others (High importance: 4.52/5)

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How to Become One

This career typically requires vocational school, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree. Some specialized training or certification may also be required.

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Also Known As

This career is known by many different job titles across industries. Here are all the variations:

Certified Physical Therapist Assistant (CPTA) Home Care Physical Therapy Assistant Home Health Physical Therapist Assistant Home Health Physical Therapy Assistant (Home Health PTA) Licensed Physical Therapist Assistant (LPTA) Licensed Physical Therapy Assistant Nursing Facility PTA (Nursing Facility Physical Therapy Assistant) Outpatient Physical Therapist Assistant Per Diem Physical Therapist Assistant (Per Diem PTA) Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) Physical Therapy Assistant (PTA) Physiotherapy Assistant Rehabilitation Assistant (Rehab Assistant)