Physical Therapists
Also known as: Acute Care PT (Acute Care Physical Therapist), Acute Physical Therapist (Acute PT), Cardiopulmonary Physical Therapist (Cardiopulmonary PT) (+18 more)
Assess, plan, organize, and participate in rehabilitative programs that improve mobility, relieve pain, increase strength, and improve or correct disabling conditions resulting from disease or injury.
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What You'll Do
- Plan, prepare, or carry out individually designed programs of physical treatment to maintain, improve, or restore physical functioning, alleviate pain, or prevent physical dysfunction in patients.
- Perform and document an initial exam, evaluating data to identify problems and determine a diagnosis prior to intervention.
- Evaluate effects of treatment at various stages and adjust treatments to achieve maximum benefit.
- Administer manual exercises, massage, or traction to help relieve pain, increase patient strength, or decrease or prevent deformity or crippling.
- Instruct patient and family in treatment procedures to be continued at home.
- Confer with the patient, medical practitioners, or appropriate others to plan, implement, or assess the intervention program.
- Review physician's referral and patient's medical records to help determine diagnosis and physical therapy treatment required.
- Record prognosis, treatment, response, and progress in patient's chart or enter information into computer.
- Obtain patients' informed consent to proposed interventions.
- Discharge patient from physical therapy when goals or projected outcomes have been attained and provide for appropriate follow-up care or referrals.
Essential Skills
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.
- Analyst: Investigating problems and finding patterns keeps you engaged.
- Maker: Building and fixing energizes you. You like tangible results and practical tools.
Common styles
Concern for Others, Integrity, Social Orientation, Dependability, Cooperation
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Key Abilities
This career demands strong capabilities in the following areas:
Technologies & Tools
Work Environment & Style
Common Styles for This Career
- Concern for Others (High importance: 4.8/5)
- Integrity (High importance: 4.8/5)
- Social Orientation (High importance: 4.67/5)
- Dependability (High importance: 4.66/5)
- Cooperation (High importance: 4.63/5)
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This career requires extensive preparation, typically including a graduate degree (Master's or Doctoral) and several years of experience. Most professionals in this field have invested significant time in education and training.
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Also Known As
This career is known by many different job titles across industries. Here are all the variations:
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