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Physical Therapist Assistants

Assist physical therapists in providing physical therapy treatments and procedures. May, in accordance with state laws, assist in the development of treatment plans, carry out routine functions, document the progress of treatment, and modify specific treatments in accordance with patient status and within the scope of treatment plans established by a physical therapist. Generally requires formal training.

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    Work Activities

    Work Activities

    • Attend or conduct continuing education courses, seminars, or in-service activities.
    • Attend or conduct continuing education courses, seminars, or in-service activities.
    • Communicate with or instruct caregivers or family members on patient therapeutic activities or treatment plans.
    • Prepare treatment areas and electrotherapy equipment for use by physiotherapists.
    • Administer traction to relieve neck or back pain, using intermittent or static traction equipment.
    • Assist patients to dress, undress, or put on and remove supportive devices, such as braces, splints, or slings.
    • Prepare treatment areas and electrotherapy equipment for use by physiotherapists.
    • Instruct patients in proper body mechanics and in ways to improve functional mobility, such as aquatic exercise.
    • Observe patients during treatments to compile and evaluate data on their responses and progress and provide results to physical therapist in person or through progress notes.
    • Observe patients during treatments to compile and evaluate data on their responses and progress and provide results to physical therapist in person or through progress notes.
    • Perform clerical duties, such as taking inventory, ordering supplies, answering telephone, taking messages, or filling out forms.
    • Document patient information, such as notes on their progress.
    • Transport patients to and from treatment areas, lifting and transferring them according to positioning requirements.
    • Observe patients during treatments to compile and evaluate data on their responses and progress and provide results to physical therapist in person or through progress notes.
    • Measure patients' range-of-joint motion, body parts, or vital signs to determine effects of treatments or for patient evaluations.
    • Perform postural drainage, percussions, or vibrations or teach deep breathing exercises to treat respiratory conditions.
    • Instruct, motivate, safeguard, and assist patients as they practice exercises or functional activities.
    • Secure patients into or onto therapy equipment.
    • Administer active or passive manual therapeutic exercises, therapeutic massage, aquatic physical therapy, or heat, light, sound, or electrical modality treatments, such as ultrasound.
    • Document patient information, such as notes on their progress.
    • Train patients in the use of orthopedic braces, prostheses, or supportive devices.
    • Instruct, motivate, safeguard, and assist patients as they practice exercises or functional activities.
    • Instruct patients in proper body mechanics and in ways to improve functional mobility, such as aquatic exercise.
    • Confer with physical therapy staff or others to discuss and evaluate patient information for planning, modifying, or coordinating treatment.
    • Transport patients to and from treatment areas, lifting and transferring them according to positioning requirements.
    • Clean work area and check and store equipment after treatment.
    • Perform clerical duties, such as taking inventory, ordering supplies, answering telephone, taking messages, or filling out forms.
    • Perform therapeutic wound care.
    • Monitor operation of equipment and record use of equipment and administration of treatment.
    • Perform postural drainage, percussions, or vibrations or teach deep breathing exercises to treat respiratory conditions.
    • Fit patients for orthopedic braces, prostheses, or supportive devices, such as crutches.

    Skills

    • Systems Analysis

      Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.

    • Operations Analysis

      Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.

    • Technology Design

      Making equipment and technology useful for customers.

    • Critical Thinking

      Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

    • Science

      Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.

    • Active Learning

      Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.

    • Coordination

      Changing what is done based on other people's actions.

    • Installation

      Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.

    • Quality Control Analysis

      Testing how well a product or service works.

    • Programming

      Writing computer programs.

    • Management of Material Resources

      Managing equipment and materials.

    • Instructing

      Teaching people how to do something.

    • Operations Monitoring

      Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.

    • Repairing

      Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.

    • Judgment and Decision Making

      Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.

    • Equipment Maintenance

      Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.

    • Time Management

      Managing your time and the time of other people.

    • Troubleshooting

      Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.

    • Management of Financial Resources

      Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.

    • Complex Problem Solving

      Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

    • Writing

      Writing things for co-workers or customers.

    • Mathematics

      Using math to solve problems.

    • Learning Strategies

      Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.

    • Social Perceptiveness

      Understanding people's reactions.

    • Persuasion

      Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.

    • Monitoring

      Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.

    • Negotiation

      Bringing people together to solve differences.

    • Equipment Selection

      Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.

    • Service Orientation

      Looking for ways to help people.

    • Management of Personnel Resources

      Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.

    • Operation and Control

      Using equipment or systems.

    • Systems Evaluation

      Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.

    • Reading Comprehension

      Reading work-related information.

    • Active Listening

      Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

    • Speaking

      Talking to others.

    WorkKeys®

    Applied Math
    3
    Workplace Documents
    4
    Graphic Literacy
    4

    Abilities

    • Response Orientation

      Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.

    • Trunk Strength

      Using your lower back and stomach.

    • Stamina

      Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.

    • Gross Body Coordination

      Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.

    • Wrist-Finger Speed

      Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.

    • Number Facility

      Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.

    • Selective Attention

      Paying attention to something without being distracted.

    • Control Precision

      Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.

    • Reaction Time

      Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.

    • Far Vision

      Seeing details that are far away.

    • Written Comprehension

      Reading and understanding what is written.

    • Inductive Reasoning

      Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.

    • Spatial Orientation

      Knowing where things are around you.

    • Rate Control

      Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.

    • Near Vision

      Seeing details up close.

    • Problem Sensitivity

      Noticing when problems happen.

    • Information Ordering

      Ordering or arranging things.

    • Category Flexibility

      Grouping things in different ways.

    • Oral Expression

      Communicating by speaking.

    • Fluency of Ideas

      Coming up with lots of ideas.

    • Depth Perception

      Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.

    • Speech Recognition

      Recognizing spoken words.

    • Speech Clarity

      Speaking clearly.

    • Night Vision

      Seeing at night or under low light.

    • Sound Localization

      Noticing the direction that a sound came from.

    • Mathematical Reasoning

      Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.

    • Dynamic Flexibility

      Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.

    • Finger Dexterity

      Putting together small parts with your fingers.

    • Gross Body Equilibrium

      Keeping your balance or staying upright.

    • Oral Comprehension

      Listening and understanding what people say.

    • Memorization

      Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.

    • Visualization

      Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.

    • Time Sharing

      Doing two or more things at the same time.

    • Manual Dexterity

      Holding or moving items with your hands.

    • Visual Color Discrimination

      Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.

    • Auditory Attention

      Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.

    • Glare Sensitivity

      Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.

    • Hearing Sensitivity

      Telling the difference between sounds.

    • Speed of Limb Movement

      Quickly moving your arms and legs.

    • Extent Flexibility

      Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.

    • Speed of Closure

      Quickly knowing what you are looking at.

    • Flexibility of Closure

      Seeing hidden patterns.

    • Perceptual Speed

      Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.

    • Arm-Hand Steadiness

      Keeping your arm or hand steady.

    • Static Strength

      Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.

    • Explosive Strength

      Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.

    • Written Expression

      Communicating by writing.

    • Deductive Reasoning

      Using rules to solve problems.

    • Peripheral Vision

      Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.

    • Multilimb Coordination

      Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.

    • Dynamic Strength

      Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.

    • Originality

      Creating new and original ideas.

    Knowledge

    • Engineering and Technology

      Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.

    • Design

      Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

    • Building and Construction

      Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.

    • Mechanical

      Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

    • History and Archeology

      Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.

    • Education and Training

      Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

    • Public Safety and Security

      Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.

    • Food Production

      Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.

    • Sociology and Anthropology

      Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.

    • Foreign Language

      Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.

    • Computers and Electronics

      Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

    • Biology

      Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.

    • Production and Processing

      Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.

    • Mathematics

      Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

    • Physics

      Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.

    • Psychology

      Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.

    • Medicine and Dentistry

      Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.

    • Telecommunications

      Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

    • Economics and Accounting

      Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.

    • Sales and Marketing

      Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

    • Administrative

      Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.

    • Communications and Media

      Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.

    • Customer and Personal Service

      Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

    • Fine Arts

      Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.

    • Administration and Management

      Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

    • Personnel and Human Resources

      Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.

    • English Language

      Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

    • Law and Government

      Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.

    • Geography

      Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.

    • Chemistry

      Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.

    • Therapy and Counseling

      Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.

    • Philosophy and Theology

      Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.

    • Transportation

      Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.

    Career Video

    Additional videos and more information available on CareerOneStop

    Pay

    • Ohio Annual Salary 61540/yr
    • Typical Salary
    • Ohio Hourly Wage 29.59/hr
    • Typical Hourly Wage

    Ohio Employment Trends

    • Currently Employed 8,100
    • Yearly Projected Openings 1030

    Typical Education

    Personality

    Social: People interested in this work like activities that include helping people, teaching, and talking.They do well at jobs that need:
    • Dependability
    • Integrity
    • Cooperation
    • Self Control
    • Concern for Others
    • Attention to Detail

    Tools

    • Arm orthopedic softgoods
    • Back or lumbar or sacral orthopedic softgoods
    • Balance beams or boards or bolsters or rockers for rehabilitation or therapy
    • Blood pressure cuff kits
    • Canes
    • Cardiac output CO monitoring units
    • Chest percussors
    • Continuous passive motion CPM devices
    • Crutches
    • Desktop computers
    • Diathermy units
    • Digital camcorders or video cameras
    • Digital cameras
    • Dynamometers
    • Electric vibrators for rehabilitation or therapy
    • Electromyography EMG units
    • Electrotherapy combination units
    • Ergometer
    • Exercise trampolines
    • Full body immersion hydrotherapy baths or tanks
    • Gait belts for rehabilitation or therapy
    • Galvanic or faradic stimulators
    • Goggles
    • Goniometers or arthrometers
    • Head or neck traction supplies
    • Hydrotherapy bath or tank accessories
    • Knee therapeutic brace or support
    • Lower body resistance machines
    • Lower extremity prosthetic devices
    • Mats or platforms for rehabilitation or therapy
    • Medical acoustic stethoscopes
    • Medical nasal cannulas
    • Medical staff isolation or cover gowns
    • Mobile medical services automated external defibrillators AED or hard paddles
    • Neuromuscular stimulators or kits
    • Notebook computers
    • Orthopedic splint systems
    • Orthotics or foot care products
    • Oxygen therapy delivery system products
    • Parallel bars for rehabilitation or therapy
    • Patient care beds for specialty care
    • Patient height rulers
    • Patient lifts
    • Patient shifting boards
    • Patient stretchers
    • Pedal exercisers for rehabilitation or therapy
    • Pelvis or back traction supplies
    • Personal computers
    • Physiological recorders
    • Plumb bobs
    • Positioning devices
    • Powder boards for rehabilitation or therapy
    • Protective gloves
    • Pulse oximeter units
    • Reachers for the physically challenged
    • Reflex hammers or mallets
    • Resistive exercise bands or putty or tubing for rehabilitation or therapy
    • Skinfold calipers
    • Surgical isolation or surgical masks
    • Tablet computers
    • Therapeutic balls
    • Therapeutic heating or cooling pads or compresses or packs
    • Therapeutic paraffin baths
    • Transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation units
    • Treadmill exercisers for rehabilitation or therapy
    • Ultrasonic therapy apparatus or supplies
    • Ultraviolet UV lamps
    • Upper body resistance machines
    • Upper extremity prosthetic devices
    • Vascular sequential compression devices or tubing
    • Walkers or rollators
    • Weights or sets for rehabilitation or therapy
    • Wheelchairs
    • Wrist exercisers for rehabilitation or therapy

    Technology

    • Accounting software
    • Action games
    • Calendar and scheduling software
    • Data base user interface and query software
    • Electronic mail software
    • Medical software
    • Office suite software
    • Operating system software
    • Presentation software
    • Spreadsheet software
    • Word processing software

    Tags

    • InDemand occupations are considered a priority by the state of Ohio.

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