Physical Therapist Job Description, Key Duties and Responsibilities

This post provides complete information on the job description of a physical therapist, to help you learn the work they do.

It highlights the key duties, tasks, and responsibilities that commonly make up the physical therapist work description.

Please, read on:

What Does a Physical Therapist Do?

A physical therapist is medical professional that performs diagnosis on individuals of different ages who have restricted movements and performance due to certain physical injuries they are suffering from.

The job description of the physical therapist is to ensure that these physically challenged individuals lead a comfortable and stress-free life regardless of their conditions.

A trained professional, the physical therapist carefully examines individuals in order to diagnose specifics about their conditions, without making general assumptions.

Having diagnosed the conditions of their patients they go further to develop a therapy or treatment plan that is used to take care of them accordingly.

They work with people of different ages, both young and old, who have suffered any medical injuries that have affected the physical functions of their bodies.

The physical therapist is responsible for ensuring that individuals regain their body movement and are able to do things they use to do before falling ill.

In order to ensure that individuals are not abandoned in a particular area due to their physical challenge, part of the physical therapist’s duties is to help in moving them from one place to another.

He/she comes up with techniques to reduce pains that individuals may feel due to their physical conditions, and ensures that they gain relief.

He/she goes all the way to providing care for people regardless of their location, it could be in the hospital, private clinics, fitness facilities, office, nursing homes, school etc .

The role of physical therapists extend beyond helping patients to move their bodies, it also involves encouraging and motivating them to live fit and healthy even after treatment.

Other tasks they perform include making sure that individuals follow their treatment plan diligently to the end, so as to achieve successful results.

A good trainer, the therapist creates fitness techniques and routines that help individuals to gain maximum fitness and healthiness, when carried out diligently.

As a means to helping individuals live healthy, he/she monitors them closely to prevent further impairments or casualties that may arise as a result of their present conditions.

Physical therapists understand that individual’s recovery is only possible when they show interest and zeal, thus, they encourage them to participate wholeheartedly in the treatment.

Physical Therapist Job Description Example/Sample/Template

The list of key duties, tasks, and responsibilities that make up a physical therapist’s daily activities on the job is shown in the job description example below:

• Diagnose body dysfunction of individuals
• Carryout series of tests to know what could be responsible for a patient’s condition
• Interact with individuals to know their medical history
• Map out techniques and routines to meet specific individual needs
• Constantly check individuals to monitor their progress
• Exercise with individuals, giving them instructions and motivations to push forward
• Conduct re-examination on individuals when there is no good progress in their treatment
• Create new treatment routines for individuals to achieve better results
• Evaluate patients’ strength and endurance to create appropriate treatment routines.

The sample job description provided above can be used in creating the employment history section of a resume for the job of physical therapist.

Physical Therapist Requirements: Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities for Career Success

Aspiring physical therapists are usually required by most employers to have the following skills, knowledge, and abilities to be considered for employment:

• Good problem solving skills
• Good communications skills
• Good interpersonal skills
• Good knowledge of the human body system
• Being a good motivator
• Ability to show empathy
• Being patient.

See 15 physical therapist skills to succeed on the job.