Physical Therapist Assistant Job Description, Key Duties and Responsibilities

This post provides exhaustive information on the physical therapist assistant, to help you learn the duties, tasks, and responsibilities they handle.

What Does a Physical Therapist Assistant Do?

A physical therapist assistant is a trained individual who works directly with a licensed physical therapist in administering care and treatment to physically challenged persons.

The job description of the physical therapist assistant is to help individuals of different ages who are suffering from health complications that affect their ability to move from one place to another and hinder them from performing other physical activities.

He/she is mobile in the course of duty and works in different areas which include hospitals, private clinics, sports facilities, schools, etc.

Physical therapist assistants are responsible for carrying out physical therapy procedures aimed at making patients regain physical ability as outlined by the physical therapist.

Their duties include performing therapeutic exercises by recommending manual exercises, motivating and instructing patients in their physical activities.

Always willing to provide useful assistance, the assistant brings to fore a combination of techniques and skills to assist the physical therapist in treating patients.

He/she takes patients through their treatment routine both indoors and outdoors, guiding them compassionately to ensure that they are steady making progress without undue pressure.

Other tasks physical therapist assistants perform under the evaluation of the physical therapist include conducting physical examinations and diagnoses to determine patients’ actual health conditions and their causes.

When patients change treatment centers, the therapist assistant ensures that there is continuity in patients’ treatment by going through their previous records, and sticking to their treatment plan where they have proven to be effective.

The assistant plays an advisory role by counseling patients on the importance of personal determination, diligence and best practices for effective treatment.

He/she measures patients’ ability of strength and endurance, and evaluates their treatment plan to ensure that it is not too hard or difficult for them to execute in order to prevent further injuries.

He/she also ensures patients’ safety by strictly adhering to legal policies as outlined by federal, state, and local authorities on health issues.

He/she regularly updates knowledge and expertise on the job by participating in professional and educational opportunities geared toward the development of the physical therapy industry.

Physical Therapist Assistant Job Description Example/Sample/Template

Shown below is an example of the physical therapist assistant job description, highlighting important duties, tasks, and responsibilities that make up the daily activities of someone holding the position:

• Take instruction from the Physical Therapist
• Ensure that therapy area is clean and tidy at all times to prevent infection
• Administer treatment to patients such as massaging and stretching
• Fix and arrange equipment for physical exercises and treatment and pack them up afterwards
• Interact closely with patients to obtain their medical history
• Keep records of patients’ daily progress and response to treatment
• Bring patients to areas of therapy and take them out afterwards
• Encourage patients to exercise at home as instructed by the Physical Therapist
• Observe patients closely to observe and prevent other heath issues that may arise due to their condition
• Make suggestions to the Physical Therapist on patients’ treatment based on observations.

Physical Therapist Assistant Job Description for Resume

In preparing a resume for the post of the physical therapist assistant, the sample job description given above can be used in creating the employment history part of the resume.

The sample resume for the position shown here: Physical Therapist Assistant Resume Sample can be used as template in writing your resume when you need to send one to a prospective employer.

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

The skills, knowledge, and abilities required to excel on the job as a physical therapy assistant include:

• Having good communication skills
• Having good interpersonal skills
• Having good organizational skills
• Having good knowledge of physiology
• Being multitasking
• Being flexible
• See detailed physical therapist assistant skills to be best on the job.