Day in the life: A physical therapist's job description

Physical therapists, according to the American Physical Therapy Association, “are highly-educated, licensed health care professionals who can help patients reduce pain and improve or restore mobility — in many cases without expensive surgery and often reducing the need for long-term use of prescription medicines and their side effects.” They are health specialists who help their patients improve their quality of life by using therapeutic methods. A career in physical therapy can offer a variety of opportunities for people who like to work with and help other people. 

Physical therapy is a high-demand and high-growth explosion field. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, physical therapy employment is projected to have a growth of 15% from 2022 through 2032. It’s also ranked as the third-best job to have in health care, and sixth in the top 100 jobs. There are plenty of employment opportunities and job satisfaction to be found in this diverse field, especially with an Alliance PTP clinic.

Where can you find physical therapists at work?

Physical therapists have a wide range of skills and can work in many locations including, but not limited to:

• Outpatient clinics.
• Sports physical therapy clinics.
• Rehabilitation centers.

What kinds of specialties are in physical therapy?

Physical therapists can work with a wide variety of patients in a general setting, or they can specialize their focus to work with certain patients. The American Physical Therapy Association recognizes 10 specialties with a certification:

• Cardiovascular and pulmonary.
• Clinical electrophysiology.
• Geriatrics.
• Neurology.
• Oncology.
• Orthopaedics.
• Pediatrics.
• Sports.
• Women’s health.
• Wound management.

Alliance PTP proudly offers opportunities to specialize or do general practice physical therapy.

What physical abilities does a physical therapist need to succeed in an Alliance PTP clinic?

Physical therapy can be a physically demanding job. To successfully do the essential functions of a physical therapist, they need to be able to:

• Use their hands to assess muscles or manipulate tools.
• Communicate clearly.
• Stand for extended periods.
• Walk for extended periods.
• Sit for prolonged durations.
• Reach with their hands and arms.
• Climb or balance.
• Stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl.
• Regularly lift and/or move objects weighing up to 25 pounds.
• Occasionally lift and/or move items exceeding 100 pounds.
• Meet certain vision abilities to observe movements and read charts or documents.

Who works on a physical therapist’s care team at an Alliance PTP clinic?

A physical therapist can’t do it all alone. They have a team of skilled professionals around them:

• Physical therapy aide — A PT aide helps physical therapists with administrative tasks, prepares treatment areas and supports patients during therapy. They can also help with basic tasks like taking vital signs, measuring range of motion, and applying hot or cold packs under the supervision of a licensed therapist or assistant. 
• Physical therapy assistant — A PT assistant works through treatment plans under the supervision of a physical therapist. They can conduct assessments, administer therapies, educate patients and document a patient’s progress. They can also work with other health care team members to coordinate patient care to optimize treatment outcomes.
• Rehab technician — A rehab technician helps maintain equipment, prepares treatment areas, instructs patients how to use equipment, supervises exercises to ensure proper form and safety, cleans equipment, and helps with administrative tasks. 

Working together with physical therapists, these team members can help provide efficient and effective care. Each member plays an essential role in patient outcomes and promoting rehabilitation. They are the driving force for our goal of helping people achieve their physical therapy goals to help improve their overall well-being. 

What does a day in the life of a physical therapist look like at an Alliance PTP clinic? 

Physical therapists work with patients who range in age and ability. Therapists have a wide range of responsibilities, and this can have their days full of ever-changing scenarios. Because of the unique and revolving patient load, a physical therapist at one of our clinics may have similar days, but two days are never really the same. It’s also important to note that a day in the life of a physical therapist can also vary depending on where they work, even across our partners.

It could be more beneficial to explore the typical daily duties of a physical therapist than trying to envision a specific daily timeline. The flexibility and changing daily pace are probably two of the factors that draw people to a physical therapy career in addition to having a way to help people in their community. 

Some typical daily duties of a physical therapist might include:

• Maintain workplace — Before their day begins, a physical therapist needs to check their workspace and make sure it’s clean and organized. They will also check their equipment and supplies. They may also work with the physical therapy assistant, aide or technician to adjust or change anything if needed.
• Supervise support staff — Throughout the day, in addition to working with patients, a physical therapist will oversee the work of the physical therapy assistants, technicians, aides and students to ensure that everyone is in compliance with regulations and standards. 
• Collaborate with health care team — Some patients may have an entire health care team that will work together to promote optimal outcomes for recovery. This team may include physicians, therapists and other health care professionals communicating with each other. 
• Keep records — Records must be kept up to date for each patient. This helps keep accurate documentation of treatments, progress and responses to therapy. Information may need to be shared with other health care team members.
• Review patient histories — Reviewing patient histories and medical records can help a physical therapist prepare for the day’s patients. They may also review patients’ histories during appointments to know the history of past injuries, conditions or medications that may affect a treatment plan. 
• Expand knowledge — It’s essential for a physical therapist to stay informed about the most recent advancements by continuing their education and professional development activities. This might be perusing a journal during some downtime or taking time to go to conferences. When you work at an Alliance PTP clinic, you will have access to our generous budget for continuing education and professional development. 
• Conduct patient evaluations — Each patient will have a comprehensive assessment done. This helps the physical therapist determine a patient’s current physical limitations and functional abilities, based on the root cause and severity of a patient’s condition. 
• Create individualized treatment plans — After conducting an evaluation, a physical therapist will create a treatment plan using evidence-based techniques based on a patient’s needs and condition. Treatment plans will include working with the patient to set goals for their treatment and expectations during appointments. 
• Monitor progress — Through a patient’s session, a physical therapist will monitor their response to treatment and adjust treatment plans as needed to reach the desired outcomes. 
• Teach pain relief techniques — A physical therapist may teach patients about pain management strategies and how to incorporate them at home to optimize treatments between appointments. 
• Lead exercises — A physical therapist can help guide patients through therapeutic exercises. These exercises are intended to improve a patient’s strength, flexibility and range of motion. 
• Do soft tissue work — Using their hands or specialized tools, a physical therapist can use techniques like soft tissue mobilization, the Graston Technique® or IASTM on a patient’s affected soft tissue to help address muscle tightness and promote healing. 
• Assign work for patients — Some patients may need at-home exercises or activities to help reinforce their progress and boost their recovery. A physical therapist will guide them through the exercises or activities to help ensure that the patient knows how to do them safely and properly. 

A physical therapist’s day-to-day work may vary greatly depending on their patient load. Despite not having a typical routine, physical therapy does offer typical duties and responsibilities that can remain the same each day. It’s an incredibly rewarding career, offering fulfillment by helping members of their community regain their mobility and improve their quality of life. Working for an Alliance Physical Therapy Partners clinic can make it an even more rewarding career choice.

Alliance PTP is eager to support you as you work to help patients and your community

Dealing with the constant hustle and bustle of a PT clinic can be tough for a practice’s team to handle on its own. But Alliance Physical Therapy Partners is here to help.

We’ve built a partnership in care that includes physical therapy practices and clinics across the country. The goal of this partnership is to help people find the PT they need and be a positive force in the clinic’s local community. But we also focus on supporting our partners so they can more easily make these goals a reality. 

For more on how we help our team members succeed or to see what career opportunities are available now at Alliance PTP partners, take a look at our Careers page.

Original article posted at https://lifeatalliance.com/day-in-the-life-a-physical-therapists-job-de…