How To Become A Certified Physical Therapy Assistant
Jobs as physical therapy aides and assistants will continue to be in demand in the next years. In fact, its projected growth of thirty-five percent is much higher compared to occupations according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This growth is brought about by an aging population and advancements in the field of medicine which allow for increased survivability from trauma and debilitating medical conditions that are present at birth.
At the same time, healthcare facilities these days tend to hire more physical therapy aides and assistants than licensed physiotherapists in order to bring down the cost of the rehab services they offer. The physiotherapist, being the only licensed professional in the group, is tasked with evaluating and setting the treatment protocol for the client which are then executed by the paraprofessionals with the direct supervision of the former.
Physical therapy assistants usually earn USD 70,000. A physical therapy aide’s salary on the other hand is half of that. The disparity between a physical therapy aide’s salary and that of an assistant is due to the fact that the latter usually have better educational, training, and certification credentials.
A physical therapy aide’s job description include routine clerical tasks such as inventory management, answering phone calls, and filling out some paperwork like insurance forms. Cleaning and organizing the treatment area, as well as transporting patients are also part of a physical therapy aide’s job description. Physical therapy assistants have less menial tasks and work alongside a licensed PT. Where allowed, they can perform passive and active ROM exercises, and therapeutics like EMS. They also need to document all of the procedures rendered to the client to track progress. Aides can progress to assistants after gaining experience and completing an accredited education program leading to a physical therapy aide certification. While certification is not federally mandated as a job entry requirement, having it will lead to better salary and career advancement opportunities. Also, aides face a great deal of competition from the large pool of qualified applicants, having a physical therapy aide certification will surely give one an edge.
Certification and registration requirements vary among states hence it is better to ask from the respective State licensing boards. When choosing a school, ascertain first if they have the necessary accreditation.In the United States, peer review and regulation of educational institutions which provide PT assisting programs are carried out by the APTA-CAPTE. You would want to find a school that puts equal emphasis on both theory and practice. You would want to go into a program which adequately prepares you for your certification exam.
Employment of physical therapy aide and assistants is expected to grow by 35% in the coming years. Complete a physical therapy aide certification program now and enjoy a stable income. Click here for more details.
