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Physical Therapist Aides

Under close supervision of a physical therapist or physical therapy assistant, perform only delegated, selected, or routine tasks in specific situations. These duties include preparing the patient and the treatment area.
Related: Occupational Therapy Aides  Occupational Therapy Assistants  Physical Therapist Assistants  Psychiatric Aides  Psychiatric Technicians 
Industries: Health & Counseling 

  • Summary

  • Details

    • Work Activities

    • Confer with physical therapy staff or others to discuss and evaluate patient information for planning, modifying, or coordinating treatment.
    • Perform clerical duties, such as taking inventory, ordering supplies, answering telephone, taking messages, or filling out forms.
    • Change linens, such as bed sheets and pillow cases.
    • Fit patients for orthopedic braces, prostheses, or supportive devices, adjusting fit as needed.
    • Instruct, motivate, safeguard, or assist patients practicing exercises or functional activities, under direction of medical staff.
    • Measure patient's range-of-joint motion, body parts, or vital signs to determine effects of treatments or for patient evaluations.
    • Train patients to use orthopedic braces, prostheses, or supportive devices.
    • Clean and organize work area and disinfect equipment after treatment.
    • Transport patients to and from treatment areas, using wheelchairs or providing standing support.
    • Schedule patient appointments with physical therapists and coordinate therapists' schedules.
    • Administer traction to relieve neck or back pain, using intermittent or static traction equipment.
    • Record treatment given and equipment used.
    • Assist patients to dress, undress, or put on and remove supportive devices, such as braces, splints, or slings.
    • Secure patients into or onto therapy equipment.
    • Clean and organize work area and disinfect equipment after treatment.
    • Observe patients during treatment to compile and evaluate data on patients' responses and progress and report to physical therapist.
    • Participate in patient care tasks, such as assisting with passing food trays, feeding residents, or bathing residents on bed rest.
    • Administer active or passive manual therapeutic exercises, therapeutic massage, or heat, light, sound, water, or electrical modality treatments, such as ultrasound.
    • Arrange treatment supplies to keep them in order.
    • Maintain equipment or furniture to keep it in good working condition, including performing the assembly or disassembly of equipment or accessories.
    • Maintain equipment or furniture to keep it in good working condition, including performing the assembly or disassembly of equipment or accessories.
    • Instruct, motivate, safeguard, or assist patients practicing exercises or functional activities, under direction of medical staff.
    • Perform clerical duties, such as taking inventory, ordering supplies, answering telephone, taking messages, or filling out forms.

    Skills

    • Complex Problem Solving
      • Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
    • Persuasion
      • Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
    • Negotiation
      • Bringing people together to solve differences.
    • Management of Material Resources
      • Managing equipment and materials.
    • Coordination
      • Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
    • 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.
    • Critical Thinking
      • Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
    • Active Learning
      • Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
    • Equipment Selection
      • Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.
    • Speaking
      • Talking to others.
    • Operations Analysis
      • Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
    • Reading Comprehension
      • Reading work-related information.
    • Management of Financial Resources
      • Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.
    • Installation
      • Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
    • Technology Design
      • Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
    • Operations Monitoring
      • Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.
    • Monitoring
      • Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
    • 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.
    • Service Orientation
      • Looking for ways to help people.
    • Systems Evaluation
      • Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
    • Instructing
      • Teaching people how to do something.
    • Science
      • Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.
    • Operation and Control
      • Using equipment or systems.
    • Active Listening
      • Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
    • Systems Analysis
      • Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.
    • Writing
      • Writing things for co-workers or customers.
    • Quality Control Analysis
      • Testing how well a product or service works.
    • Management of Personnel Resources
      • Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.
    • Programming
      • Writing computer programs.
    • Learning Strategies
      • Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
    • Repairing
      • Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
    • Social Perceptiveness
      • Understanding people's reactions.
    • Mathematics
      • Using math to solve problems.

    Abilities

    • Night Vision
      • Seeing at night or under low light.
    • Visual Color Discrimination
      • Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.
    • Inductive Reasoning
      • Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
    • Visualization
      • Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
    • Depth Perception
      • Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
    • Oral Comprehension
      • Listening and understanding what people say.
    • Number Facility
      • Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
    • Reaction Time
      • Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
    • Dynamic Flexibility
      • Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
    • Flexibility of Closure
      • Seeing hidden patterns.
    • Speed of Closure
      • Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
    • Control Precision
      • Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
    • Selective Attention
      • Paying attention to something without being distracted.
    • Extent Flexibility
      • Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.
    • Written Comprehension
      • Reading and understanding what is written.
    • Gross Body Coordination
      • Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
    • Multilimb Coordination
      • Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
    • Deductive Reasoning
      • Using rules to solve problems.
    • Spatial Orientation
      • Knowing where things are around you.
    • Trunk Strength
      • Using your lower back and stomach.
    • Auditory Attention
      • Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.
    • Speech Clarity
      • Speaking clearly.
    • Problem Sensitivity
      • Noticing when problems happen.
    • Glare Sensitivity
      • Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
    • Category Flexibility
      • Grouping things in different ways.
    • Sound Localization
      • Noticing the direction that a sound came from.
    • Stamina
      • Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
    • Dynamic Strength
      • Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
    • Perceptual Speed
      • Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
    • Peripheral Vision
      • Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.
    • Written Expression
      • Communicating by writing.
    • Far Vision
      • Seeing details that are far away.
    • Mathematical Reasoning
      • Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
    • Wrist-Finger Speed
      • Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
    • Arm-Hand Steadiness
      • Keeping your arm or hand steady.
    • Speech Recognition
      • Recognizing spoken words.
    • Near Vision
      • Seeing details up close.
    • Oral Expression
      • Communicating by speaking.
    • Gross Body Equilibrium
      • Keeping your balance or staying upright.
    • Rate Control
      • Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
    • Finger Dexterity
      • Putting together small parts with your fingers.
    • Fluency of Ideas
      • Coming up with lots of ideas.
    • Information Ordering
      • Ordering or arranging things.
    • Manual Dexterity
      • Holding or moving items with your hands.
    • Time Sharing
      • Doing two or more things at the same time.
    • Hearing Sensitivity
      • Telling the difference between sounds.
    • Response Orientation
      • Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.
    • Static Strength
      • Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
    • Speed of Limb Movement
      • Quickly moving your arms and legs.
    • Explosive Strength
      • Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
    • Originality
      • Creating new and original ideas.
    • Memorization
      • Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.

    Knowledge

    • 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.
    • 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.
    • English Language
      • Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
    • Sociology and Anthropology
      • Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
    • Design
      • Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
    • 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.
    • 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.
    • 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.
    • Mathematics
      • Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
    • Computers and Electronics
      • Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
    • 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.
    • 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.
    • Mechanical
      • Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
    • Economics and Accounting
      • Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
    • Telecommunications
      • Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
    • 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.
    • 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.
    • Law and Government
      • Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
    • History and Archeology
      • Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
    • Fine Arts
      • Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
    • 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.
    • 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.
    • Production and Processing
      • Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
    • 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.
    • Biology
      • Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
    • 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.
    • 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.
    • Food Production
      • Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
    • 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.
    • 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.
    • 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.
    • 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.

    Education

    Education
    High school diploma or equivalent
    Work Experience
    No work experience
    Training
    Less than 1 month on-the-job training
    Education and Training Opportunities

    Pay

    Washington Annual Salary
    37730/yr
    Washington Hourly Wage
    18.14/hr

    Washington Employment Trends

    Currently Employed
    880
    Yearly Projected Openings
    140

    Personality

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

    Tools

    • Blood pressure cuff kits
    • Canes
    • Clinical hydraulic lifts
    • Crutches
    • Electronic blood pressure units
    • Electrotherapy combination units
    • Full body immersion hydrotherapy baths or tanks
    • Gait belts for rehabilitation or therapy
    • Lower extremity prosthetic devices
    • Notebook computers
    • Orthopedic splint systems
    • Orthotics or foot care products
    • Parallel bars for rehabilitation or therapy
    • Personal computers
    • Therapeutic heating or cooling pads or compresses or packs
    • Ultrasonic therapy apparatus or supplies
    • Upper extremity prosthetic devices
    • Vascular or compression apparel or support
    • Walkers or rollators
    • Wheelchairs

    Technology

    • Calendar and scheduling software
    • Electronic mail software
    • Medical software
    • Office suite software
    • Spreadsheet software
    • Word processing software

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

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