Physical Therapy Assistants Make The Grade With Online Degrees
When a patient goes through physical therapy, a therapist usually consults with a doctor to determine a program to help the recuperation process. One the program is agreed upon, the therapist then assigns executing said program to an assistant. As it happens, therapists are one of the most in-demand occupations in the U.S., with assistant’s a small step behind them. Encouraging those to enter this field are the accredited degree online offered. Before going any further, there should be one point made absolutely clear. A therapy assistant is not an aide. The aide only needs a high school degree and is trained on the job. Their responsibilities are mainly as a helper as needed, as well as the clerical and maintenance aspects of the office. Many states don’t even allow them to be directly involved in therapy, or state they must be under the constant eye of the therapist or the assistant. On the other hand, becoming an aide can be the first step on a therapy career path, going from aide to assistant and then on to full therapist.
Physical therapist assistants support the therapist in providing care to patients. Under direction and supervision they execute the PT’s programs, including providing exercise instructions. They also do therapeutic methods like electrical stimulation, mechanical traction, ultrasound and massage, as well as gait and balance training. Physical therapist assistants record the patient’s responses to treatment and report the outcome of each treatment to the physical therapist.
To become an assistant, one needs to take a two-year degree program, graduating with an Associate’s degree in Physical Therapy or similar title. The core of the degree is divided into key areas: classroom courses and clinical experience. The academic classes must include algebra, English, anatomy, physiology, and psychology. Clinical classes should include certification in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), massage, first aid and field experience in treatment centers. Recruiters consider the clinical experience every bit as important as the book end of the program, as this position truly is a hands-on kind of job.
Most states regulate physical therapist assistants through certification. They require assistants to pass the National Physical Therapy Exam. Many states also require continuing education credits for physical therapist assistants to maintain licensure. Complete information on regulations can be obtained from state licensing boards or your medical school college counselor.
Salaries for assistants depend on where they work. As employment can range from a nursing home to a major hospital and on to home health care, it can differ substantially. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average salary for an assistant working out of a freestanding doctor’s office is on the low end at just below $44,000. On the high end, there is the home health assistant, who averages nearly $52,000. Assistants can make over $60,000 with health care insurance.
Last year, it was reported that there were almost 64,000 practicing assistants in the field, with a need for 21,000 more before the decade is over. This need for almost 33% more makes assistants one of the fastest growing jobs in the country. To find out more about this profession and the distance learning online degree that can get you there, two good places to start are with a college career counselor and the occupation’s professional society, the American Physical Therapy Association. A degree can be the gateway into a fulfilling and rewarding career where you help those in pain feel better.