Education of a Physical Therapist Assistant - Research Paper Example

?PHYSICAL THERAPIST ASSISTANTS I. Job As the suggests, a physical therapist assistant, commonly referred to as PTA, works by providing physical therapy services. As an assistant however, this work is done under the direct instruction and supervision of a certified or licensed physical therapist. The need to seek and utilize instructions is very important to the success of work that a physical therapist assistant might provide as the licensed physical therapist is noted to be a more experienced and professional practitioner who has the academic and professional knowhow to ensure that standards of practice are met and utilized (Cote, Cassidy and Carroll, 2000). Supervision is also crucial as a way of ensuring that physical therapist assistants function and play their roles according to stipulated standards. Indeed, the role and service provided by the physical therapist assistant as a healthcare professional transcends several quarters and scope of health practice including the provision of help to patients of all ages whose medical conditions and health weaknesses makes it difficult for such people to undertake maximum movement and perform other functional activities in their day to day lives (Selby, 2008). Another peculiar characteristic of the service provided by the physical therapist assistant that makes it unique from other healthcare providers is that the physical therapist assistant has a very wide scope or setting of operation including private practice, hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, sports facilities, schools and personal homes (Cleland et al, 2007). Whiles physical movement assistances are provided by the therapist assistant, he or she may also be charged with the measurement of changes in patient’s performance as a way of ensuring that there is better measure and evaluation of the care that is given. Some of the professional certification or registration required for a person to take up the position of a physical therapist assistant includes but not limited to: Associate’s degree High school diploma and On-the-job training. II. Education and Certification Different States may require different educational requirements into becoming a physical therapist assistant but commonly, an associate’s degree from any accredited physical therapist program would do. There are indeed several of these degrees from which an aspirant may choose from. It is however very important that a person ensures that these programs are one of those approved by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (Furrer and Deonna, 2002). In the year 2011alone, as many as 280 of such approved associate’s degrees were reported. But quite apart from an associate’s degree, a high school diploma may also be accepted in some cases. But once this happens, candidates must be prepared for clinical on-the-job-training experience when they start up full time work. For students undertaking the various physical therapist educational courses, there are two major forms of programs that will be received. These are clinical practice and academic coursework (Cleland et al, 2007). For full competence to be assigned to a person, the fellow must successfully go through these two forms of programs and come out with good passes in each case. Academic courses that needs to be successfully completed includes but not limited to English, Algebra, Psychology, Anatomy and Physiology. Most of the clinical courses however focus on first aid and hands-on experiences in treatment centers (Bureau of National Statistics, 2013). Certification in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CRP) is also somewhat a compulsory form of nursing course that a physical therapist assistant is expected to possess. For most courses leading to an associate’s degree, the duration for the course is approximately 4 to 5 semesters. III. Employment The Bureau of National Statistics (2013) confirms that the job prospects for the field of physical therapist assistants are supposed to increase by 45% within the seasons of 2010 to 2020. This means that not only is there a guaranteed job availability for people undertaking courses in this field and area of study but there is even enough vacancy to contain as many more people who may want to come aboard. The key reason for the increase in job availability is due to the expected increases in baby boomer generational ages within the seasons of 2010 to 2020 according to trends of national census statistics (Fox et al, 2003). The field or area of work for the physical therapist assistant has to do with giving aid to people with various forms of mobility challenges. Due to this, it is possible to gain employment in a many areas of practice as possible including private practice, personal homes, schools, hospitals, clinics, sports facilities and nursing homes. In most of these cases, the mean salary for workers varies depending on the qualification of workers. It is known for instance that physical therapist aides have less hands-on time with patients and so take an average annual salary of $25,000 whereas a physical therapist assistant who gets more hands-on encounter with patients get somewhat around an average of $51,000 annually, and this according to the Diploma Guide (2013). Indeed, much of the duties and responsibilities of the physical therapist assistant demand regular and rapid training and so there is the availability of advancement opportunity through on-the-job training, external furthering of education and certified seminars. Each of these advancements also guarantees some kind of salary increases through an increase in rank on the payroll (Cote, Cassidy and Carroll, 2000). IV. Professional Activities Professional activities are very needful for keeping physical therapist assistants up-to-date with their job and helping them widen their scope of knowledge, skill and practice in the profession (Cleland et al, 2007). It is for this reason that there exist a number of avenues for newly trained physical therapist assistants to be part of some of these professional organizations. Though they may vary in organizational structure and mode of operations, as well as mission, it is important to note that whichever professional organization a practitioner associates him or herself with can guarantee a high level of impact to professional practice. One of such professional organizations that are well acclaimed and popular in the United States is the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA). This professional organization is seen to be a national professional organization that represents the interest of as many as 71,000 members (Sports Medicine Online, 2013) all of who have background in physical therapy studies. The American Physical Therapy Association is in place to “foster advancements in physical therapy practice, research, and education” (Sports Medicine Online, 2013). Through periodic meetings, organization of seminars, inputs to curriculum design and structuring, as well as the organization of professional courses, the American Physical Therapy Association succeeds in fulfilling its mission of preventing, diagnosing and treating various forms of movement dysfunctions to ensure that there is the enhancement of physical health and functionality for the general public. The association has both printed and online journals that update members of the association and members of the general public on happenings within the association. Through the website of the association, which is http://www.apta.org/ it is possible to get almost all needed information from within and without the association. Through nationalgovernance@apta.org one is also able to reach the association for enquiries on programs and activities of the association. The official journal of the association is the Journal of the American Physical Therapy Association, information of which could be had through http://ptjournal.apta.org/feedback V. Conclusion / Reflection Indeed, the profession of physical therapy assistant is one that everyone should be proud of becoming part of, and I am no exception to this common feeling. I can see myself fitting into the profession but having to do this at a cost. The first cost that needs to be paid has to do with academic course, whereby I am expected to take my academic work very seriously to ensure that I gain a very impressive academic outcome. This is very important as it marks the very first hurdle that a person must possess to cross the lines. Next, I have to learn to possess all necessary qualities and skills that can easily push me into having firmer grasp of the requirements of a physical therapists assistant. Some of these skills and qualities include compassion, becoming detail oriented, dexterity, interpersonal relationship, as well as physical stamina. These are key discoveries I have made through my exploration of this particular healthcare field and hope to be an instrumental part of it someday to come very soon. REFERENCE LIST Bureau of National Statistics, (2013). How to Become a Physical Therapist Assistant or Aide. Retrieved March 12, 2013 from http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/physical-therapist-assistants-and-aides.htm#tab-4 Cleland J, Childs J, Fritz JM, Whitman JM, Eberhart SL. (2007). Development of a clinical prediction rule for guiding treatment of a subgroup of patients with neck pain: Use of thoracic spine manipulation, exercise and patient education. Physical Therapy, 87, 9–23. Cote P, Cassidy J, Carroll L. (2000). The factors associated with neck pain and its related disability in the Saskatchewan population. Spine; 25, 1109–1117. [PubMed] Diploma Guide (2013). Physical Therapy Assistant: Certifications, Associate & Online Degree Info. Retrieved March 13, 2013 from http://diplomaguide.com/articles/Physical_Therapy_Assistant_Certifications_Associate_Online_Degree_Info.html Fox, J.J., McEvoy, M.A., Shores, R.E., & Denny, R.K. (2003). A Case Study of the Reduction of Aberrant, Repetitive Responses of an Adolescent with Autism. Education and Treatment of Children, 16(2), 187-197. Furrer, A.F., & Deonna. (2002). Persistent Toe-walking in Children. Helvetica Paediatrica Acta, 37, 301-316. Selby, L. (2008). Remediation of Toe-walking Behavior with Neutral-position, Serial-inhibitory Casts. A Case Report. Physical Therapy, 68(12), 1921-1923. Sports Medicine Online. (2013). Physical Therapy Organizations. Retrieved March 13, 2013. http://www.sportsmedicine.com/node/33 Read More