Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA)

Requirements

Job Description

A Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) is responsible for providing care/services to assigned patients under the supervision of a Physical Therapist (PT) and in accordance with the patient’s plan of care.

Qualifications

1) Active PTA license is REQUIRED (or eligibility for licensure) in the state of practice.\

2) Must meet one of the following educational requirements:

» Graduate of a Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA); or
» If educated outside the United States or through U.S. military training, must have education deemed substantially equivalent to U.S. entry-level PTA education by a credentials evaluation organization approved by APTA or recognized under 8 CFR 212.15(e).

3) Must have passed the National Physical Therapy Exam (NPTE) for PTAs.

Training

1) At least one year of healthcare experience preferred.

2) Home health care experience preferred.

Responsibilities

1) Provides therapy services and treatments to patients according to the patient’s plan of care.

2) Prepares clinical and progress notes.

3) Provides education to patients and family regarding a home exercise program.

4) Observes, records, and reports the patient’s response to treatment, and reports any changes in the patient’s condition to the PT.

5) Provides care/services to patients to relieve pain, develop and restore function, and maintain maximum performance by using appropriate treatments, procedures, and modalities according to the plan of care.

6) Physical therapy services may include:

»    Therapeutic exercises and muscle strengthening.

»    Gait training including patient instruction on use of assistive devices.

»    Range of motion.

»    Transfer training using appropriate equipment and body mechanics.

»    Muscle re-education.

»    Prosthetic training and stump conditioning.

7) Demonstrates competency in providing care/services and provides care/services in accordance with the plan of care.

8) Maintains accurate and timely documentation of care/services provided.

9) Reports any changes in the patient’s condition or plan of care to the PT.

10) Communicates with other team members, as appropriate, regarding the patient’s plan of care, and updates team members when there are changes.

11) Attends and participates in staff meetings, case conferences, educational in-services, and committee meetings, as appropriate.

12) Reports incidents and grievances/complaints (patients and/or personnel) to the Clinical Manager.

13) Provides education and information to the patient and/or family members as appropriate to their plan of care.

14) Reports the patient’s progress and effectiveness in meeting goals to the PT.

15) Participates in the patient’s discharge planning.

16) Participates in the agency’s Quality Assessment and Performance Improvement (QAPI) program, as appropriate.

17) Adheres to the agency’s policies and procedures.

18) Maintains confidentiality of all aspects of job performance.

19) Practices proper infection control and utilizes PPE as indicated.

20) Only performs treatments or special procedures as authorized by the agency and deemed competent to perform by the PT.

21) Complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations in performance of job functions.

22) Performs other related functions as directed.

Physical Demands

The physical requirements described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions in this job description.

1) The employee is regularly required to stand, walk, and sit, as well as talk and hear.

2) The employee is required to use hands to operate vehicles and office equipment.

3) The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 30 pounds.

4) Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, and the ability to adjust focus.