Physical Therapy: A Lifestyle Choice

Because, of the baby boomers there will be a large number of aging people. PTs are high in demand. This occupation is faster growing than the average job. There are more the 204,000 physical therapist in the United States. The average wage for a physical therapist is about $84,000. Most physical therapist work Mondays-Fridays. But some work weekends or evenings. “Job prospects should be particularly good in acute-care hospitals, skilled-nursing facilities, and orthopedic settings, where the elderly are most often treated. Job prospects should be especially favorable in rural areas because many physical therapists live in highly populated urban and suburban areas(Occupational Outlook Handbook).”Work

While obtaining my observation hours, I had the opportunity to further my education on the field of physical therapy. This was done by observing the daily tasks of my supervisor as well as the other physical therapists and staff in the clinic. While watching my supervisor interact with and administer treatments to patients, I noticed how he conducted himself in a professional manner at all times. I also observed how he would attentively listen to each of his patients throughout every therapy session. Not only did this inform him of his patient’s current and ongoing symptoms, but also their desired end result from therapy. Doing this would help him better understand his patient’s case, and allow him to make further decisions regarding

Knowing that I was set up to see firsthand how physical therapist work, I was able to experience something that left a lasting impression. On July 16th, Alexis, the Physical Therapist that I was shadowing, said to the entire PT floor, “Can I have everyone 's attention, please?” At that moment, I had a clueless expression on my face, while everyone 's attention was on Alexis. In the previous three weeks, an older gentleman came in with his wife for therapy. He recently had his right leg amputated because of an unforeseen surgery related complication. Overcoming many obstacles,

There are two divisions of professional identity, one refers to how a company or organisation conducts their practice while the other refers to how the individual staff portrays themselves under the company's codes. An occupational therapist's professional identity is a crucial element within their practice as it enables them to "function in different practice settings" (Kielhofner, 2009, p.10) and connect to different types of clients that may arise within their practice. Professional identity can also be shaped by the social value of that profession, and thus guides the delivery of their health and human services. As occupational therapy is valued as a leading profession and is highly regarded, professionals in this discipline are required to present themselves in the same highly regarded fashion. This obliges them to dress not only neatly but also interact with their clients in a formal, educated and knowledgeable way, in order to reflect the disciplines professionalism. However, according to Kielhofner (2009), to practice occupational therapy, a professional identity is not enough. Occupational therapists require the knowledge, skills, and patience to understand, interpret and work with their clients to achieve a sense of ownership over their own life and actions. There are three distinct types of knowledge that influence an occupational therapist's

As a professional, one must adhere to the guiding principles defined by the professional association. Scope of Practice outlines the “notions of professional conduct, accountability and self- governance and expanded practice”. Scope of Practice summarizes “the range of roles and activities an individual registrant or licensee is permitted to undertake in the course of professional practice. These roles and activities are largely determined by professional education and practice competence along with factors in the practice context, such as demands on practitioners’ services and available resources” (Fealy 2005). Scope of Practice is based upon the “profession 's unique body of knowledge, supported by educational preparation, a body of evidence, and existing or emerging practice frameworks” (American Physical Therapy Association, 2015). Clinical practice of professions rely heavily on the Scope of Practice of their profession. Although Speech Language Pathology, Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy are all clinical professions, the document outlining their Scope of Practice varies.

One major component that I believe a student should possess to exude professionalism is accountability. Accountability is being able to assume responsibility for any and all actions. Acknowledging personal accountability and accepting all consequences for their actions is a great way for a student in a doctor of physical therapy programs to display professionalism. Throughout the student 's career in the doctorate physical therapy degree program, they will be placed in

There are many characteristics that contribute to being professional. The many that stick out in my mind are responsibility and accountability, leadership, honor and integrity, respect, caring and compassion, communication and a thirst for knowledge. All of these attributes pertain equally to the professional work environment, as well as a student in the Doctor of Physical Therapy Degree Program.

Physical Therapy Assistant is an interesting field; it is a job that helps individuals in need. I interviewed Lucero because she is currently working in the same field that I see myself working in the future. The interview took place on November 29th; it lasted an hour and a half. The interview was about me trying to understand more about my future life as a physical therapist assistant. The purpose of this interview was for me to envision if this is the profession that I want for myself, in the future. A customer that I know from my job, at Metro PCS, introduced me to Lucero. Lucero works as physical therapist assistant, in a physical therapy clinic in Van Nuys; She has been working in this field for about seven years already. Lucero works

Occupational Therapy is a therapy that blankets everything people do in their lives. Such a broad field can be very difficult to define. Unlike Physical Therapy who people instantly identify as a field that get people walking. In the past the vision of the field was broader. “In 2004 The Scenario were developed” a structure created with the Occupational Therapy framework. Medicare guidelines and reimbursement rates in the field of occupational therapy have been limited in the past because the Occupational Therapy field has failed id as a

A couple of tasks a physical therapist does are to plan and prepare physical treatment, perform and document exams and diagnosis, identify goals and progression, and record treatment and responses of the client into a computer.

You ever get that good feeling from helping someone that 's in need. Its many people that needs help or healing in their life. Some need spiritually healing and some need healing physically. He people that help them are amazing people. That 's why I want to become a therapy assistant. I want to help people get back on their feet mentally and physically. This a great occupation to have.

Physical therapy as a profession actually originated during World War I in response to the need created when our soldiers were injured in war. A physical therapist assistant provides services under the direction of a licensed physical therapist. Physical therapist assistants work in many settings including sports facilities and hospitals. They help many people ranging from athletes to the elderly. The most common injury is ankle sprains followed by groin pulls. Physical therapist assistants help patients with any injury regain their strength and recover quickly as possible with certain techniques and exercises.

One responsibility PTs deal with during the day is creating treatment plans for their patients (Gardner). This is very important for physical therapists, because they are in charge of their patients physical health and they need to be able to smoothly plan out the best course of action for them. Another responsibility physical therapists have throughout the day is being able to run an examination. This is vital to a physical therapists day to day life, because they are constantly treating patients so it is important for them to be able to run an examination correctly (Gardner). “Many PTs say they spend about 80 percent of their time each day in patient care, with the remaining 20 percent focused on administration,” (“Typical Workday for a Physical Therapist,” 5 Jan. 2011). This quote gives insight on a typical day of a physical therapist. Along with physical tasks, a responsibility that PTs endure during a typical workday is doing paperwork, filing reports, and insurance claims (“Typical Workday for a Physical Therapist,” 5 Jan. 2011). This is the more administrative part of the career and it tends to be less important or impactful on their overall day, but it also needs to be done in order to do the job

After taking the all three assessment I was able to see what career fields would suit me best. As I turned out, the tests placed me in career fields that I had already thought about joining. The clusters place me in the medical or health services field, as well as working with children. These are all career fields that I have previously considered or am currently considering. It was very important to me to see that what I am studying for is actually something that I would and will do well in. Once I had finished all the tests, I was able to look through the career clusters and see which ones I considered for my top two choices, which were being a teacher’s assistant or a physical therapist. In the end the career I am going for is physical therapy.

Physical therapy is a career that will always be needed throughout society; it helps the human body rebuild physical function in people that have been injured, have birth defects, or any other reasons. People who have been in accidents or have disabling conditions such as low-back pain, arthritis, heart disease, fractures, head injuries and cerebral palsy turn to physical therapists, commonly called PTs, for help. These health care professionals use an assortment of techniques, called modalities, to reestablish function, improve movement, relieve pain and avoid or limit lasting physical disabilities in their patients. There are certain education requirements to become one, just like