About This Career

Under close supervision of a physical therapist or physical therapy assistant, performs only delegated, selected, or routine tasks in specific situations. These duties include preparing the patient and the treatment area.

This career is part of the Health Science cluster Therapeutic Services pathway.

A person in this career:

• Cleans and organizes work area and disinfects equipment after treatment.
• Secures patients into or onto therapy equipment.
• Instructs, motivates, safeguards, or assists patients practicing exercises or functional activities, under direction of medical staff.
• Confers with physical therapy staff or others to discuss and evaluate patient information for planning, modifying, or coordinating treatment.
• Changes linens, such as bed sheets and pillow cases.
• Administers active or passive manual therapeutic exercises, therapeutic massage, or heat, light, sound, water, or electrical modality treatments, such as ultrasound.
• Observes patients during treatment to compile and evaluate data on patients' responses and progress and reports to physical therapist.
• Transports patients to and from treatment areas, using wheelchairs or providing standing support.
• Performs clerical duties, such as taking inventory, ordering supplies, answering telephone, taking messages, or filling out forms.
• Schedules patient appointments with physical therapists and coordinates therapists' schedules.

Working Conditions and Physical Demands

People who do this job report that:

• You would often handle loads up to 20 lbs., sometimes up to 50 lbs. You might do a lot of lifting, carrying, pushing or pulling.
• Exposed to disease and infections more than once a month through work such as patient care, laboratory work, and sanitation control
• Work in this occupation requires being inside most of the time
• Work in this occupation involves standing more than one-third of the time
• Work in this occupation involves walking or running more than one-third of the time

Working in this career involves (physical activities):

• Seeing clearly up close
• Speaking clearly enough to be able to be understood by others
• Identifying and understanding the speech of another person
• Using abdominal and lower back muscles repeatedly or over time without tiring

Work Hours and Travel

• Weekend work