Physical Therapists
Assess, plan, organize, and participate in rehabilitative programs that improve mobility, relieve pain, increase strength, and improve or correct disabling conditions resulting from disease or injury.
Sample of reported job titles:
Acute Care PT (Acute Care Physical Therapist), Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT), Home Care Physical Therapist (Home Care PT), Inpatient Physical Therapist (Inpatient PT), Outpatient Physical Therapist (Outpatient PT), Pediatric Physical Therapist (Pediatric PT), Registered Physical Therapist (RPT), Therapist
Occupation-Specific Information
Tasks
- Plan, prepare, or carry out individually designed programs of physical treatment to maintain, improve, or restore physical functioning, alleviate pain, or prevent physical dysfunction in patients.
- Perform and document an initial exam, evaluating data to identify problems and determine a diagnosis prior to intervention.
- Evaluate effects of treatment at various stages and adjust treatments to achieve maximum benefit.
- Administer manual exercises, massage, or traction to help relieve pain, increase patient strength, or decrease or prevent deformity or crippling.
- Instruct patient and family in treatment procedures to be continued at home.
Technology Skills
- Accounting software:MediGraph
- Action games:Biometrics video game software
- Analytical or scientific software:Cedaron Dexter Evaluation & Impairment Rating
- Calendar and scheduling software:SpectraSoft AppointmentsCS
- Electronic mail software:Microsoft Outlook
Occupational Requirements
Work Activities
- Assisting and Caring for Others:Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
- Documenting/Recording Information:Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems:Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
- Performing for or Working Directly with the Public:Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
- Getting Information:Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Detailed Work Activities
- Adjust prostheses or other assistive devices.
- Advise medical personnel regarding healthcare issues.
- Advise others on matters of public policy.
- Analyze patient data to determine patient needs or treatment goals.
- Collaborate with healthcare professionals to plan or provide treatment.
Work Context
- Contact With Others:94% responded"Constant contact with others"
- Physical Proximity:93% responded"Very close (near touching)"
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled:88% responded"Every day"
- Frequency of Decision Making:83% responded"Every day"
- Freedom to Make Decisions:82% responded"A lot of freedom"
Worker Requirements
Skills
- Active Listening:Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Critical Thinking:Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Reading Comprehension:Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Service Orientation:Actively looking for ways to help people.
- Social Perceptiveness:Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Knowledge
- Customer and Personal Service:Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
- Therapy and Counseling:Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
- Medicine and Dentistry:Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
- Psychology:Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
- Education and Training:Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
Education
How much education does a new hire need to perform a job in this occupation? Respondents said:
- 47%Doctoral Degree
- 38%Master's Degree
- 8%Bachelor's Degree
Worker Characteristics
Abilities
- Oral Comprehension:The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
- Oral Expression:The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
- Written Comprehension:The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
- Deductive Reasoning:The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
- Inductive Reasoning:The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Interests
- Social:Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
- Investigative:Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
- Realistic:Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
Work Values
- Relationships:Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
- Achievement:Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
- Recognition:Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.
Work Styles
- Concern for Others:Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
- Integrity:Job requires being honest and ethical.
- Social Orientation:Job requires preferring to work with others rather than alone, and being personally connected with others on the job.
- Dependability:Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
- Cooperation:Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
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