Physical Therapists

Also called : 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 Therapis

What they do

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.

On the job, one would

Direct, supervise, assess, and communicate with supportive personnel.

Review physician's referral and patient's medical records to help determine diagnosis and physical therapy treatment required.

Identify and document goals, anticipated progress, and plans for reevaluation.

Provide information to the patient about the proposed intervention, its material risks and expected benefits, and any reasonable alternatives.

Provide educational information about physical therapy or physical therapists, injury prevention, ergonomics, or ways to promote health.

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.

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.

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).

PERSONALITY

People interested in this work, will do well at jobs that need;

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.

Dependability
Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.

Social Orientation
Job requires preferring to work with others rather than alone, and being personally connected with others on the job.

Cooperation
Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.

Self-Control
Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.

Adaptability/Flexibility
Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.

Attention to Detail
Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.

Independence
Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.

Initiative
Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.

Related Occupations

TECHNOLOGY

Accounting software

Action games

Analytical or scientific software

Calendar and scheduling software

Electronic mail software

Medical software

Office suite software

Spreadsheet software

Word processing software

EDUCATION AND TRAINING

Preparation
Extensive Preparation Needed
Education
Graduate Degree or higher.
Experience
Extensive skills, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations.
Jobtraining
Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.