Clinical Decision Making For Physical Therapy Assistant

The medical field is expanding ever so rapidly in today’s society. In the field of Physical Therapy one needs to have the understanding of how the human body works and the injuries one body could sustain. I have chosen a career to help others to battle back from life-changing injuries or surgeries. I will take the first step of joining the medical field by obtaining a physical therapist associates degree. I will become a Physical Therapist Assistant.

Life can change in a split second when an unanticipated injury or disease hinders someone’s normal daily life. Modern medicine, physicians and families can only do so much but physical therapy can help recoup the life many of us take for granted. It often isn’t until we lose something that we as humans realize what we had such as the value of our body’s ability to take us through each day. A physical therapist is the person who stays with a patient for the duration of the rehabilitation process. A physical therapist leads the patient through the process of regaining physical strength and helps the patient regain control of their future. Much like many careers that involve interaction with individuals, physical therapy reaches beyond

Physical therapy assistant is a health care professional who provides physical therapy services based on the direction and supervision of a licensed physical therapy assistant. This professional helps individuals of all ages who have medical issues and health-related conditions that restrict their ability to move and carry out functional activities in daily life. A physical therapy assistant can work in various settings such as private practices, hospitals, home health, sport facilities, schools, outpatient clinics, and nursing homes. The physical therapy assistant is also responsible for evaluating the changes in a patient's performance based on the physical therapy provided. The kind of care provided by a physical therapy assistant may incorporate teaching the patient to exercise mobility, the use of physical agents, strength and coordination, electrotherapy, and training for various activities like walkers and crutches ("Who Are Physical Therapist Assistants?" 2012). For an individual to become a physical therapy assistant, he/she is required to be licensed, certified, or registered by the state. In this case, the educational requirements and examination criteria are usually stipulated based on the particular state requiring licensure.

Physical therapy is defined as the treatment of an injury, disease, or deformity by physical means and methods such as exercise, hot or cold treatments, and/or massage rather than a pharmaceutical method such as opioids or the surgical route. Physical therapy much like other healthcare professions is a patient based profession in which the healthcare professional and the patient are in contact with each other frequently. This contact between the professional (the physical therapist assistant in this case) and the patient can propose issues that could challenge the physical therapist assistant’s morals, ethics, and/or professionalism. These challenges made it apparent that there needed to be guidelines for the professionalism a physical therapist assistant must follow and be aware of, which led to the development of the 8 value-based behaviors.

I believe that my personal and professional growth and behavior as a physical therapist is of utmost importance. I base this firstly on my strong connection to those in society who are disadvantaged when it comes to physical therapy, and also on the movement system, movement being “the key to optimal living and quality of life for all people that extends beyond health to every person’s ability to participate in and contribute to society” (American Physical Therapy Association, 2013). This perspective, I believe, is aligned perfectly with the vision statement for the physical therapy profession – to transform society through optimization of movement to improve the human experience (APTA, 2013). After reviewing the vision statement, I strongly believe it will act as my guide by strengthening compassion, reinforcing advocacy, improving quality of service, and strengthening cohesion.

As a PTA I have been given a breath of knowledge in regard to the profession of physical therapy. However, I am not satisfied with this breath of knowledge. I yearn for the opportunity to gain a further understanding in terms of “how and why” physical therapy is successful at restoring function to individuals seeking

First of all, according to introduction to physical therapy, “Physical therapy is a health profession whose primary purpose is the promotion of optimal health and function.” Physical therapy is a form of rehabilitation that physical therapists use to help patients recover from an injury or a physical disability. Many people think that the process of the Physical Therapy is the same in everywhere where a Physical Therapist performed his job. However, that’s not true because a physical therapy depends of many characteristics such as, the disability or the type of the injury of the patient. In fact, to know more about the topic I visited two facilities, which are an outpatient clinic and a hospital to compare and contrast how the PT performed the Physical therapy in each facility.

Physical Therapy first originated as early as 1813 by Per Henrik Ling “Father of Swedish Gymnastics.” He implemented massage, exercise, and manipulation to better enhance his athletes performance. Soon, other countries followed by forming schools

“Physical Therapy is going through a Renaissance of sorts. New techniques at the forefront of research and legislation. Business models adapting to economical payment structure and third party restrictions. And ultimately the evolution of specialized clinicians versus the necessarily indiscriminate practice of ‘old school’ PT. With these changes come some realizations that not all PTs are willing to embrace and in my opinion will produce controversy in an otherwise acquiescent profession”

Physical therapy evolved from “two major historical events: the poliomyelitis epidemics within the United States in the 1890s and the effects of World War I upon US citizens, creating a need for rehabilitation (Moffat, M.).” Physical therapists are health care professionals who treat individuals of all ages with medical problems or other health-related conditions that limit their abilities to move and perform functional activities in their daily lives. Physical therapists go through rigorous training, work in a variety of settings, and follow an important vision. With all the important work physical therapists do for patients it is not surprising that the demand for physical therapists continues climb. Even for the country's younger sect,

When I was in my junior year of high school, I had the invaluable opportunity to shadow a physical therapist in a hospital environment. I learned many things during my time there, including that, while physical therapy is often extremely beneficial for the elderly or infirm, many people don’t realize that it can, in fact, be quite helpful for the average person as well.

In recent decades, physical therapy has become somewhat of a hot commodity in America. According the United States Department of Labor and Bureau of Labor Statistics (2014), the number of physical therapy jobs is expected to jump an astonishing 36% by 2022, equating to almost 280,000 licensed, practicing physical therapists. Physical therapy seems to have joined the ranks of doctor, teacher, and astronaut in the list of typical career aspirations. However, many of those aspiring students do not have a full understanding of what all physical therapy entails, including where it all began.

Helping someone regain use of lost or diminished physical functions is one of the many perks of becoming a physical therapist. Individuals who are interested in providing an opportunity to make a positive difference in people’s lives should consider pursuing a career in physical therapy through career details, certification requirements, and salary/job outlook. Physical Therapy offers chances to work with patients face-to-face to help them advance through treatment and return to the activities they enjoy doing. Physical therapy was originally introduced as a profession in 1917 during World War I. The physical reconstruction program helped many wounded soldiers that sustained injuries from the war regain mobility. This specific career doesn’t

Physical Therapist, also known as PTs help people manage their pain and improve mobility after injury or illness (Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2014). They also rehabilitate and treat patients with injuries and chronic conditions (Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2014). In addition to treatment and diagnosis many also develop wellness and fitness programs to encourage better lifestyle habits (Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2014). Physical Therapist can also choose to specialize in specialties orthopedics (Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2014). As a Physical Therapist one would have many duties and responsibilities to complete throughout the day and their career. Once a one is referred a new patient they typically review the previous doctors notes and the patients’ history (Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2014). Then by observing the patients movements and listening to their apprehensions they will diagnose the patients’ malfunctional movements (Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2014). With this information Physical Therapists begin to develop a care plan for the patient that outlines goals and expected outcomes (Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2014). While implementing the plan they use different techniques and exercises to help patients’ cope with pain reduce the risk of further injury and rehabilitate (Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2014). As treatment progresses they evaluate the patients’ progress and adapt the program if needed (Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2014).

Since that time, I have been actively pursuing a course of study in physical therapy at the University of Findlay, Ohio, where I am majoring in pre-physical therapy. To date, besides my academic coursework, I have completed more than 100 hours of empirical observations concerning how physical therapists examine patients and develop treatment plans using various techniques to