Essay On Physical Therapist

The medical field will always continue to grow and so will the demand for those types of careers. According to AOL Jobs, a highly researched source for advice on careers, “Driven primarily by aging baby boomers and technology advances that improve survival rates for trauma victims and children with birth defects, the demand for physical therapy is forecast to continue to grow” (Schepp). AOL Jobs also listed physical therapy as the third most secure career choice. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, “the demand for physical therapists is expected to spike upward by an astonishing 30% between 2008 and 2018—a much quicker rate than average… there are approximately 185,500 licensed physical therapists in the United States, and that number is expected to jump to 241,700 over the next 10 years” (qtd. In Benefits of a Physical Therapist Career). Physical therapy will continue to grow exponentially as the population continues to age. Figure 1: Projected employment and growth of physical therapy and its related

Physical Therapy is an active, helpful career. It focuses on rehabilitation to reestablish full function and mobility to the patient. Anyone and everyone can qualify for physical therapy. Patients differ in age and race, and of course, by their illness or injury. The job involves possessing and using knowledge to diagnose the patient and establish a management plan deciding what therapy will benefit and improve the patient’s condition and averaging how long it will take to accomplish.

In fact, as suspected over the next 10 year span (2008-2018) the demand and popularity will continue to grow by at least 35%. In the past there have been more jobs than graduates (“PTA Career”). According to Dawn Parker, a Physical Therapist Assistant and one of the MCC PTA professors, this is partially because insurance companies are finding it cheaper to rehabilitate patients as opposed to paying for surgery (“Dawn Parker”). There are already over 65,000 licensed and practicing Physical Therapist Assistants in the United States. The median income for the Physical Therapist Assistant depends on many different factors which include but are not limited to: educational background (certifications, trainings, other degrees), geographic location and the setting (clinic, hospital, extended care facility, etc.) (“PTA Career Overview”). The average income of a Physical Therapist Assistant in a clinical or hospital setting in eastern North Carolina is around $18.00 an hour. Nursing homes do tend offer more incentive being there is a much greater need of Physical Therapist Assistants. According to research Physical Therapist and Physical Therapist Assistants are among some of the happiest professionals

Have you ever bent down to pick something up or sprinted after your dog because he got loose? Not many people in today’s society pay attention to their body movement. They often take their body’s ability to move normally for granted. A person’s biomechanics are essential to everyday life, without being able to move properly one cannot perform everyday tasks. Unfortunately, there are people who are not able to do so and face many hardships in their life and may be in a lot of pain. Therefore, these people seek professional assistance to help them regain their ability to function normally. Usually, they end up in the care of a physical therapist and his assistant. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, physical therapist assistants

The outlook for a Physical Therapist would be that it is going to to increase but by very little. The average increase is 2.00% each year. So if there is a 2.00% increase each year there is a 2.00% chance that someone will get a career as a Physical Therapist. People need to think of the location when finding a career. Which is the geographic location of where a person would like to live to be able to commute back and forth from work. Working as a physical therapist means working with all kinds of people so various amounts of people might not be every ones type.Working as a Physical Therapist gives the option of working in an office with patients, working at a high school with injured athletes or working with major sports team. Last is how far someone wants to travel. What that means is if someone is living in a small town like Knox Pennsylvania and they want to work with the Pittsburgh Steelers that would mean traveling 2 hours to work everyday. Not everybody wants to travel that far so keep that in

Also, a PTOT has the assurance of guaranteed job security and great salaries. For instance, PTOT’s have more job security more so than other jobs in today’s society, because of a major contributing factor; people are living longer. Apta claims, “the soaring demand for physical therapists can be attributed to the aging American population, particularly baby boomers which are more vulnerable to chronic and debilitating conditions that require physical therapist services” (“Apta”). The job of a PTOT is very secure. In addition, salaries for PTOT’s are very impressive, according to the US Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics, “a PTOT’s salary compared to related occupations . . . physical therapists receives leading pay at all levels. The average starting salary of a PT is $57,220 at the beginning of their careers, and progresses to $105,900” depending on their worksite” (“Labor Bureau”). PTOT’s are compensated very well for their hard work.

With the job outlook of the physical therapy field being expected to grow by 34 percent by 2024, faster than the average occupation, the average annual wage at a whopping $84,020, paid sick and vacation days and the flexible work environment, this seems like the perfect profession to enter. Having a career in physical therapy can be very rewarding because a physical therapist gets to watch as his or her patients improve every appointment through treatment. Unfortunately, this is not always the case in this profession. There are many disadvantages, and knowing these will help anyone interested in this field have a better understanding of how tough pursuing a career in this field can be. Being a physical therapist can be a rewarding experience and have amazing benefits. However, it is important to be aware of the disadvantages: the extreme amount of education, physical demands, emotional demands and the continuation of education requirements.

In this text, I concern myself with physical therapy as a career alternative. In so doing, I will amongst other things identify a number of services within the said career alternative. Further, in addition to discussing the roles of the workforce within the identified services, I will also highlight the impact of the said roles on health care organizations.

In 2008 physical therapy assistants and aides held about 109,000 jobs (U.S. Department of Labor). With the escalating demand for physical therapy services, job projection for physical therapy assistants are expected to be really nice in skilled nursing, orthopedic settings, and hospitals where the elderly are most often treated.

Physical therapists also can consult and practice with other professionals, such as physicians, dentists, nurses, educators, social workers, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, and audiologists to help them with their treatment to a patient. Conducting research or teaching is another job option for physical therapists.

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.

The physical therapy profession is concerned with treating individuals of all ages. In the future, I plan on being able to comfort individuals undergoing physical therapy by being able to use my compassionate nature, caring, understanding, and the expertise that I will gain, while serving as their physical therapist. In doing the previously mentioned things, I hope to be considered as an important asset to society. I believe that people will be able to increase their viability by seeking my assistance.

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

The working conditions for physical therapists are fairly attractive, mainly because of the wide range of choices. Physical therapists can choose the setting they want to work in. Though a large number of physical therapists work in hospitals, now more than 70 percent of them can be found in private physical therapy offices, community health centers, corporate or industrial health centers, sports facilities, research institutions, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes, home health agencies, schools, pediatric centers, colleges, and universities ("A Future" 9). Most physical

The human experience is not a vague suggestion of what everyone strives for. This is a very individualized set of preferences and priorities that each person desires in life. We are all unique beings and as a physical therapist, there is a duty to create a specific strategy of care that is centered on the needs of the consumer. Movement is the basis of everything we do. Optimizing movement by improving mobility and motion, managing pain, and regaining original capabilities will guide society to a healthier and more active lifestyle.