Physical Therapy Professionalism

Beyond the educational requirements for physical therapists are the many other attributes that are needed to be successful. A career as a physical therapist requires a lot of studied skills, personal characteristics and physical fitness. A physical therapist should enjoy working with people and helping others. An ability to listen to patients and understand is important to success. Patients are often a victim of a traumatic experience, injury or are afflicted by a debilitating disease. The emotional distress can often be as trying as the physical dysfunction. (Kottler 11) Communicating and teaching skills are needed to help patients learn new movements and exercises to practice on their own. Physical therapists help patients set goals, regain and strengthen muscles and flexibility. Helping a patient find confidence in the program helps them to

When she sees a patient for the first time she talks to them about the doctor’s report and asks specific questions about their injury or experiences leading up to the need for physical therapy. Megan explained how important it is to make the patient feel comfortable and keep a positive attitude towards the patient’s recovery. These consultations were the most interesting to sit in on because it allowed me to observe the therapist’s ability to take the patient’s information and create a diagnosis and treatment plan for the injury or pain described. Megan may have multiple patients at a time so she stressed the importance of keeping up with each patient and why the physical therapy techs are so helpful. Scheduling is another job of the therapists that is important in keeping the clinic running smoothly. There is also paperwork that has to be filled out for every patient after every visit about their

The day-to-day writing in the field of Physical Therapy varies depending on the audience. The audience determines the purpose of the writing and writing style. Physical Therapists (PT) use evidence-based exercises and activities to rehabilitate their patients in order for them to reach their unique goal. Since PT’s work with both medical professionals and patients, they must adjust their writing to be able to communicate effectively. PT’s are just one of the many people in the medical field that may work with a particular patient so it is important that the communication between the different layers of the medical field are precise and clear. Writing to a patient is also important because they are the person who is being directly affected

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.

Predominantly, a physical therapist must be compassionate and caring. My family members and I are accustomed to taking care of one another, regardless of the age or circumstance. Along with these age differences come different opinions; because of this, at a very young age, I quickly understood the meaning of empathy. I have become accustomed to practicing compassion at home, that it has now become second nature to me.

What is professionalism in the context of being a student in a doctor of physical therapist degree program? The key to professionalism is to demonstrate respect, quality, and efficiency at all times. As a student within a doctor of physical therapist degree program displaying professionalism at all times is critical. Respect must be illustrated to everyone in a place of work.

Given the scenario about the diabetic patient, the obvious ethical situation in what the physical therapist did is essentially steal from the hospital. They gave away inventory without billing the patient, thus shortchanging the hospital financially. Also, another important ethical dilemma is that special treatment was given to one patient that is not given to all. Both of these ethical shortcomings, left unattended, would ultimately lead to employees doing as they wanted and at their own discretion. This could result in detrimental impacts to the hospital's logistics, and even more serious, inconsistent patient treatments. In any professional environment this should not be tolerated, especially in the medical field. To fix this issue, I would take two major steps; the first dealing with the patient and the next dealing with the physical therapist.

Communication is single handily the most important aspect of professionalism that a student will need to use in the pursuit of their doctorate degree in physical therapy and beyond. As a student the skill of communication will be applied to many areas

One thing in particular is the relationship between the Medical Doctor and the Physical Therapist. When she first started working doctors would often not take what Physical Therapist said seriously because they did not see them as “real doctors.” However, she sees the current the doctorate program gearing Physical Therapist to be more independent, and more respected by all of the medical fields. Now more patients being more allowed to receive Physical Therapy without a doctor’s prescription. This allows patients to start receiving treatment sooner but it also leaves chances of miss treatment. Although, many Physical Therapist who have been in the field for years can easily recognize what should be treated, new Physical Therapist do not. One thing she thinks could improve this is teaching new Physical Therapist how to diagnose injuries

Since I was a child, I’ve always had a strong interest in science. I remember receiving a telescope and microscope kit for my birthday one year, and it was the best gift I’d ever been given. That’s what truly sparked my passion for the field of science and, more specifically, the medical field.

On September 8th, 2015, I first began interning for Dr. Dawn Cox and her staff of experienced Physical Therapists at PRANA Functional Manual Therapy in Lancaster, PA as a Physical Therapy Aide. Intermittently, on the first day of my internship, I would ask the therapists “Why choose Physical Therapy as a profession?” One of the Physical Therapists conveyed that aside from the substantial benefits a job provides, it was the intangible materials that gave the profession a meaning. As a student exploring the field of Physical Therapy, I have infallibly witnessed professionalism at PRANA and other Physical Therapy facilities through the therapists’ altruism towards patients -without violating ethical practices as professionals; their apposite use of communication with each individual at the workplace; and their sense of accountability when things go unforeseen.

For an active high school student like myself my personality would require an active and engaging career path to best suit my personality. My top five job choices would be business manager, dentist, physical therapist, and a computer programmer. I feel these jobs fit my personality very well. Some of these jobs have downfalls and advantages. One job I would love to have would be a physical therapist. I think it fits all my need to keep me engaged and to help people in need.

What does an individual do if he injures his body or is ill and it does not get better over time? Go to rehabilitation, of course! That is, rehabilitation for the body! These rehabilitation specialists are physical therapists or, as they are sometimes called, “PTs”. A physical therapist is a person who helps the injured manage their pain and improve their movement. A physical therapist is an individual who goes through a certain amount and type of schooling to obtain a specific degree that makes him eligible to become a qualified physical therapist. The promising job outlook and good pay benefits, combined with possessing certain skills, makes this career in physical therapy a great choice.

Being an aspiring student in a physical therapy program has driven me to embody the core values stated by the APTA and demonstrated by my coworkers. Working in the medical field means the well being of others is in your hands. The level of responsibility and accountability required is monumental, and you must be willing to step up to the task. Whereas many students only hold themselves accountable for their own benefit, as a DPT student, you must demonstrate initiative because your actions no longer affect just yourself. First and foremost, you must be responsible in the classroom. Prior to practice, a solid foundation of education and knowledge is critical. One should exercise due diligence in saturating themselves with the knowledge necessary to care for a patient in a safe, timely, and efficient