Professionalism In Physical Therapy

Ever since I was a kid, it has been my life goal to help as many people I can. I have moved around in many different areas of the medical field, but no career had caught my eye as much as physical therapy. As an athlete, I have been in and out of the physical therapist’s office for a majority of my life. Each time I have went I could not help but be beyond grateful for what these people have done for me; they have given me the ability to play the sport I love despite all the hiccups. Physical therapy is a dynamic field within the field of medicine because as a physical therapist one can make a difference in the lives of his or her patients, enjoy job security, and enjoy a rewarding and personally satisfying career.

Professionalism to me is being honest, having a high level of integrity, striving for excellence, respecting others and providing quality care with compassion.

Colleges with a medical department often have a master’s program for physical therapy. (“Physical Therapists”) Physical therapy students have a required amount of field work in order to complete a program. Each candidate must work in an accredited workplace for the field work assignments. This part of the program is extremely valuable and helpful for a new therapist entering the field. Working one on one can be difficult even with all of the educational tools. (Curtis 37)

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.

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.

Congratulations on making it to week eight of PTA 324 Physical Therapy Across Practice Settings! We end this course with a look at professional development of the PTA. We will be discussing ideas for lifelong learning and maintaining clinical competence. By being in this course, you have already shown a commitment to professional development and lifelong learning. As we come to the end of this class, reflect on the self-directed learning that you have achieved and how your professional development has been affected by your research and the interactions with your classmates.

Explaining professionalism by simply asserting what you desire as a student is not achievable. You need life experience to explain what professionalism means. Professionalism is not something that you accomplish occasionally; it needs a rooted presence in your life. As a physical therapy student, application of my experiences in what constitutes a professional in all possible environments is paramount. While physical therapy schools are distinctive, professionalism stays the same. My undergraduate education along with internship experience hard-wired professionalism into daily life and will propel my future in graduate school.

There are multiple ways to show professionalism as a student in a doctor of physical therapist degree program. Some of these include communication, responsibility, and being prepared.

The Doctor of Physical Therapy program is an ideal fit for Dafinie’s qualities and skill sets. She will be coming to you with a natural passion for this profession; unyielding integrity, unbending patient advocacy, the ability to communicate effectively and an underlying compassion for others. She will bring her background knowledge in Biomedical Science, Molecular Medicine, Business and Management, which she obtained from her undergraduate and graduate studies at University of South Florida and Everest University, respectively. She also has exceptional leadership skills and is a team player.  This is due to the fact that Dafinie worked as a

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.

The Code of Ethics for Physical Therapy on patient education states that, “Physical therapists shall educate members of the public about the benefits of physical therapy and the unique role of the physical therapist.” Working in several settings has provided me with opportunities to work with a variety of patients as well as an opportunity to learn how different physical therapists approach patient education. It has opened my eyes to the difficulty of showing patients what they need to do in order to be successful and to live a healthy lifestyle. As I continue to work in the field, there are a couple of issues that I am concerned about related to patient education and clinical teaching. One of the issues that really struck me during my observation

The primary focus of both Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy is the health, well-being, and overall quality of life of each patient. It is obvious, that patient before therapist is a similarity between these two professions. However, Physical Therapy focuses mainly on functional movement whereas, Occupational Therapy addresses the cognitive and psychological aspects of human performance. The PT Code of Ethics also concentrates more on the importance of research to provide evidence for interventions therefore, providing acceptable sessions. The Code of Ethics for both professions emphasizes the importance of continuing education and respecting each individual’s rights. Upholding a professional standard is also stated in both Code

According to the American Physical Therapy Association, professionalism is defined as “consistently [demonstrating] core values by aspiring to and wisely applying principles of altruism, excellence, caring, ethics, respect, communication and accountability, and by working together with other professionals to achieve optimal health and wellness in individuals and communities". In the context of being a student in a doctor of physical therapist degree program, there is no better model than the precursors before you. As an employee in an acute care rehabilitation setting, I have the opportunity of seeing firsthand the professional qualities that are essential in this profession.

Excellence: Excellence is a key component behind the practice of evidence-based care in the profession of physical therapy. As a doctoring profession that utilizes high levels of research, the knowledge invested into care will lead to well-constructed successful outcomes. Physical therapy will continue to expand and excel in the quality of patient centered care. I’ve worked hard to meet goals throughout my undergraduate education and will continue to meet higher standards as a graduate student. As a future professional, I will aim far beyond what is necessary to meet basic requirements, and continually pursue growth.

My teaching philosophy is to create an environment that stimulates learning so that students gain the necessary knowledge, skills and abilities to become proficient professionals. While teaching foundational knowledge is important, there are other essential skills and abilities that students must acquire in order to successfully transition from being a student to becoming a physical therapy professional. These skills and abilities include thinking critically as well as interacting and communicating effectively with patients and other health care practitioners. I emphasize to students that it is imperative to realize the impact of developing a therapeutic rapport with patients while providing quality, patient-centered care to optimize the healing process. Therefore, when deciding what to teach, I not only consider the content presented, but also how I can foster discussions with students so that they can apply information based on varying contextual factors. I also attempt to provide students a framework for how to achieve professional excellence, which I aim to model as I fulfill my roles and responsibilities as a teacher and provider of clinical instruction. This framework is rooted in five central tenets: