Trends In Health Care

My shadowing experience this summer has taught me so many new things about physical therapy. It has allowed me to observe the practice and make sense of the new information I have learned. Although therapy has not changed, the lenses through which I view it have. I no longer see a patient performing arbitrary exercises, I see muscles moving in specific patterns. I no longer see a passive stretch being performed, I see soft tissues, ligaments, and capsules being mobilized. I no longer see a diagnosis that receives that same treatment, I see a person that is struggling with an issue and passionate people willing to help through genuine care. I Had my first observation at The Medical Arts Research Center(MARC), an outpatient physical therapy facility in San Antonio. There, I observed 9 patients with musculoskeletal conditions. These included 8 adults and 1 pediatric. The second clinic was Peak Physical Therapy, an outpatient physical therapy clinic in Wylie, Texas. There I saw 8 patients with musculoskeletal conditions including 6 adults and 2 pediatric. During these observations, I saw many components of physical therapy practice. The last place I shadowed was Warm Springs Rehab Hospital of San Antonio. I observed in the post-acute medical facility in which we saw 7 patients with neuromuscular conditions, including 5 adults and 2 pediatric.

Reading from the article-“Celebrating a Milestone-35 years of PTAs” published by Michele Wojciechowski on 1 Feb. 2004, I feel proud that I am now in the Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) Program. The author has outlined several timelines of achieving status in American Physical Therapy Association and National Assembly also, how PTAs achieved their own value. Even after passionate 2 year associate program, I am disappointed to see that PTA program is no longer a stepping stone for Physical Therapist (PT) program.

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.

Striving for excellence through determination is essentially beneficial for the student as well as classmates and patients. The end goal of a physical therapy program is to equip students with important knowledge about the field to effectively treat each patient in a safe and informative manner. A patient’s health and well-being is relied heavily upon the therapist’s knowledge while being treated. Optimizing each learning opportunity as a student is critical in becoming a professional and well-educated physical therapist upon

In order to be successful in the profession as a physical therapist there are several prerequisites a person has to accomplish. One of the first prerequisites to become a physical therapist is you must graduate from a physical therapist educational program and obtain a master or doctoral degree. The master's degree programs for physical therapy typically are two to two and a half years in length, while doctoral degree programs usually last 3 years. In addition to classroom and laboratory instruction, students will complete supervised clinical experience to get a feel of the work environment. The coursework will include physics, biology and chemistry. Other additional coursework included during the physical therapy program is therapeutic procedures, biomechanics, examination techniques, human development, manifestations of disease, and neuroanatomy. You can specialize in one of those certain topics, which will concentrate more on a certain area. Students must also obtain a license in order to practice physical therapy. A license can be obtained by

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)

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.

When considering the physical therapy career field, I concluded that my interests and skills are compatible with the career requirements in this field. My sisters friend whom I chose to interview for this paper, contributed to my interest in physical therapy. By doing this research I would like to learn the average pay for a physical therapist. Also, what are suggested classes for a physical therapist while in college? This research will help me better understand what a physical therapist does and will either help me lean towards or away from a career in this field.

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.

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.

In today’s world, people need more assistance, or aid, to better their health. Physical therapy seems to be the ideal career path for someone like myself, who likes hands-on activities. Hopefully after two years, I will be able to call myself a physical therapy assistant (PTA). A PTA plays an important role in the rehabilitation to help a patient, who was injured return back to proper level of physical functioning. The profession of physical therapy will show my drive and dedication to help people in need. Becoming a PTA will show my excellent communication skills and ability to work well with other individuals in hopes of helping people regain their physical function, so they can take on everyday life. This career path has job security,

Dr. Winstein’s lecture really spoke to me, as a physical therapy student. There is so much to consider when choosing this career path, as well as so much to strive for. The lecture started with a thought-provoking question:

“Hip surgery?” I questioned, “Six months without softball?” Physical therapy was mandatory. After my inverted femur was realigned, surgically, my right leg lost half of its muscle mass. Going through my fifth year of physical therapy, all from different injuries, I knew that this was the right profession for me. Since it requires an insatiable amount of knowledge and various skills, all Physical Therapists need an outstanding education. An education that comes from a successful Physical Therapy Program must all have similar qualities.

The scope of practice in the physical therapy profession is always changing and growing with new evidence, education, and social needs. The scope of practice is made up of three parts, professional, jurisdictional, and personal. The professional scope of practice is found upon the understanding, educational training, and evidence emerging from the therapy practice. The jurisdictional scope of practice is based on the particular state’s licensure procedures and policy. The personal scope of practice consists of the activities the therapist is familiar with and where they were trained to perform these activities expertly. (The Physical Therapist Scope of Practice.

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: