A Day In The Career Of Physical Therapy Aides
The Importance of Career Understanding
Elementary schools house the most informed demographic of our society. They understand the importance of snack breaks, they learn basic educational foundations, and they have a plethora of resources at their side, ready to explain how the real world works. However, no resource is as essential as the beloved career day among many primary schools.
The linoleum-tiled floors reflect the bright classroom lights and even brighter smiles of the students as they learn more about the careers out there, and they resoundingly claim their first calling. Though many of these students don’t end up being the professional pony rider or the astronaut that they initially prescribed, this lesson is a page that adults can take out of the children’s educational book—the importance of career understanding.
Adults have the preconceived notions of “what it takes” to excel in a particular career, and this leads to an overlooked situation where prospective employees may not know the ins and outs of their career, despite promises of career preparation. Recently, a study done by the National Association of Colleges and Employers found that surveyed graduates consider themselves “proficient” to enter the workplace, but employers thought otherwise. The association further proves this point with a statement, reading: “This can be problematic because it suggests that employers see skill gaps in key areas where college students don’t believe gaps exist.”
Fortunately, there are career training programs in the job sphere that communicate the skills and trades necessary to succeed—Blackstone Career Institute’s Physical Therapist Aide course proves as the perfect example.
Blackstone’s online Physical Therapy Aide courses offer anatomy and medical terminology, administrative office skills, technology, time and stress management, medical ethics, and HIPAA regulations. While these lesson plans are all important with the practical education of the course, Blackstone also provides a lifestyle-enriched sense of what the job truly demands. Essentially, Blackstone prepares students for the average Physical Therapy Aide workday, before students even step foot into a clinic.
An Average Physical Therapist Aide’s Workday
Let’s suppose that you are a Physical Therapist Aide that has come into a fresh, new workday. The work climate is clean, environmentally controlled and sterile, as workers may be subject to disease and infections. A stack of paperwork sits on the Physical Therapist Assistant’s desk, with documentation regarding the day’s appointments so that staff can plan accordingly. Through the standard working schedule, with 40 hours per week and a normal 9-5 position, a P.T. Aide should grow accustomed to such organization, as it’s their job that requires much of the clerical data entry necessary to run a clinic. While maintaining paperwork may seem to be a major aspect of the job, it’s a lesser responsibility than what people may believe.
According to the Owl Guru, a career finding platform, the main task list for Physical Therapy Aides includes cleaning and organizing the work area, disinfecting equipment after treatment, instructing and motivating patients to practice exercises and activities, and transporting patients to and from treatment areas.
The specific duties of Physical Therapy Aides might vary from setting to setting, explains The Balance Careers, but other additional responsibilities may include: observing, documenting responses, assisting with patient intake, and assisting with treatment application (such as splints, medicine, hot and cold packs, etc).
A Physical Therapy Aide must have a strong understanding of what treatments are required for a patient, and how they can properly prepare other individuals to administer therapy. This requires a strong sense of communication, such as active listening, instruction, orientation, and reporting, but it also emphasizes the intrinsic value of caring for others. Compassion helps improve an individual’s job prospects in the field because empathy, interpersonal connection, and customer service all enhance the environment that a patient walks into. A calming P.T. Aide with a positive outlook is more likely to leave a lasting impact on a patient than the ill-tempered and apathetic Physical Therapist, despite actual treatment being prescribed and administered by the latter.
Physical Therapy Aides also have a regular stream of different responsibilities, meaning that multitasking is especially essential. The ability to resolve multiple situations at once enables a professional to excel in many different industries, rehabilitation centers especially. Some of the clerical tasks that an aide may focus on include answering a phone, following directions from coworkers, maintaining equipment, ordering supplies, and entering patient information into a database. Multitasking is an incredibly valued skill set, and it is for this reason that so many educational programs are driven to preparing students for these challenging job duties.
Blackstone Career Institute, for instance, provides 17 study units within the P.T. Aide program, with a Time and Stress Management lesson, interpersonal communications, critical thinking skills and more. While the educational background of a career is important, professionals are advised to review surrounding responsibilities, so as to avoid ill-preparation of a career they were destined to pursue.
Start Your Career At Blackstone Career Institute and Become Certified:
Start your profession with one of BCI’s Career Training Programs and earn a diploma in Physical Therapy Aide. Then as a qualified candidate, take any licensing and certification requirements to stand out to future employers!
