Physical Therapy Assistant

Description

Job Summary:

Assists the physical therapist by administering therapy interventions as directed by the supervising physical therapist, progressing patient/client within the outlined plan of care, and communicating with the supervising physical therapist about patient status in accordance with federal and state regulations in order to provide the highest quality of patient care. Complies with documentation requirements related to this position. Enthusiastically participates in department development and education of the community.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities – Application of Interventions:

Interventions

• Provide interventions within the experience, education, comfort level, and scope of practice.
• Demonstrate knowledge and skill of all relevant therapeutic interventions appropriate to a physical therapist assistant: manual techniques, therapeutic exercise and activities, neurologic re-education, and gait progression, as well as all modalities and machines utilized in the clinic.

Preparation

• Review patient documentation prior to treatment for pre-planning, to resolve any questions or scheduling conflicts prior to the scheduled treatment.
• Gather relevant information from medical records, patients, family, and other health professionals as needed.

Patient Progression

• Consistently strive to progress the patient's interventions within the established plan of care or protocol.
• Alter treatment plans with the physical therapist's approval, when changes in patient's status or response to treatment declines or progresses unexpectedly.

Objective Measures

• Demonstrate knowledge and skills necessary to gather the following pertinent objective measures: functional skills/activities of daily living, manual muscle test, range of motion (ROM), sensory evaluation, gait/posture analysis, neurological and orthopedic status, chronic and acute pain syndromes, and integumentary and cardiopulmonary systems.

Assist Physicians

• Assist Premier Bone & Joint Centers' physicians with patient care by appropriately fabricating custom orthoses, fitting and training patients with appropriate brace and other assistive devices, and providing appropriate interventions under the supervision of a physical therapist while maintaining a full case load.

Ethical Conduct

• Accept responsibility for patient care; provide care in a manner which exemplifies ethical conduct as described in the American Physical Therapy Association's Standards of Ethical Conduct for the physical therapy assistant.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities – Team Communication:

Work with Physical Therapist

• Work with the supervising physical therapist to determine changes in patient status and progress in the patient's care plan; provide recommendations to the physical therapist regarding progress towards goals and upcoming discharge based on current level of function.

Healthcare Team Collaboration

• Communicate and consult effectively and timely with supervising physical therapists, physicians, Premier Bone & Joint Centers' departments, and other healthcare providers about the patient response to treatment, recommendations, or problem-solving as required for all patients at Premier Bone & Joint Centers.

Educate Patient

• Explain the physical therapy treatment plan and therapeutic procedures at the patient's and/or family member's level of understanding.
• Effectively communicate goals and expectations with patient/family.

Supportive Personnel

• Utilize supportive personnel legally in an effective and efficient manner; thoroughly explain techniques and goals of delegated interventions or tasks; collect information regarding patient's response to treatment and document appropriately.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities – Documentation:

Therapeutic Response

• Effectively documents the patient's response to therapy interventions.

Document Objective Measurements, Progress, and Advancement

• Correctly document and update the patient's objective measurements each treatment.
• Document progress towards goals at least weekly as appropriate for a physical therapy assistant and the patient's ability to advance interventions to demonstrate progression through plan of care or documents attempts and reasons for the patient's inability to progress.

Document Consultations

• Document discussions with physical therapist or physician regarding the patient's care and any modifications to treatment or plan due to that discussion.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities – Efficiency/Produ