Do you love helping people who require special care? Do you want to help someone to return to their lives rejuvenated after a major accident? If you are trying to find a satisfying job and helping people with physical restraints or disabilities, the role of a physiotherapist assistant (PTA) would suit you. In the UK, you are looking at a starting salary of £17,000+ as a physiotherapy assistant working for the NHS.l. In the US, the amount was $58,000+ back in 2018. With the growing number of elderly people in the developed countries, the need for physiotherapists and physiotherapist assistants are rising rapidly. In our physiotherapist assistant guide, you will get information about the responsibilities of a physiotherapist, the entry requirements, and the accredited courses offered how to become a physiotherapy assistant. The steps of becoming a physiotherapist assistant are:
- Graduating English and Mathematics in IGCSE
- Completing an online certification course
- Applying for jobs through NHS Jobs and other online platforms
In addition, you can have an idea about the prospects of a career in physiotherapy. More importantly, you are giving yourself an opportunity where you can help patients with mobility and pain issues in order to improve their lives.
What does a Physiotherapist Assistant Do?
You will work under physiotherapists and follow their instructions. The primary duties will include:
- Equipment set-up
- Helping patients with mobility aids
- Assisting patients with pre-treatment preparations (i.e. dressing and undressing)
- Preparing reports of patients and updating records in the system
- Aiding patients in exercising
As a physiotherapy assistant, the patients you are working with usually:
- have chronic pain in joints
- suffer from arthritis
- have cerebral palsy
- suffer from lower-back aches
- had accidents and got injured with fractures
Physiotherapy assistants usually work within elderly care, outpatients’ department, women’s health, orthopaedics, mental health and disability services, occupational health, stroke services, paediatrics etc. However, the scopes are unlimited with the private sector.
The therapist is responsible for developing the comprehensive treatment plan which you are to follow. The implementation will come in the form of massages, balance training, electrical stimulations etc.
In addition, you will update the progress reports of the patients and train the patients for self-care steps.
Personal Traits and Skills Become a to Physiotherapist Assistant
The basic skills for the job comes from your personality and ability to communicate properly with your patients. In order to be a physiotherapy assistant, you should be:
- happy to be actively involved to the patients
- calm and understanding
- capable of following the instructions provided by your superiors
- follow procedures thoroughly
- excellent listeners
- happy to work within groups and large teams
- physically fit and strong, capable of demonstrating exercises
- willing to work individually or as a part of a team
Among many other things, physical assistant therapists play important roles in smooth running of the offices they work in. They usually have management duties which demand organizational skills. You have to check the minute details of a therapeutic session. Nothing can be overlooked for the sake of the patient. When you are working with patients under intense pain, you have to be compassionate.
Your capacity of working within a team and communicating the information effectively to the team members do matter a lot in the job. Like many other professions in the health sector, you have to work flexible hours. Thus, you might be working evenings and weekends to accommodate the requirements of your patients and organization.
Physiotherapy assistants are required to be physically fit to help the patients with manipulative treatments. You have to be flexible, capable of standing for hours and move comfortably in kneeling and bending positions to help your patients.
As a physical therapist assistant you should be able to explain complex technical terms in lay-person language to your patients. Your communication skills help you a lot to attain a positive impact. The patient should trust you and embrace challenges for betterment. You have to be persuasive to engage your patients in painful therapies.
You will need to assess your patients’ progress on a regular basis and report everything to the supervisors. Your assessment skills come handy in this regard.
Finally, the job requires you to be very patient. The recovery process of certain patients will take a long time while others might recover rapidly.
Your career as a therapy assistant would come with positive benefits. People are usually very grateful for the services they receive from physiotherapy assistants. Your salary matters but you achieve a sense of self-attainment in the job.
How to Become a Physical Therapy Assistant
You don’t need an associate’s degree to start working as a physical therapy assistant In the United Kingdom. If you intend to work for the NHS, you must believe in the values of the organization. You will receive on-the-job training when you begin your career for the NHS.
If you are planning to work for NHS as a physiotherapy assistant, you need to align yourself with the following NHS values:
- Respect and dignity
- Commitment to quality of care
- Compassion Improving lives
- Everyone counts
With English and science in GCSEs, you can start applying for the positions offered by different NHS trusts and private health organizations. In the UK, you will need a DBS check to work with children and elderly people. With an accredited certificate, you can boost your CV and stand out from the crowd.
Once you start working for the NHS, you will get the opportunity to take professional certification courses besides hands-on education.
In the long run, the career of physical therapy assistant allows you to pursue the career of a physiotherapist if you intend to go back to college. With the ongoing demand for physiotherapists, you can decide to graduate as a physiotherapist from any recognized college or university in uk.
Accredited Physiotherapy Assistant Programs Online
Online courses are very popular these days for many people. With a concentrated effort on your side, an online course can divulge a wide range of information for your career as a physiotherapy assistant. These courses allow people to study in their own time, work flexible hours and carry out family duties at the same time.
The key factors that encourage students to take online courses are:
- Time — working students with family responsibilities can manage their time better with online courses. If you are planning to work full-time and study at the same time, an online course would be a convenient option for you.
- Transportation fees — the reduction of transportation cost is a major issue in countries like the US, India, China. Your preferred institution might be in the remote corner of the country. However, the distance learning program or online program would save you from travelling long distances and spending a lot of money.
- Study materials — study materials come in the form of e-books, videos, podcasts etc. These are cost-friendly options compared to traditional printed materials.
Finding the right course online would require a bit of research from your side. Start comparing the tuition fees, certification authority, participant’s review and the number of similar programs offered by different organizations. You can start by reviewing the modules offered by St. Paul’s Academy.
Employment Opportunities and Pay for Physiotherapy Assistants
In the UK, most of the physiotherapy assistant jobs come through NHS Jobs posted by NHS trusts. You have to check the individual websites of the trusts for job vacancies. Many online job agencies post adverts for the positions outside NHS.
Physical therapy assistants working for NHS get paid based on Agenda for Change (AfC) pay system. Most of the assistants start on AfC band 2 or 3. The average salary is between £17,000 and £23,000.
You can gradually move to band 4 gaining experience and training for the positions of assistant practitioners. Alternatively, you can decide to enrol for a university degree to become a physiotherapist.
Statistics by Bureau of Labour Statistics show that the annual wage of a physiotherapy assistant in the US was $58,040 in 2018 on average, and the percentage of jobs in the sector increased by 35% from 2008 to 2018. The average salary for a physical therapy assistant was $48,590 back in 2009 with the highest being more than $63,000. The average salaries in New York, Massachusetts and California were $113,000, $112,000 and $104,000 respectively. However, the states where the salaries are comparatively higher, the cost of living is higher too.
With the advancements in the field of medical technology, the average lifespan of people is going up. Most of the elderly people require the help of physiotherapists after hospitalization. California, Florida, Texas, Pennsylvania and Ohio are the states with the highest number of jobs for physical therapy assistants. People can work in hospitals, clinics, physical therapy officers, orthopaedic offices, surgical offices, nursing homes and physical therapy centres.
Professional Development with NHS
Once you start your career with NHS, you will be trained by your organization and department. On top of this, you may be offered to study for the following qualifications:
- NCFE CACHE level 2 Certificate in Healthcare Support Services
- NCFE CACHE level 3 Diploma in Healthcare Support
You can become an associate member of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy. The society provides an opportunity to meet the professional in your field and enhance your skills joining conferences, workshops and other training programs.
Regular cases for physiotherapist assistants
Physical therapist assistants work in environments where they often find themselves dealing with certain types of patients. They eventually become skilled in providing therapeutic counselling to treat specific illnesses.
Physical therapy assistants regularly deal with certain types of problems. They usually help the patients of the following categories:
- Stroke patients: Therapy assistants work with stroke victims to turn them mobile rapidly. Physiotherapy assistants motivate the patients to constantly challenge their achievements to reach higher levels. With the use of stimulation devices, the results are more rapid these days.
- Cerebral palsy: If you are a physiotherapist assistant working with children, cerebral palsy patients would be a regular phenomenon for you. Every child has a different type of cerebral palsy, and the therapist assistants are responsible for supporting the children individually with the help of supportive devices. The goal of an assistant is to improve balance and spatial perception of a child in a cerebral palsy case.
- Back pain: When back pain turns severe, people seek help from physiotherapists. After the initial evaluation carried out by the therapy team, the physical therapist proceeds with a treatment plan. Usually, the physical therapy assistant will opt for the joint manipulation of soft tissues as a therapeutic tool. If the type of injury is severe, you need to educate the patient with pain prevention tactics. Sometimes the patients need deep back massages which calls for strong arms and hands for the physical assistant.
- Wrist injuries: The numbers of patients with hand and wrist problems are going up rapidly due to the number of people using computers and phones. The assistant physical therapist would help these patients with heat and cold contrast baths and vascular exercises.
- Pregnancy: Pregnant women go through excruciating pain during pain, and physical therapy becomes a viable option at that point. Some physiotherapy assistants become experts with pregnancy-related cases and earn higher salary in the process.
A high job satisfaction rate shows how the job can change your life positively. The invaluable joy of helping people to get on their feet is the ultimate achievement in your routine life. Explore the outline of our accredited online course to begin your journey as a physiotherapy assistant.
Hello. The How to Become a Physiotherapist Assistant
article is very well written and useful.
I was wondering: What do you say about this survival product,
🙂 Thank you!
casino game http://onlinecasinogamespcx.com/ – best online casinos no deposit casino casino games
cashman casino slots free casino slot games casino online
play casino casino games online casino games
real casino slots http://onlinecasinogamespcx.com/ – online casino games best online casino slots for real money
casino online slots play online casino online casino real money casino online
gold fish casino slots cashman casino slots play online casino best online casino
online casinos http://onlinecasinosw.com/ – vegas slots online no deposit casino online casino real money
casino online slots play slots online online casino gambling online casinos
online gambling http://onlinecasinopc.com/ – casino online play slots online free casino
online slots http://onlinecasinopc.com/ – free casino games gold fish casino slots casino play
online casino bonus online casino real money free casino slot games free casino slot games
online casinos real casino slots slot games play casino
slots online http://onlinecasinopc.com/ – slots online casino real money online gambling
online casino http://casinoplaysw.com/ – play slots online vegas casino slots world class casino slots
vegas slots online http://casinoplaysw.com/ – online casino casino games casino bonus codes
real money casino online slots best online casinos slots online
play slots http://casinoplaysw.com/ – online casinos casino play big fish casino
casino online http://casinoslotspc.com/ – online slot games casino game play slots online
casino bonus codes http://casinoslotspc.com/ – vegas slots online world class casino slots best online casino
online casino bonus casino blackjack casino play
casino bonus codes real casino slots casino play big fish casino
slots for real money world class casino slots casino bonus codes free casino games
cashman casino slots http://casinogamespqr.com/ – play slots casino game casino online slots
slots for real money casino games online casino real money
online casino games play online casino online gambling best online casino
slot games http://casinoslotspc.com/ – best online casino casino real money play slots online
online slot games online casinos slots online
big fish casino slots free casino games
vegas casino slots online casino gambling online casino games free slots
play slots vegas casino slots real money casino online casino gambling
slots online play casino no deposit casino casino blackjack
online gambling slots online online casino real money
online casinos world class casino slots free casino online casinos
big fish casino online casino bonus casino slots
online casino gambling slot games real casino slots online casinos
free slots games slots online slots free best online casinos
real casino slots slots games free gold fish casino slots vegas slots online
casino games big fish casino free online slots online casinos
slots games free casino games vegas casino slots
online slots slots games free cashman casino slots free casino games
casino online slots http://onlinecasinofbk.com/ – online slots casino blackjack casino play
vegas casino slots best online casinos slots games free casino game
free casino games free casino online casino bonus
online casino real money online gambling casino games slots for real money
vegas slots online real money casino online casino bonus
online gambling free casino free casino games online free online slots
buy cbd oil pure cbd oil cbd drops
buy hemp oil hemp cbd oil cbd oil at walmart cbd oil for dogs
money fast for kids
best cbd oil cbd oil for sale cbd oil at walmart
cheap auto insurance in california
where to buy motilium
personal loan for bad credit
https://carinsurancequotes.us.org/
apply for payday loan online
purchase amoxil
acyclovir 800
personal loans low interest
best personal loans
car insurance quotes comparison online
loan application online
elimite cream price
cbd oil online cbd medic buy cbd oil
online loan application
medicine amoxicillin 500
hemp cbd cdb oils cbd online best cbd oil
hemp cbd hemp oil for pain cbd capsules
buy hydroxychloroquine
ampicillin sodium
cbd vape cbd hemp buy hemp oil hemp oil for pain
buy prozac 20mg
metformin medicine in india
payday loan denver
insurance auto quotes
https://loansonlinenb.com/
badcreditloans
cannabis oil cbd oil for sale pure cbd oil hemp oil for pain
hemp cbd cbd for dogs best cbd oil
online prescription free zoloft
loans with no income
https://carinsurancequotes.us.org/
cbd store http://buycbdoilwalm.com/ – cbd oil benefits cbd gummies cbd oils
americash loans
paxil cost
lowest personal loan rates
cost of prozac
united automobile insurance
metformin 500
online loan application
This article is great! If it help, you can teach your child to
read, this video reveals how any child aged 2-9 can quickly learn to read at
home: https://bit.ly/36nmkge
best cbd oil hemp oil pure cbd oil
online loan
how much does buspar cost
buy hydroxychloroquine
tetracycline staining
online loan
no credit loans guaranteed approval
tetracycline tablets 500mg
loans direct deposit
auto insurance va
colchicine 0.6
buy amoxicillin
personal loans low interest rates
loan site
car insurance quotes
furosemide cost in india
https://personaliloans.com/
best personal loans
online loan
payday loan companies
car insurance quotes
buy ventolin online
acyclovir 800 mg
I like the efforts you have put in this, regards for all the great blog posts.
Hi! I know this is kinda off topic but I was wondering if you knew where I could locate a captcha plugin for my comment form? I’m using the same blog platform as yours and I’m having problems finding one? Thanks a lot!
Hi there, You’ve done an excellent job. I will certainly digg it and personally suggest to my friends. I am confident they’ll be benefited from this web site.
This information can help me consider some useful things, and maintain a good work.
Thank you .So useful.Wish you happiness.Good luck.
where to buy retin a tretinoin
bactrim ds 800 160
loans 500
Thanks so much for the post.Really thank you! Keep writing.the best site viagra by mail
car insurance
fluoxetine 10 mg tablet
buy albuterol pills online
can i buy retin a over the counter in uk
cipro rx 500mg
online cash advance
colchicine 6
diflucan 150 mg fluconazole
anafranil medication
lasix pill
anafranil from india
buy atarax
lasix water pills for sale
https://personaliloans.com/
generic for atarax
amoxicillin buy online canada