Physical Therapy Aide Job Description
A physical therapy aide is a healthcare worker who helps physical therapists complete their goal of rehabilitating patients who have lost a component of their physical function. The support that a physical therapy aide provides can be clerical. For example, an employee in this role might be asked to answer phones or schedule patients for their next appointments.
Physical therapy aides also work directly with the patients that their physical therapist sees. For example, someone in this position might be asked to observe the patient throughout their session and to note anything that needs to be brought to the physical therapist’s attention. An aide may also guide patients through physical exercises that have been recommended by the physical therapist.
Physical Therapy Aide Job Description Template
We are looking to add a skilled physical therapy aide to our team. You will work under the supervision of the physical therapist in this role. You will spend some of your time working directly with patients and some of it performing various clerical and administrative tasks around the office. For example, you may be asked to monitor a patient who is receiving treatment from the physical therapist. It would be your responsibility to report anything that the therapist needs to know about the patient’s condition.
You may also be tasked with answering phone calls and scheduling patients for their next appointments. Additionally, you will be asked to clean and sanitize both equipment and rooms after one patient leaves and before the next one arrives.
To do well in this role, you will need to have a good understanding of physical therapy. You should also feel comfortable working directly with patients who are experiencing varying degrees of immobility. If you think that you would do well in this position, we’d love to see your resume.
Physical Therapy Aide Responsibilities:
- Support the physical therapist as they work with patients
- Guide patients through exercises that have been prescribed by the physical therapist
- Answer phone calls
- Schedule patients for appointments
- Clean and sanitize rooms and equipment
- Observe patients as they work with the physical therapist, reporting any necessary information to the therapist
Physical Therapy Aide Requirements:
- A certification from a licensed physical therapy aide program
- Previous experience in physical therapy is preferred
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
- Basic technological proficiency
- Physical ability to lift and move patients if required
Physical Therapy Aide FAQ
What tasks does a physical therapy aide complete?
A physical therapy aide spends their time supporting a physical therapist. Employees in this position answer phones, schedule new appointments, and sanitize rooms and equipment between patients.
Physical therapy aides also work directly with patients in several ways. They may be asked to observe a patient while they work with the physical therapist. Or, they could be tasked with guiding the patient through exercises that the physical therapist has prescribed.
What should I include in my physical therapy aide help-wanted ads?
When creating your help-wanted ads, you want to start with the information that you believe applicants will find most intriguing. We recommend beginning with a paragraph or two that talks about the job in general terms. You can get more specific after that by creating two bulleted lists that highlight the responsibilities and requirements of the job, as we’ve shown above.
Can I use your physical therapy aide job description template?
Yes, feel free to use our physical therapy aide job description template however you want. That being said, we recommend that you add to what we’ve written instead of copying it verbatim. Doing so will ensure that the unique aspects of your position are highlighted to interested applicants.