Research Paper: Physical Therapist as a Career

📌Category: Business, Career, Health, Medicine
📌Words: 1054
📌Pages: 4
📌Published: 17 February 2022

I chose Physical therapy as my profession because it is an occupation that allows me to care for others. I enjoy helping and caring for others and find it fulfilling. I also liked that Therapy is very flexible as far as the many different fields of need that exist. I believe that the core of Physical Therapy is caring for a person like their family. This includes not only caring for someone physically but mentally and spiritually as well; caring for an entire person and not just their diagnosis.

I believe that the focus of Therapy is the patient. They should be the number one priority and should be treated as such. Therapists need to act as advocates for their patients. They need to be involved in their care by allowing for proper communication and allowing them to express their wants and desires about their care and treatments. My vision for myself as a Therapist is to provide the best care possible to all of my patients. I will treat them with respect and use my knowledge and critical thinking skills to help educate them, care for them, and help them attain the highest level of health of which they are capable.

A short-term goal of mine is to obtain a better understanding of the work ethic of a Physical Therapist and how many people they help year-round. I want to graduate high school and find a good college that allows for a major in therapy. A mid-term goal of mine is to prepare to work in a professional environment with other like-minded people. Evaluate the Therapy regarding best practices for the most effective strategies to reduce failures in skilled nursing facilities. Enhance my experience and ability in searching for new ways to help others. My long-term goal would be to develop an effective service clinic. After about 10 years I want to branch out and have my clinic. It may be small and local at first however, I want it to grow and become a high-end therapeutic clinic. One day it would attract attention from many athletes and help them get back on their feet.

Let's be honest we are all looking for a job that does not require us to sit in a cubicle from nine to five. Being a physical therapist allows you to be on your feet the majority of the day. Along with not getting bored, this allows your mind to stay stimulated as you work with patients. According to Men's Journal, "sitting for eight to ten hours a day raises our blood sugar, tightens our muscles, and constricts blood flow to the heart, even in those who exercise daily ". As you can see, there are many benefits of being up and moving around. Also, being able to develop personal relationships with clients allows for excellent interaction in the PT field. Becoming close with a patient allows for work to not seem like work. It also allows for the patient to feel comfortable with the therapist. This allows the patient to feel comfortable communicating their feelings about progress, exercises and stretches that they are performing in therapy.

With all of the science and math classes that PT students have to take, we can critically think about a plethora of different treatment options for patients. This allows for us to adapt treatment specific to the patient and their needs. This keeps therapists challenged and allows them to learn every day. This is unbelievably desirable to me and I'm looking forward to enhancing people's lives by healing their injuries.

Becoming a physical therapist requires years of education and training in areas such as kinesiology, anatomy, biology, and physical fitness. Many physical therapists also receive extensive training in patient psychology to better understand and help clients cope with the emotional challenges associated with a physical ailment. As with most careers, the path to success can take many different forms. According to 2014 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, " the median annual wage for physical therapists was $83,940, or $39.61 per hour. However, the top 10 percent of physical therapists earned more than $116,090". The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that "employment opportunities for physical therapists will grow 36 percent from 2012 to 2022 ", much faster than the average of all occupations.

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's 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 to practice physical therapy.

Physical therapists also can consult and practice with other professionals, such as physicians, dentists, nurses, educators, social workers, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, and audiologists to help them with their treatment of a patient. Conducting research or teaching is another job option for physical therapists.

"Being a physical therapist is very rewarding. You will work with patients one-on-one, see them progress through treatment, and know that you are making a difference in their lives," said APTA spokesperson Meredith Harris, PT, DPT, Whether the patient's problem is a result of injury or disease, the physical therapist is a rehabilitation specialist who fosters the patient's return to maximal function. Physical therapists also will work with individuals to prevent loss of mobility by developing fitness- and wellness-oriented programs for healthier and more active lifestyles.

Physical therapists report one of the highest job -satisfaction levels in the country! Forbes ranked physical therapists as having 1 of " The Ten Happiest Jobs, " according to articles published in 2013 and 2011. CNNMoney.com gave physical therapists a grade of " A " in Personal Satisfaction in 2012, as well as in its " Benefit to Society " categories. A National Opinion Research Center survey, which was chronicled in an April 17, 2007, article of the Chicago Tribune. With more than three-quarters of physical therapists polled reporting to be " very satisfied " with their occupations, PTs were second only to clergy and were the only health care professionals in the top 5.

Works Cited

Meissner, Kyle. Physical Therapist Assistant: What to Know. NY: Amazon, 2017.

St. Marie, William. Reasons To Be A Physical Therapist ." 1 March 2016.

" Physical Therapist ." Explore HealthCareers.org , Healthcare.org , 12 Oct. 2017 , explorehealthcareers.org/career/physical-therapy/physical-therapist/.

+
x
Remember! This is just a sample.

You can order a custom paper by our expert writers

Order now
By clicking “Receive Essay”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement. We will occasionally send you account related emails.