All About Being a Physiotherapist Assistant (PTA) in Canada

If you’re interested in pursuing a career in the healthcare industry, entering a rewarding job, and touching the lives of others through assisting them in their recovery, all while spending less time in training, then you might consider becoming a physiotherapist assistant (PTA).

In this article, we’ll be discussing everything about physiotherapist assistant (PTA) as a career option, shedding light on what they do, how to become one, and its career outlook.

What Does a Physiotherapist Assistant (PTA) Do?

A physiotherapist assistant (PTA) is a healthcare professional who delivers care and treatment under the supervision of a qualified physiotherapist. They’re important in the effective administration and delivery of the treatment plan required for the recovery of the patient. They work closely with patients to motivate them to achieve their goals in the therapy.

Working With a Supervising Physiotherapist

A physiotherapist assistant (PTA) helps a patient recover from debilitating illnesses and conditions through various exercises and relaxation techniques, as directed by their supervising physiotherapist.

Physiotherapist Assistant Competency Checklist

A physiotherapist assistant is assessed by the supervising physiotherapist on their competency in providing safe and high-quality quality of care to their patients.

Before any care is assigned to the physiotherapist assistant, it’s important that the supervising physiotherapist (or any other qualified member of the team) ensure that they have the required knowledge, skills, and judgment. This is to also ensure that the care the patient receives from the physiotherapist assistant is almost at par with when the physiotherapist has done it themselves.

This is made possible through an objective measure, such as the Physiotherapist Assistant Competency Checklist by the College of Physiotherapists of Ontario, where the supervising physiotherapist performs the following:

• Review, together with the physiotherapist assistant, what needs to be done with the patient; discussing their roles and responsibilities.
• Verify what the physiotherapist assistant knows about the tasks at hand.
• Learn and ensure the adequacy of the physiotherapist assistant’s training and experience.
• Watch how the physiotherapist assistant performs tasks relevant to the delivery of care.
• Train and educate the physiotherapist assistant on any gaps identified.

Following the Standards

The College of Physiotherapists of Ontario enumerates a list of standards that must be followed by a physiotherapist when working with a physiotherapist assistant. This standard emphasizes that the physiotherapist is still responsible for the care provided by the physiotherapist assistant they assigned to a patient, thus the need for proper communication through a written communication protocol.

The standard also enumerates restrictions and points to consider when assigning and supervising care. It also enumerates duties that a physiotherapist shouldn’t assign to a physiotherapist assistant, such as initial assessments and re-assessments and treatments requiring the physiotherapist assistant to intervene and change the established plan of treatment.

How to Become a Physiotherapist Assistant (PTA)

As with other healthcare professionals, becoming a physiotherapist assistant requires undergoing relevant education and training to ensure that they’re capable of delivering high-quality care to patients.

Education, Training, and Certification for PTA

• A completion certificate from a Physiotherapy Assistant Program
• A physiotherapist assistant diploma from affiliated education programs in accredited institutions, listed here.
• Other formal training, such as from international institutions.

Working as a physiotherapist assistant doesn’t require a license, since there’s no legislation existing yet that requires its regulation. Moreover, it doesn’t require a specific educational background, although employers prefer candidates with any of the following:

A certification in first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) may also further make one a desirable candidate for the job.

Physiotherapist Assistant Job Skills

• Good Communication Skills: To be an effective physiotherapist assistant, you must develop your communication skills. This is because a big chunk of a physiotherapist assistant’s job is communicating — with the physiotherapist, with the patient, and with the patient’s family members.
• Empathy and Sincerity in the Desire to Help People: Being a physiotherapist assistant is challenging, especially because you’ll be working with patients who actively experience pain and difficulties. Thus, understanding their sentiments is an important aspect of the job, and you must patiently help them get back to their treatment plan should they want to stop.
• High Degree of Professionalism: Presenting yourself as professional helps maintain the esteem of being a physiotherapist assistant. It also helps foster trust in you by your colleagues and the patient’s family members.

To be a successful physiotherapist assistant, some of the desirable qualities and skills that you should possess include the following:

PTA Work Environment

A physiotherapist assistant not only works alongside a physiotherapist, but with other healthcare professionals as well, such as doctors, nurses, and occupational therapists. This is because they may be employed in various healthcare settings, such as in hospitals, rehabilitation centers, and continuing care and long-term care facilities. They may also extend their services to the clients’ homes.

• Setting up equipment and assisting patients with their use;
• Helping the patient in the necessary preparations for their treatment;
• Implementing exercises or other techniques; and
• Writing and updating patients’ charts.

A workday for a physiotherapist assistant may involve the following activities:

Career Outlook

Physiotherapists need the help of physiotherapist assistants because of the increasing demand for rehabilitative services. This thus predicts being a physiotherapist assistant is a promising job opportunity. Popular career paths for a physiotherapist assistant include becoming a kinesiologist or a rehabilitation assistant.

Physiotherapist Assistant Salaries in Canada

• Change of Employer: Transferring to a new employer that’s willing to pay higher than your current employer for your skills is one way of increasing your salary as a physiotherapist assistant.
• Furthering Your Education: Enrolling in more advanced degrees, such as a bachelor’s or even a master’s degree, enriches your knowledge of your field and makes you a more competent team member. This makes you a more desirable candidate whose knowledge and skills will be willingly paid for at a higher rate by employers.
• Leadership: A senior-level physiotherapy assistant who leads and oversees junior physiotherapy assistants is paid more than their entry-level counterparts.

On average, a physiotherapist assistant makes around $47,439 (CAD) annually, which is equivalent to around $24.33 (CAD) per hour. Those wanting to increase their salary can do so in any of the following ways:

Seamless Career Placement at Caring Support

A physiotherapist assistant (PTA) is a healthcare professional that provides support to a physiotherapist. Under a physiotherapist’s supervision, they perform tasks relevant to a patient’s treatment plan. Whether one chooses to continue being a physiotherapist assistant or pursue further education connected to being one, being a physiotherapist assistant is indeed a rewarding job.

At Caring Support, we help qualified candidates connect with their prospective employers. Our comprehensive platform enables better and more accurate job matchups through data-driven and user-based decisions. Create an account here and further your career with us.

Originally published at https://www.caringsupport.com on September 18, 2023.