Becoming a physical therapist is a fine career choice for those who enjoy working with people and who want to make a difference. But before you start training for this career, it’s worth considering if you’re right for the job – to become a licensed physical therapist, you’ll need to take a number of classes and pass practical examinations, so before you start, make sure you have the skills needed to do the job well:
1. Motor skills. A physical therapist needs to be able to evaluate a patient’s condition through touch, have the physical strength to help patients use a walker, cane, or crutches, lift and transfer patients of all sizes, perform procedures involving grasping, fingering, pushing, pulling, holding, extending and rotation, and stand or maintain awkward positions for an extended period of time. Physical therapists also need to be able to lift over150 pounds and sometimes carry objects up to 50 pounds, and push and pull patients weighing 150-300 pounds in a wheelchair. You’ll also be required to know how to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
2. Observational skills. A physical therapist must have sufficient observation skills to observe demonstrations and patients, acquire a complete medical history from the patient or guardian, examine patient’s skin color, skin texture, odors and other anatomical features for diagnostic purposes. You’ll need to have a good sight, hearing, smell, and touch.
3. Verbal communication skills. A physical therapist must be able to verbally communicate effectively and sensitively with patients and other members of the health care team.
4. Cognitive skills. You’ll be required to do a fair amount of problem solving and diagnosing, requiring you to analyze data, use computers to search, record, and store data, and have a good grasp of spatial relationships.
5. Interpersonal skills. Physical therapists must be able to demonstrate empathy, integrity and motivation. You’ll have to be emotionally healthy enough to exercise sound judgment and the meet all the responsibilities of the job. As a physical therapist, you’ll need to be able to work as part of a team and meet deadlines.
6. The desire to help others. Much of what you do as a physical or occupational therapist will be related to helping people get their lives back on track. If you're not interested in truly interacting with the lives of others, this probably isn't the profession for you.
7. Stress management skills. The days can be long and demanding for a physical or occupational therapist. As a result, you need to be able to handle any stresses that come up in the job with ease, as throughout the course of the day, you'll be interacting with others.
8. Technology skills. Most of the record keeping you'll do will deal with various computer systems. As a result, you need to be able to not only have a basic understanding of technology, but also the ability to adapt to changing technologies.
9. Adaptation skills. Physical and occupational therapy, like most health care professions, is continually changing. New research into the best forms of patient care is constantly being done, and new treatments are discovered on a regular basis. As a result, you need to be ready to change your methods to incorporate new procedures.
10. Written communication skills. The ability to record your thoughts effectively enough to include in a patient's file is absolutely an essential part of your job.
The employment outlook for physical and occupational therapists is incredibly good, and having the necessary skills for the job is the first step to helping you become part of this growing profession.
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