Physical Therapist Assistant | Kirkwood Community College

Skills & Competencies

Skills developed through this program

Auto-populatedfrom O*NET via SOC 29-1123.00

Skills

Social PerceptivenessActive ListeningCritical ThinkingReading ComprehensionService OrientationSpeakingWritingMonitoring

Knowledge

Customer and Personal ServiceTherapy and CounselingMedicine and DentistryPsychologyEnglish Language

Abilities

Oral ComprehensionWritten ComprehensionOral ExpressionWritten ExpressionProblem SensitivityDeductive ReasoningInductive ReasoningInformation OrderingSpeech RecognitionSpeech Clarity

Tasks

Plan, prepare, or carry out individually designed programs of physical treatment to maintain, improv
Perform and document an initial exam, evaluating data to identify problems and determine a diagnosis
Record prognosis, treatment, response, and progress in patient's chart or enter information into com

Technology

Medical softwareAction gamesAnalytical or scientific softwareWord processing softwareAccounting software

Tools

Above-the-knee prostheticsAdjusting tablesAquacisersArm prostheticsAxial-resistance shoulder wheelsBabinski hammersBalance beamsBalance boardsBelow-the-knee prostheticsBiofeedback unitsBiomechanical ankle platform system BAPS systemsBlood pressure cuffsBolsters/wedgesCanesCervical pivots

Work Values

RelationshipsAchievementRecognitionWorking ConditionsIndependenceSupport

Career Pathways

Occupations this program prepares you for

Auto-populatedfrom O*NET + BLS

Occupations matched to this program, with median wage, top wage, growth, and openings
SOC	Occupation	Method	Wage	Growth	Openings
Match confidence: high29-1123.00	Physical Therapists	title_inference	$101,020 median$132,500 top	+10.93%	2,930

Program Pathways

Credentials this program stacks toward

No program pathways.

What You'll Learn

Key competencies developed through this program

Auto-populatedfrom NSX Competency Framework

Mastery: developing (Level 2)(based on Associate's Degree)

Comprehensive patient evaluations — independently perform and document initial physical therapy examinations, analyze findings, and establish diagnoses in outpatient and inpatient clinical settings.
Individualized treatment programs — design and implement evidence-based, patient-specific physical therapy plans to restore function and alleviate pain with reduced supervisory oversight.
Electronic health records — accurately enter and maintain prognosis, treatment, and progress data in medical software systems in compliance with regulatory and facility standards.
Home program development — instruct patients and caregivers in customized home exercise and rehabilitation procedures, adapting content to individual learning needs in a clinical context.
Treatment outcome evaluation — systematically assess patient progress at multiple care stages and modify therapeutic interventions to optimize recovery in routine and moderately complex cases.
Interprofessional collaboration — confer regularly with physicians, specialists, and care team members to coordinate and refine patient intervention programs across clinical settings.
Therapeutic manual interventions — apply manual exercises, massage, and traction techniques proficiently to address a range of musculoskeletal and neuromuscular conditions in diverse patient populations.
Informed consent and patient rights — facilitate informed consent conversations, addressing patient questions about risks, benefits, and alternatives to proposed interventions with clarity and empathy.
Clinical problem solving — apply critical thinking and deductive reasoning to differentiate complex diagnoses and adapt standard protocols to individual patient presentations in daily practice.
Caseload and workflow management — coordinate patient scheduling, documentation deadlines, and resource utilization efficiently using office suite and scheduling software in a high-volume clinical environment.

Program Details

Detailed information about this program

No detailed information available.

Requirements

What you need to earn this credential

No requirements listed.

Financial Aid

Eligible funding programs

No funding information available.

Scholarships

No scholarships listed.