PTA (physical therapist assistant)

Responsibilities

Tasks

• Administer tests using equipment, instruct patients on test procedures and record results, and monitor, check and calibrate auditory equipment
• Assist during assessment of patients and carry out treatment programs and develop materials for use with patients
• Carry out treatment programs, under the direction of physiotherapists and/or occupational therapists, to rehabilitate patients with various injuries or disabilities
• Clean and maintain equipment
• Document patient rehabilitation progress
• Perform various administrative functions
• Take patients' general medical and ophthalmic history
• Administer evaluative tests and procedures
• Set up and dismantle equipment
• Prepare and maintain equipment and supplies
• Plan physiotherapy programs
• Maintain inventory of equipment
• Maintain clinical and progress reports
• Confer with other health professionals
• Compound, package and label pharmaceutical products
• Collect statistics
• Assist health care professionals
• Assess patients' physical abilities
• Apply and adjust casts, splints and bandages
• Maintain prescription records and inventories of medications and pharmaceutical products
• Process claims such as health insurance or workers compensation
• Organize and maintain inventory
• Record vital signs
• Teach and/or supervise exercises to patients
• Operate and maintain sterilization equipment and instrumentation for re-use according to standardized safety practices

Additional information

Work conditions and physical capabilities

• Ability to distinguish between colours
• Attention to detail
• Bending, crouching, kneeling
• Combination of sitting, standing, walking
• Fast-paced environment
• Physically demanding
• Repetitive tasks
• Sound discrimination
• Standing for extended periods
• Walking
• Work under pressure
• Hand-eye co-ordination

Personal suitability

• Accurate
• Client focus
• Efficient interpersonal skills
• Excellent oral communication
• Excellent written communication
• Flexibility
• Initiative
• Interpersonal awareness
• Judgement
• Organized
• Reliability
• Team player
• Dependability
• Punctuality
• Creativity