CurrentPT, Physical therapistPTA, Physical therapist assistant
Physical therapist assistant
What it is
Commonly works on
- Therapeutic exercise
- Functional training
- Patient education
Typical settings
- Outpatient clinics
- Skilled nursing
- Hospitals
- Home health
Physical therapist assistants deliver physical therapy under a physical therapist's direction. The physical therapist examines the patient and sets the treatment plan; the assistant carries out that plan, collects data and reports back to the therapist, who stays responsible for the plan and adjusts it.
According to APTA, about 72 percent of physical therapist assistants work in hospitals or privately owned outpatient practices, with others in home health, schools and skilled nursing or long-term care. They treat people of all ages, from newborns to the end of life.
Entry is through an associate degree from a CAPTE-accredited program, usually two years or five semesters, with about 75 percent classroom and lab study and 25 percent clinical education, including an average of 16 weeks of full-time clinical experience. CAPTE accredits more than 390 assistant programs. Graduates then pass a national examination to obtain the license or certification that most states require.
After licensure, assistants can deepen their skills through APTA's voluntary PTA Advanced Proficiency Pathways in areas such as acute care, geriatrics, neurology, orthopedics, pediatrics and wound management. The program is not required to work in any area.
Sources
A general description of the profession. It does not say what you may do under your license; for that, see the scope statuses below and your state board.
How it is regulated
State license
A license from a state board is what authorizes practice. Each state sets its own requirements, and a national exam, where there is one, is a step toward the license rather than a substitute for it. There is no national license.
- PTA
- State license
- Around 2 years
Licensure
State-regulated in most states. The PTA scope is defined by what the supervising physical therapist may delegate, which makes the state's supervision rule as important as the license itself.
PT Compact
OperationalOperational and issuing privileges. The most mature compact in these professions, covering physical therapists and physical therapist assistants.
Scope at a glance
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Bodies and guidance
Bodies
- APTAProfessional associationAmerican Physical Therapy AssociationThe national professional association for physical therapists and assistants.
- FSBPTFederation of state boardsFederation of State Boards of Physical TherapyThe federation of state physical therapy boards; runs the NPTE.
- CAPTEProgram accreditorCommission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy EducationAccredits physical therapist and assistant programs.
- World PhysiotherapyInternational organizationWorld PhysiotherapyThe global body for national physiotherapy associations, with 129 member organizations representing about 600,000 physiotherapists.
- PT CompactInterstate licensure compactPhysical Therapy Licensure CompactAn interstate agreement that lets eligible physical therapists and assistants buy a privilege to practice in other member states instead of getting a separate license in each.
Guidance
CurrentPT, Physical therapistPTA, Physical therapist assistant
Code of Ethics for the Physical Therapy Profession
CurrentPT, Physical therapistPTA, Physical therapist assistant
Telehealth in Physical Therapy: Policy Recommendations for Appropriate Regulation
CurrentPT, Physical therapistPTA, Physical therapist assistant
The Model Practice Act for Physical Therapy: A Tool for Public Protection and Legislative Change
Overlap with other professions
How to become a physical therapist assistant
- Step 1
Complete a CAPTE-accredited associate degree program
- Step 2
Pass the NPTE for physical therapist assistants
- Step 3
Apply to the state licensing board
Where to get licensed
Each step in full, with the board for every state and the compacts that apply.
Get licensed as a physical therapist assistantCareer path
Education routes, settings and how the profession is changing.