A good resume underscores the importance of your achievements. Besides listing your education and credentials, it provides you opportunities to safeguard yourself by showing your level of competition, when you mention something like winning some awards or recognition. The reader might not be aware of a program, honor or award ceremony where you were nominated or awarded; but reading the same in your resume may influence them about your social presence. This is true for a physical therapist resume also.
Physical therapists are licensed health care people who aim to treat patients facing problems of mobility and physical injuries. They work to reduce patients’ pain, restore bodily function and prevent disability thereby contributing in the patients’ overall development of physical fitness and wellness.
In this post, you will get a glance of the usual job responsibilities, abilities and education required for the position of a physical therapist.
Job Description of a Physical Therapist
A physical therapist works in impatient rehabilitation facilities, education or research centers, outpatient clinics, physicians’ offices, schools, fitness centers, sports training academies, hospitals and practices the following activities:
- Develops plans to make patients regain mobility through strength training, exercises, stretching etc.
- Tracks health progress and report, accordingly to families of patients.
- Directs and administers treatment methods like massaging, utilizing stimulator, hydrotherapy tanks, moist packs, cool packs, ultrasound machines, ultraviolet and infrared lamps etc.
- Ensures continuity of therapy treatment following discharge by planning home exercise programs, recommending assistive equipment and home health follow-up programs.
- Maintains records of patients.
- Travels to patients’ home to conduct the same types of treatment and diagnosis as they do in a medical setting.
Skills of a Physical Therapist
- Motor skills: the ability to bend, twist and lift in order to help a patient moving from one surface to another; the ability to kneel, pull, crawl or push in order to perform exercises with patients; that is to say, the physical therapist should be physically agile to perform all exercises that patient perform.
- Science skills: the ability to collect, measure, reason and analyze data.
- Interpersonal skills
- Observational skills
- Ability to motivate patients and treat them with compassion
Physical Therapist Resume Sample
Christopher J. Johnson
93 Brooklyn Avenue, Arizona
663-296-2955
Email: christopher.johnson@example.com
Summary
A versatile and certified physical therapist with 8+ years of experience in working with a number of patients having varying disorders limiting their mobility. Possesses good knowledge and prediction on physical principles, experience in treating children, adolescent and adult patients and ability to make patients feel at ease while improving recovery rates.
Skills and Proficiencies
- Excellent knowledge of human behavior, psychological research methods and treatment of affective and behavioural disorders.
- Good knowledge of various methods and procedures required for treatment and diagnosis, rehabilitation of mental and physical dysfunctions.
- Ability to observe patients.
- Ability to take charge and offer suggestions and directions.
- Good motor skills involving physical strength.
- Capability to show concern for patients’ needs and feelings and display a friendly, cooperative attitude.
- Analytical thinking skills.
- Socially-oriented to work with others.
Experience
Spine and Bone Orthopedics
Physical Assistant
April 2009- present
Job Responsibilities:
- Handling patients suffering from back pain, fractures, sports injuries, arthritis, traumatic brain injury, paralysis etc. and restoring their body’s functionality and mobility.
- Modifying traditional therapies and procedures to suit particular requirements of individual patients, in discussion with physicians and surgeons.
- Performing prognostic and diagnostic tests to evaluate nerve, joint, muscle and functional abilities, analysing the test results and planning therapies and other processes accordingly.
- Providing training to nurses and entry-level physical therapists as well as family members of patients.
- Assisting patients to get adapted to the use of different equipment like braces, canes, wheelchair, crutches and other orthotic devices.
- Showing flexibility and maintaining good relationships with colleagues, physicians, patients and their family member.
Educational Qualifications
Arizona State University, Arizona
Doctor of Physical Therapy, 2008
Central College of Science and Technology, Arizona
Bachelor of Science: Zoology, 2004
Certification
Licensed Physical Therapist State of Arizona, 2008- present
An entry level physical therapist resume must be written tactically to impress the employer with the candidate’s academic achievements and abilities for the particular job. Whether you are looking for your first job or opting for a mid-career job shift, a well-formatted and drafted resume will definitely show employers how you stood from the rest gunning for that very same position.
