As a physical therapist assistant (PTA), you often interact with patients as they embark on rehabilitation journeys of growth and healing. This dynamic and rewarding career is ideal for you if you're passionate about patient care and eager to shape an extraordinary, adventure-filled life.
While your location may change when you become a travel professional, the physical therapist assistant definition and duties remain the same. Being a traveling PTA means you gain higher earnings, comprehensive benefits, and bonuses aligned with the demands of your mobile workstyle. Furthermore, the flexibility to choose assignments allows you to explore and learn from a tapestry of cultures, fostering personal growth and a profound sense of achievement.
Interested in traveling as a physical therapy assistant? Browse travel physical therapy assistant jobs at outstanding facilities across the country and find your fit.
Physical therapist assistants work under the direction and supervision of physical therapists to provide rehabilitative services to patients. The primary responsibility of these health professionals is to help patients recover from injuries and improve their physical abilities. A PTA works with patients of all ages who have medical problems or health-related conditions that limit their ability to move and perform functional activities in their daily lives.
PTAs provide excellent patient care along with assisting in the execution of treatment plans, teaching and guiding patients through exercises, administering modalities like heat, cold and electricity, helping patients with their mobility, and recording patients’ progress. In addition to their clinical tasks, physical therapist assistant duties often involve administrative tasks such as ordering supplies, scheduling appointments, and handling insurance paperwork. Their ultimate goal is to contribute to the patient’s ability to function optimally, to lead a fulfilling and satisfied life.
Implement components of patient/client physical therapy treatment plan
Obtain data related to the interventions provided
Make modifications in selected physical therapy interventions either to progress the patient/client as directed by the physical therapist or to ensure patient/client safety and comfort
Assist the physical therapist in the treatment of individuals who have medical problems or other health-related conditions
With opportunities for travelers all over the country, we’ve selected areas with the most popular medical traveling jobs to help you find your best fit.
Med travelers are needed in clinical settings everywhere. Compensation packages for traveling physical therapist assistants give you the freedom to live in and explore you environment.
State licenses and certification costs for travel therapists are paid for because we want you to be a qualified rockstar!
When you become a travel PTA, we give you a weekly, tax-free per diem to help cover daily expenses, like transportation and meals.
Traveling physical therapist assistants get to live the best of your travel and work lives, together! Plus, you’ll gain valuable life experience along the way.
Being a physical therapist assistant can help you achieve the travel career you’ve always wanted, but what if your dream job is asking for certifications you don’t have? Fusion can help you with that! We can help you find ongoing education programs, therapy training, licensing, and certifications to add to your resume and help you take your career forward, plus financial assistance to help you get there.
PTA license and certifications can leave you scratching your head when you should be stoked about traveling. We want you to know exactly what you’re getting into. Since degrees and certifications depend on your modality and specialty, Fusion’s compliance experts work with the facility to make sure that you have all relevant credentials required for traveling physical therapist assistant jobs. Plus, you’ll receive complete recruiter support the entire time.
Some of your compliance requirements are the same across the board, but there are others that will depend on your specialty.
The three parts of compliance
Occupational health records: Required immunizations and health examinations
Documentation: Tax forms, insurance paperwork, and licenses
Testing: Certifications, online training, and workplace safety exams
Initially, an aspiring PTA has to have their high school diploma and graduate from a Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE)-accredited associate PTA degree program to gain essential academic skills. During their PTA education, students undertake courses in anatomy, physiology, and physical therapy techniques, coupled with essential fieldwork to gain practical experience.
Upon completion of the PTA program, candidates are required to pass the National Physical Therapy Exam (NPTE) for PTAs to gain licensure or certification, depending on the state's licensing requirements. Additional certifications like Basic Life Support (BLS) are also often required by employers.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average physical therapist assistant salary is $59,770. However, the average annual salary can vary widely based on factors like years of experience, area of specialization, geographical location, and type of employer.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), employment of physical therapist assistants is projected to grow 29% from 2019 to 2029, significantly faster than the average for all occupations. This substantial growth is driven by the healthcare needs of an aging population, particularly the baby-boom generation. As they become more active later in life, boomers have increased their demand for physical therapy services. Additionally, medical and technological advancements are expected to permit a greater percentage of trauma victims and newborns with birth defects to survive, creating added demand for therapy and rehabilitative services.
Traveling PTAs provide care for people in a variety of settings, including hospitals, physical therapy clinics, private practices, outpatient clinics, home health agencies, skilled nursing facility, schools, sports and fitness facilities, work settings, and nursing homes.
In the United States, typical assignments for travel physical therapy assistants last 13 weeks, but anything between 8 and 26 weeks is common. Medical facilities often offer to renew your contract, too, which is called an extension. Extension offers are usually made in the last 3 to 5 weeks of your travel assignment, but if you’re interested in staying on longer, you should reach out to your healthcare staffing recruiter.
For most therapy allied professionals, you can jump right into the travel life you’ve always wanted as soon as you have your degree in hand. What degree that is will also depend on your therapy career. While physical therapists (PTs) require a doctoral degree, occupational therapists (OTs) and speech-language pathologists (SLPs) need their master’s degrees. After graduation, physical therapy grads and occupational therapy grads can start traveling professionally right away, but SLPs must complete a clinical fellowship year and get certified before traveling.
Fusion offers amazing benefits including three Medical plans to choose from, one PPO plan and two High Deductible Plans, as well as additional benefits like Dental, Vision, Basic Life, and Short-Term Disability. If traveling to the state of Hawaii, Hawaii has its own mandated coverage and you will be offered that coverage at that time. If you were previously on the BCBS Nebraska Medical coverage and/or the Ameritas Dental and Vision, this coverage will be terminated when moving to Hawaii for a traveling physical therapist assistant assignment. Learn more about benefits.
