What does a physical therapist do?
Physical therapists evaluate, plan, and administer physical therapy programs to restore function, relieve pain, and prevent disability following disease, injury, or loss of a body part. Physical therapist assistants help administer tests and treatment programs under the direction of physical therapists. Physical therapy aides perform routine tasks to assist the physical therapy team.
What might a physical therapist do in a workday?
- develop individualized physical therapy programs for patients based on referrals from physicians, a review of medical records, examination, and evaluation of the patient.
- administer therapeutic exercises to improve or maintain muscle function.
- instruct and motivate patients.
- administer treatments involving light, heat, water, and electricity.
- evaluate the effect and duration of interventions and make any needed adjustments.
- perform soft tissue mobilization and joint mobilization.
- administer traction to relieve neck and back pain.
- instruct patients and families in physical therapy procedures to be used at home.
- train patients to use prosthetic and orthotic devices and recommend modifications.
- interact and practice in collaboration with a variety of professionals, including physicians, social workers, nurses, psychologists, and other therapists.
- work with employers to prevent on-the-job injury and to facilitate the return to work of injured employees.
- facilitate functional recovery in patients after suffering a stroke.
- facilitate motor development in children in the school system.
- help heart patients regain full quality of life.
How much does a physical therapist earn?
- $55,000 - $75,000 (therapist)
- $30,000 - $50,000 (assistants)
- $15,000 - $25,000 (aides)
How do I become an occupational therapist?
Students interested in becoming physical therapists should take challenging high school courses in science, math and English.
To be a licensed physical therapist, a student must have a Bachelor of Science Degree with associated prerequisites or either a master’s or doctoral degree from an accredited school. Licensed physical therapist assistants must graduate from an approved two-year college program for physical therapy assistants and pass an examination. Physical therapist aides require a high school diploma and receive on-the-job training from their employers.
Where else can I learn about becoming a physical therapist?
Virginia Physical Therapy Association
1111 N. Fairfax Street / Alexandria, VA 22314
tel: (800) 999-2782, ext. 3235 / web: www.vpta.org
American Physical Therapy Association
1111 N. Fairfax Street / Alexandria, VA 22314-1488
tel: (703) 684-2782 or (800) 999-2782 / web: www.apta.org
State Licensure Requirements for Physical Therapists:
A license is required to practice as a physical therapist or physical therapy assistant in the state of Virginia. For more information on licensure, applications, and forms, visit www.dhp.virginia.gov/physicaltherapy.
Virginia Board of Physical Therapy
Perimeter Center
9960 Mayland Drive, Suite 300 / Henrico, VA 23233
Phone: (804) 367-4674 / Email: ptboard@dhp.virginia.gov
Educational Institutions in Virginia for Physical Therapists:
What does an occupational therapist do?
Occupational therapists and their assistants help people of all ages with physical, psychological or developmental disabilities achieve independence to lead productive and satisfying lives. People who need OT may include adolescents and/or adults with work-related injuries; individuals with arthritis, multiple sclerosis or similar diseases; and those with substance abuse, eating, or other mental health disorders. People who have had a stroke or heart attack, a spinal cord or brain injury, or other serious accidents would also benefit from OT.
In addition, children with birth injury or trauma, or learning or developmental disabilities often receive OT services, as do older adults experiencing Alzheimer’s disease or other aging-related cognitive or sensory decline.
What might an occupational therapist do in a workday?
- consult with treatment teams to develop individualized treatment programs.
- work with clients and their families or significant others to evaluate clients’ physical and mental abilities.
- plan and provide intervention to clients.
- evaluate each client’s progress, attitude, and behavior.
- design or provide special equipment to aid clients with disabilities.
- teach clients and their families how to adjust to home, work, and social environments.
- educate others about occupational therapy.
How much does an occupational therapist earn?
- $35,000 - $60,000 (therapist)
- $25,000 - $30,000 (assistants)
- $15,000 - $20,000 (aides)
How do I become an occupational therapist?
Students interested in becoming occupational therapists should take the most challenging high school courses available in science, English and psychology.
Occupational therapists enter the field with a master’s or doctoral degree in occupational therapy. The academic course work includes six months of clinical training.
Certified occupational therapy assistants must complete an accredited program, which includes clinical experience. All must pass a national certification examination and meet state requirements to practice occupational therapy. Occupational therapy aides receive most of their training on the job. A high school diploma is required and volunteer experiences are beneficial.
Where else can I learn about becoming an occupational therapist?
Virginia Occupational Therapy Association
2231 Oak Bay Lane / Richmond, VA 23233
tel: (804) 754-4120 / www.vaota.org
American Occupational Therapy Association Inc.
4720 Montgomery Lane, P.O. Box 31220 / Bethesda, MD 20824-1220
tel: (301) 652-2682 / web: www.aota.org
State Licensure Requirements for Occupational Therapists:
A license is required to practice as an occupational therapist or occupational therapy assistant in the State of Virginia. For more information on licensure, applications and forms, visit www.dhp.virginia.gov/medicine.
Virginia Board of Medicine
Perimeter Center
9960 Mayland Drive, Suite 300 / Henrico, VA 23233
Phone: (804) 786-0370 / Email: medbd@dhp.virginia.gov
Educational Institutions in Virginia for Physical Therapists:
What do Audiologists and Speech & Language Pathologists do?
Audiologists examine, test, evaluate and treat those with hearing disorders. Speech-language pathologists perform the same work for those with speech, language, voice, fluency or swallowing disorders. Both may work in private practice, schools, industry, hospitals, clinics, rehabilitation centers, physicians’ offices, schools for the handicapped, nursing homes, colleges and universities, research laboratories, and government agencies.
What might Audiologists and Speech & Language Pathologists do in a workday?
Audiologists:
- determine the range, nature, and degree of hearing function and conduct physiological measurements.
- assist physicians in diagnosing an organic basis for a hearing disability.
- plan and conduct rehabilitation programs (e.g. counseling, auditory training, and speech reading).
- conduct research in auditory systems.
- consult with educational, medical, and other professional groups.
- fit patients with hearing aids, make recommendations, and orientate patients in their use.
Speech-language pathologists:
- identify speech and language disorders and seek to identify their causes.
- plan and conduct therapy for impairments such as aphasia and stuttering.
- counsel patients and families.
- consult with physicians, psychologists, physical therapists, social workers and teachers.
- conduct research related to speech and hearing processes and disorders.
- treat individuals with swallowing and other upper-digestive disorders.
- provide accent reduction and voice improvement instruction.
How much do Audiologists and Speech & Language Pathologists make?
- $40,000 - $80,000 (Audiologists)
- $58,000 - $80,000 (Speech & Language Pathologists)
How do I become a Audiologist or Speech & Language Pathologist?
Students interested in these careers should take high school courses that cover a broad spectrum, including health, social, physical, and biological sciences; English/language arts; mathematics; the humanities (a foreign language); and technology (computer science). Students must complete an accredited program in audiology or speech-language pathology.
To become a certified audiologist or speech/language pathologist, one must complete either a master’s or doctoral degree, successfully complete the required clinical experience, and pass a national exam. Audiologists complete the required clinical experience during their academic program study while speech/language pathologists complete a supervised clinical fellowship after obtaining their master’s degree. There are separate licenses for audiologists and speech/language pathologists in Virginia.
Where else can I learn about becoming a Audiologist or Speech & Language Pathologist?
Speech-Language-Hearing Association of Virginia
3126 W. Cary Street, #436 / Richmond, VA 23221-3504
tel: (888) 729-7428 / web: www.shav.org
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
2200 Research Boulevard / Rockville, MD 20850-3289
tel: (301) 296-5700 / web: www.asha.org
State Licensure Requirements for Audiologists and Speech & Language Pathologists:
A license is required to practice as an audiologist or speech-language pathologist in the state of Virginia. For more information on licensure, applications and forms, visit www.dhp.virginia.gov/aud.
Virginia Board of Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology
Perimeter Center
9960 Mayland Drive, Suite 300 / Henrico, Virginia 23233
Phone: (804) 367-4630 / Email: audbd@dhp.virginia.gov
Educational Institutions in Virginia for Audiologists and Speech & Language Pathologists:
What does a respiratory therapist do?
Respiratory therapists treat patients who have breathing difficulties due to cardiopulmonary (heart-lung) problems. The field of respiratory therapy has been transitioning from its roots in technology to a role that more closely resembles disease management. Treatments include temporary or long-term therapy for lung disorders such as asthma, COPD (emphysema and chronic bronchitis), lung cancer, cystic fibrosis, or pneumonia and emergency care for those with heart failure, chest injuries, stroke, shock, premature birth or post-surgical complications. Work is usually in hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, patients’ homes, physicians’ offices and outpatient facilities.
Although registered and certified, respiratory therapists share many similar duties. Registered respiratory therapists typically have broader responsibilities and are more involved in patient assessment and critical care management. Additionally, registered respiratory therapists are afforded greater opportunities for advancement and promotion.
What might a respiratory therapist do in a workday?
- interview patients and perform chest physical exams to determine the best kind of therapy for their condition.
- consult with physicians to recommend a change in therapy based on evaluation of the patient.
- analyze breath, tissue and blood specimens to determine levels of oxygen and other gases.
- set up, adjust, and manage life-support equipment in critical care units.
- manage ventilators and artificial airway devices for patients who cannot breathe normally on their own.
- educate patients and their families about lung disease so they can maximize their recovery.
- administer medical gases and drugs to help improve patients’ breathing.
- assist in the delivery and emergency transport of critically ill newborns.
- conduct breathing tests in laboratories to assist in diagnosing respiratory illness.
- assist in the diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders.
- become members of a pulmonary rehabilitation team helping patients with chronic respiratory diseases to breathe more efficiently.
- utilize hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
How much does a respiratory therapist earn?
- $40,000 - $73,000
How do I become a respiratory therapist?
Students interested in these careers should take math and science courses while still in middle school and high school. Certification is necessary to obtain a license to practice. Some employers require registry.
Respiratory therapists must have a minimum of an associate degree and graduate from a program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care. CoARC accredits professional respiratory care degree programs at the associate-, baccalaureate- and master’s-degree level in the U.S. and internationally. To practice as a respiratory therapist in Virginia, a graduate must pass a national exam administered by the National Board for Respiratory Therapy to earn a Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT) credential. Graduates are eligible to earn the Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) credential.
Where else can I learn about becoming a respiratory therapist?
American Association for Respiratory Care
9425 MacArthur Boulevard, Suite 100 / Irving, TX 75063-4706
tel: (972) 243-2272 / web: www.aarc.org
The Virginia Society for Respiratory Care
977 Seminole Trail PMB 327 / Charlottesville, VA 22901-2824
web: www.vsrc.org
State Licensure Requirements for Respiratory Therapists:
A license is required to practice as a respiratory therapist in the state of Virginia. For more information on licensure, applications and forms, visit www.dhp.virginia.gov/medicine.
Virginia Board of Medicine
Perimeter Center
9960 Mayland Drive, Suite 300 / Henrico, VA 23233
Phone: (804) 786-0370 / Email: medbd@dhp.virginia.gov
Educational Institutions in Virginia for Respiratory Therapists:
What do Recreational Therapists do?
Recreation therapists/therapeutic recreation specialists assist people with disabilities or disabling conditions that interfere with their ability to participate independently in daily life activities, including recreation and leisure. They help individuals overcome physical, social, emotional, psychological, and environmental barriers. Therapeutic recreation specialists may receive more specialized training in adaptive aquatics, adaptive or wheelchair sports, outdoor adventure activities, horticultural therapy, or hippotherapy. They also may specialize in specific population groups, such as developmental disabilities, mobility impairments, or mental illness.
Recreation therapists’ primary goals are to provide support for the individual to achieve leisure participation and an increased quality of life.
What might Recreational Therapists do in a workday?
- assess clients’ needs and functional abilities.
- plan and implement goal-oriented programs.
- document clients’ progress.
- monitor and perform quality improvement activities.
- facilitate interventions on skill development, improvement of functional skills, leisure awareness, community integration, and resource identification.
- participate in interdisciplinary teams in the provision of service and care.
How much do Recreational Therapists earn?
- $20,000 - $45,000
How do I become a Recreational Therapist?
Students interested in the field of therapeutic recreation should take the most challenging high school courses available in science, math, English, and psychology. Experience in a variety of recreational activities, health care, and community settings and in assisting persons with disabilities may be helpful.
Students must complete a bachelor’s degree in therapeutic recreation or recreation and leisure with an option in therapeutic recreation from an accredited college; apply for certification; and pass a national examination. Master’s and doctoral degrees also are available. Individuals should be innovative, flexible, organized, and have strong interpersonal skills.
Where else can I learn about becoming a Recreational Therapist?
Virginia Recreation and Park Society Therapeutic Recreation Resource Group
6372 Mechanicsville Turnpike, Suite 109 / Mechanicsville, VA 23111
tel: (804) 730-9447 / web: www.vrps.com
American Therapeutic Recreation Association
629 N. Main Street / Hattiesburg, MS 39401
tel: (601) 450-2872 / web: www.atra-online.com
National Recreation and Park Association
22377 Belmont Ridge Road / Ashburn, VA 20148
tel: (800) 626-6772 / web: www.nrpa.org
National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification
7 Elmwood Drive / New City, NY 10956
tel: (845) 639-1439 / web: www.nctrc.org
