Physical Therapy Aide

Lesson 1: The Profession of Physical Therapy; Career Opportunities for the Aide. History and evolution of physical therapy; the rehabilitation team; the role of the physical therapy aide as a member of the rehabilitation team; history of physical medicine and therapeutic health care services; training and education; physical and therapeutic allied health careers; employment opportunities; typical hospital organization; medical specialties: titles and descriptions.

Lesson 2: Ethical and Legal Issues in Medicine; Communicating Effectively. Understanding medical ethics and medical law; the patient and the health care worker; licensing of health care workers; the Good Samaritan Law and medical malpractice; obtaining patient consent; patients' medical records and the law; morals and ethics; confidentiality; informed consent; interprofessional issues; justice issues; medical ethics and the physical therapy aide; medical ethics and legal issues; negligence; restraints; parts of effective communication; verbal and nonverbal communication; telephone etiquette; dealing with problem calls; appointment scheduling.

Lesson 3: Medical Terminology; The Medical Record. Prefixes, suffixes and root words; using medical abbreviations; body structure and medical terminology; anatomical position; defining position and direction; understanding the patient's medical record; charting notes in the medical record; writing in the medical record.

Lesson 4: Basic Structure & Function of the Human Body. Understanding the human body; the musculoskeletal system; the digestive system; the circulatory system; the respiratory system; the nervous system; the integumentary system; the urinary system; the endocrine system; the reproductive system.

Lesson 5: Applied Anatomy & Physiology of the Musculoskeletal System. The framework of the human body; the skeletal system: functions, structures and types of bones; the axial skeleton: bones of the skull, the facial bones, the spinal column, the vertebrae, the ribs and bones of the middle ear; the appendicular skeleton; joints and movement; diseases and disorders of bones and joints; fractures of the skeletal system; sprains and dislocations; the muscular system: structure, muscle action and contraction; disorders of the muscular system.

Lesson 6: Using Physical Therapy to Treat Common Medical Disorders. Treating arthritis and rheumatic conditions; assisting in the administration of heat modalities, massage and range of motion exercises; range of motion exercises for the hand, wrist, elbow, shoulder, ankle, knee and hip; treating and assisting the patient with low back pain; treating lumbosacral strain, back sprains, bursitis, cervical disorders and degenerative joint disease; treating a patient who has suffered a cerebral vascular accident; preventing deformity in the stroke patient; assisting the patient with re-education for walking; assisting the stroke patient to regain body control; treating patients with Guillain-Barre Syndrome, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, Parkinson's disease, sciatica, peripheral vascular disorders, emphysema, asthma, bronchitis, dermatologic disorders, genitourinary disorders, burns and amputation.

Lesson 7: Safety & Preparation for Patient Care. Regulating temperature, humidity, ventilation, lighting, noise and odors to improve patient comfort; neatness, order and privacy; preventing falls and burns; body alignment, movement and balance; asepsis and infection control; performing proper hand washing; preparing the area; lifting, transferring and transporting patients safely; maneuvering a wheelchair.

Lesson 8: Turning, Positioning & Transferring the Patient. Turning and the supine position; turning in the prone position; turning from a supine position to a side-lying position; returning from a sitting position to a supine position; preparing for beginning transfers; wheelchair transfers; standing transfers; sitting transfers; car transfers; bathtub transfers; drawsheet transfers; pneumatic lift transfer; one-person transfer from floor to wheelchair.

Lesson 9: Ambulation, Gait & Therapeutic Exercises. Tips on preambulation teaching; choosing the appropriate device; crutches; gait training and gait deviations; the normal gait; the coxalgic gait; the painful knee gait; the sacroiliac gait; the flexed hip gait; the hemiplegic gait; the parkinsonian gait; forms of exercise; measuring muscle strength; skill and coordination exercises; range of motion exercises; anatomical planes of motion.

Lesson 10: Agents & Modalities; Specialized Clinical Procedures. Hydrocollator packs; infrared heating; the paraffin bath; deep heating agents; microwaves; shortwaves; deep heating agents; hydrotherapy; cold therapy; massage; cervical traction; therapeutic movement; immobilization by reduction; traction; electroneural stimulation; transcutaneous electrical stimulation; ultrasound; application of a cast; administration of medications; x-rays; CAT scan; reflex tests; other tests; pet therapy.