physiotherapy assistant.

Your duties as a physiotherapy assistant depend on your employer and experience level. Some of your responsibilities include:

• assisting patients with various exercises: when patients injure themselves, they work on the affected region to improve functionality. As a physiotherapy assistant, you help patients perform stretching and strengthening exercises and range of motion (ROM) activities. Being highly observant of how your patients perform the drills is crucial because you monitor and report their progress.
• educating patients: when someone has an injury or illness, they're concerned with a swift recovery to resume their day-to-day routine. If the patient needs physiotherapy, you help them understand their injury. You also answer basic questions about the patient's treatment from relatives and friends. You explain to the patient and their caregiver how to perform various workouts at home.
• treating patients: you play a crucial role in the treatment plan. You help patients with whatever physio treatment they need, whether massage, stretching or heat/cold therapy. Often, you massage and stretch patients to reduce their pain and help them recover after vigorous workouts. Your job is to follow the guidance of a physiotherapist and administer treatment plans accordingly.
• observing and taking notes: as a physiotherapy assistant, you monitor and record your patient's progress when they begin a treatment plan. Often, your job is to interpret the patient's body language and write down your conclusions. Documenting your patient's treatment information is crucial, as it builds baseline data on how they respond over time. The physiotherapist relies on this data to recommend the most suitable course of treatment.
• performing clerical tasks: as a physiotherapy assistant, you perform clerical duties like filing and updating patient records, making appointments, answering calls, receiving payments and replying to emails.

As a physiotherapy assistant, your job environment varies. Most physiotherapy assistants work in a healthcare setting like a hospital or physiotherapy clinic. A private office, nursing home, residential care, sports and fitness facility or rehabilitation centre are other possible workplaces. You complete most of your work indoors or in a gym as a physiotherapist. However, some rehabilitation centres have outdoor fitness facilities where you help patients with their exercises. You may also accompany sports teams to games and perform your duties on the sports field.

Depending on your employer and industry, your colleagues might include sports coaches, nurses and physiotherapists. You might also be working close to doctors, community health nurses, and other specialists that could consist of, but not be limited to, pharmacists, nutritionists, occupational therapists, physical therapists and fitness instructors.

As a physiotherapy assistant, you work full-time, Monday to Friday, although hours will differ depending on your employment status and workplace. For instance, most skilled nursing facilities and hospitals offer reduced weekend coverage. Many physiotherapy offices, private clinics and outpatient facilities have evening and weekend shifts to accommodate patients' schedules.

An ageing population's health and wellness need to increase the demand for physiotherapy jobs. This is especially true for the baby boomer generation, who stay more active in their later years than previous generations. This group is nearing the usual age for mobility-related injuries, strokes, arthritis, diabetes and heart attacks, spiking the demand for physiotherapy assistant jobs. Moreover, medical and technological advancements increase the number of surviving newborns with congenital disabilities and trauma victims, increasing the need for therapy and rehabilitation. To reduce treatment costs, especially in long-term care situations, physiotherapists rely on the services of physiotherapy assistants.

Finding your physiotherapy assistant job through Randstad provides essential advantages such as:

• a wide variety of training and development opportunities
• an experienced contact person to provide help if needed
• a range of opportunities in your area
• get paid weekly or monthly, depending on the job
• temporary and permanent contracts

Want a permanent contract? A temporary job as a physiotherapy assistant is often a stepping stone to an attractive permanent job. Thousands of people earn a permanent contract with great employers every year thanks to a temporary job found through Randstad. What's more, many companies recruit their permanent employees through Randstad too.

You work with a physiotherapist as a physiotherapy assistant to deliver physiotherapy programs to patients with various needs. When the physiotherapist recommends the treatment plan, you execute it. That means your work involves performing massage therapies and assisting patients with exercises to help them with mobility, balance and strength. You also educate patients on the treatment plan and monitor their health and wellness throughout the program.

To become a physiotherapy assistant, complete a VET qualification in allied health assistance. You can specialise in physiotherapy to learn the skills required to perform your duties. You also need experience working under a physiotherapist to develop your skills.

Becoming a physiotherapy assistant is an interesting career if you enjoy working with people. The role requires compassion since you work with different types of patients. As a physiotherapy assistant, you have an exciting career path with a good employment outlook. The demand for workers in physiotherapy is expected to rise with the ageing population growing.

A physiotherapist develops a treatment plan for patients with mobility challenges. As a physiotherapy assistant, you deliver physiotherapy services by completing the treatment recommended by the physiotherapists. For instance, you perform the therapies and report the patient's progress to the physiotherapist.

Yes. If you are a qualified physiotherapist or a physiotherapy assistant, you can work in Australia. However, you must register with the Physiotherapy Board of Australia before commencing work.

Applying for a physiotherapy assistant job is easy: create a Randstad profile and search our job offers for vacancies in your area. Then send us your CV and cover letter. Need help with your application? Check out all our job search tips here.