Travel Rehabilitation Therapist Jobs

Take a look at Vivian's Travel Rehabilitation Therapist Career Guide for more information, including required education, responsibilities, pros and cons and more.

A rehabilitation therapist, also known as a physical therapist, is an allied health professional who specializes in helping patients suffering from mobility problems due to injuries, illnesses, surgeries, strokes, or physical disabilities that affect function. They work with patients of all ages to help them improve movement, manage pain, and enhance their quality of life. Through therapeutic exercise, hands-on care, and patient education, rehabilitation therapists assist patients with learning to walk or using a limb again and regaining or maintaining their independence. Demand for all types of physical therapists continues to grow each year with employment expected to increase 18% by 2019.

Rehabilitation therapists evaluate and diagnose mobility impairments that may be the result of strains, sprains, fractures, birth defects, diseases, or various other conditions. Their examination includes determining the patient’s overall function and identifying the precise problem impacting their movement. They develop a treatment plan based on the patient’s rehabilitation goals and implement this treatment. Some of their specific duties may include:

Rehabilitation therapists often work in physical therapy clinics and physical rehabilitation centers. Because they can also work as an occupational therapist, they may work in occupational therapy clinics to assist injured workers in returning to the workplace. They may also find employment with various healthcare facilities, including hospitals, outpatient clinics, skilled nursing facilities, and home healthcare agencies. It’s also common for rehabilitation therapists to be employed by fitness centers or professional sports teams. They may also have their own private practice.

Good rehabilitation therapists have in-depth knowledge of a wide range of conditions that can impact mobility and the various ways to treat these conditions. They possess strong analytical and observational skills to help them evaluate and diagnose patients based on their physical complaints and overall limitations. Because they typically treat multiple patients each day, rehabilitation therapists are highly organized and detail-oriented with excellent time-management skills. To establish good rapport with their patients, they possess above-average interpersonal, verbal communication, and active listening skills. Rehabilitation therapists are patient, compassionate, supportive, and masters of persuasion, which all help increase the likelihood of their success.

The qualifications for becoming a rehabilitation therapist can vary based on whether the allied health professional will primarily be employed as a physical therapist or an occupational therapist. Those strictly working in an occupational therapist capacity must earn a master’s degree from an occupational therapy program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education and pass the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy Exam. Rehabilitation therapists in a physical therapist role must earn a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from a program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education and pass the National Physical Therapy Examination regulated by the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy.

Rehabilitation therapists may hold Basic Life Support (BLS), Certificate of Clinical Competence in Audiology (CCC-A) or Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology (CCC-SLP), among others.