Do you enjoy helping others? Want to work as part of a team? If this sounds like you, consider becoming a rehabilitation aide. Florida National University can help you become an entry-level rehabilitation aide and serve as a springboard for advancing your career in rehabilitation.
What Is a Rehabilitation Aide?
A rehabilitation aide is a support role that assists physical and occupational therapists. These essential rehabilitation team members can find work in various healthcare settings. These settings include hospitals, rehabilitation centers, private practices, home care agencies that provide rehab-related services, nursing homes, and specific healthcare/rehab clinics.
What Does a Rehabilitation Aide Do?
A rehabilitation aide supports physical and occupational therapists to provide a variety of patient treatments. This rewarding and exciting job offers many benefits, and it is an excellent way to enter the ever-growing and expanding healthcare field as an essential supportive member of the rehab team. Some of the day-to-day tasks that a rehabilitation aide performs include:
- Supporting and assisting physical or occupational therapists with patient care in a rehab setting.
- Routinely cleaning and maintaining specialized rehabilitation equipment.
- Assisting with organization of patient files, charts, and other paperwork.
- Preparing treatment rooms for therapy sessions and post-therapy cleaning.
- Keeping track of, and restocking, needed therapy-related supplies.
- Assisting disabled, injured, or immobile patients under the direct supervision of a licensed physical therapist.
- Transporting patients with wheelchairs or other mobility devices to various job-setting areas or departments under the supervision of a licensed physical therapist.
- Performing front desk and clerical duties, such as making appointments, relaying phone calls, and other administrative tasks.
How Do You Become a Rehabilitation Aide?
A great way to become a rehabilitation aide is by taking courses that help you lay a strong foundation to build upon throughout your career. Florida National University offers a Rehabilitation Aide program that can be completed in less than a year and awards a Diploma following the completion of this program. At the end of the program, you are ready to start working as an entry-level rehabilitation aide.
What Will You Learn at FNU’s Rehabilitation Aide Program?
At Florida National University, students in the Rehabilitation Aide program learn basic anatomy and physiology of the human body, how to read and understand basic medical terminology, and how to relate concepts of physics to the human movement. This program provides the basic knowledge and skills required for graduates to work as a Rehabilitation Aide supporting Physical Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Physical Therapist Assistants, and Occupational Therapist Assistants in the provision of rehabilitation services. This program also prepares students to apply to the Associate of Science Physical Therapist Assistant program and can be a stepping stone to your career as a physical therapist assistant
There are essential classes you will take during a Rehabilitation Aide program. These classes include:
Medical Terminology
This course offers a basic understanding of the medical terminology used in rehabilitation. Most words related to medicine and rehabilitation can be memorized by understanding roots, prefixes, and suffixes. Out of these vocabulary elements, you can define most medical words and phrases. This knowledge helps with patient charting and performing any needed clerical duties.
English Composition and Oral Communication
Having a basic command of the English language is essential for healthcare professionals. Knowing how to communicate with patients and other medical and rehabilitation professionals is crucial to remain professional on the job.
Biomedical Ethics
Understanding biomedical ethics is essential in any healthcare field. According to HIPAA guidelines, keeping all patient-related information private is the law. Inadvertently gossiping about a patient in an elevator or while talking to others not involved in that patient’s care can lead to adverse consequences, including being disciplined, fired, or even sued in a court of law.
This class also addresses and discusses other ethical concerns, which may include treating older patients, identifying and reporting patient abuse, and explaining why specific slang or common words could be viewed as derogatory or abusive when used in a clinical setting.
Human Growth and Development
Rehabilitation therapists and their support staff must know essential human growth and development criteria. Therapies and treatments must be appropriate for each patient and demographic group, which will differ depending on the patient’s age and developmental level.
General Psychology
Having a basic knowledge of general psychology helps prepare you to work with various patients and coworkers. Emphasis is placed on the dynamics of the human nervous system and how it affects everyday behavior.
Anatomy and Physiology
Rehabilitation aides must understand how specific body systems work to perform their duties correctly and safely. You may be required to reinforce the licensed therapist’s teaching and patient instructions, and this class is critical to gaining a general understanding of the treatment processes.
Intro to Physical Therapy
During this class, you gain valuable insight into physical therapy and the history of this healthcare field. This includes your role and scope of work, philosophy and goals, code of ethics, current rules, regulations and legislation, work environment expectations, and professional behavior.
College Algebra & Physics
Math is an integral part of rehabilitation therapy. Physical therapists use various mathematical equations to develop treatment plans and assess the effectiveness of these treatments during therapy.
Some ways that licensed rehabilitation or physical therapists (PTs) use algebra and other Math in their everyday work duties include:
- Determining muscle strength – PTs use dynamometers to measure muscle strength.
- Calculating the range of motion – PTs use a variety of equations to measure the range of motion in joints.
- Measuring body weight – This helps PTs track therapy progress and healthy weight maintenance.
- Calculation of body mass index or (BMI) – Assesses body fat for a patient’s weight and height.
- Calculating heart rate during therapeutic exercise to ensure patient safety and effectiveness of treatments.
- Statistics – PTs use statistics when analyzing research studies and data along with treatment plan development.
Eager to Learn More?
Contact us today to learn more about our Rehabilitation Aide Diploma and Physical Therapist Assistant programs. Take the first step of this new journey now, and Florida National University will be with you every step of the way.
