Physical Therapy Aide Training Curriculum

Your learners will first learn how to succeed by understanding how to navigate their Penn Foster program.

By the end of this course, your learners will be able to:

• Understand how to use their Student Portal.
• Access the Penn Foster Community and use it to find answers.
• Connect with Penn Foster on various social media sites.

 In this lesson, your learners will discover what the practice of physical therapy is all about.  

 By the end of this course, your learners will be able to:  

• Explore the history of physical therapy.
• Understand the roles of the members of a rehabilitation team.

Physical therapy aides are skilled health care workers who are important parts of the rehabilitative team. 

By the end of this course, your learners will be able to: 

• Understand the role of the physical therapy aide, which includes administering treatments to patients, performing administrative duties, and helping the facility run smoothly and efficiently

Your learners need to become familiar with the medical terms that they will hear on a daily basis in their new careers.

By the end of this course, your learners will be able to:

• Expand their understanding of medical terminology to include the anatomy, pathology, procedures, and abbreviations associated with the nervous, sensory, circulatory, and respiratory systems.

A body system is composed of organs that are designed to work together so that a particular function—such as breathing—can be performed.

By the end of this course, your learners will be able to:

• Understand the terminology associated with nervous, sensory, circulatory, and respiratory systems.

In this lesson, your learners will identify common dysfunctions, disorders, and conditions of the musculoskeletal system.

By the end of this course, your learners will be able to:

• Explain the inflammatory process that occurs in the body after an injury.
• Describe common disorders such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis, and hernias. 

In this lesson, your learners will discover how to utilize heat and cold in treatments. 

By the end of this course, your learners will be able to:

• Describe the aide’s role in administering heat treatments.
• Understand the purpose of superficial heat treatments, deep heating treatments, and cryotherapy.

Aides help with common therapeutic exercises to help increase range of motion, strength, or coordination.

By the end of this course, your learners will be able to:

• Describe body mechanics and patient transfers.
• Know the types of exercises, including range of motion, strength, and coordination.
• Explain ambulation and gait training.

Rehabilitation clinics, hospitals, nursing homes, and other providers of therapy have cut costs by hiring aides to assist therapists in the delivery of care to patients.

By the end of this course, your learners will be able to:

• Understand an aide’s role as a customer service provider and high-quality caregiver.
• Describe and apply important customer service skills.

In this lesson, your learners will build an understanding of personal, patient, and environmental safety.

By the end of this course, your learners will be able to:

• Practice proper body mechanics and lifting techniques.
• Understand standard first aid and CPR.
• Recognize patient distress.
• Outline infection control, universal precautions, and disaster procedures.

This program includes an optional work experience component. This optional supplement is intended to help learners seeking a career change to find a position as a trainee in a medical facility.