Nursing to PT... help pls.

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hello to allnurses. okay, here is a little background info. i have rop (retinapathy of prematurity), which is an eye conditon in which there is scarring of the retina. basically, i don't really have good vision. i have previously been in an lpn program. it was fantastic in the classroom. i made really excellent grades. however, in clinicals, i wasn't so good. i made a lot of mistakes r/t to my vision. i was failing. i figured out the my instructor wouldn't pass me in the clinical portion. i even got new glasses, which help see better, but not enough in clinicals. so the school turned me down. i left, devestated. so now, i wanted to pursue a career in physical therapy and specialize in peds. does anyone out there have any advice on pt or what it pertains. what can i do to prepare myself for pt? anything to study beside every muscle in the human body? thank you for your time. any feedback on pt would be appreciated. :twocents::D:yeah:

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peri,

I'm not sure if you have a previous degree or what college background you have.. here is a quick summary.

PT assistants typically attend a APTA certified program and graduate with an associates..they assist PTs and have hands on care with patients...

PT curriculum is not at the masters and clinical doctorate level - both result in being certified as a PT through the APTA.... both require a previous degree and there is a hefty load of pre-reqs. There is a variance in what pre-reqs are required by what school.. but the general theme is 1 year gen bio, 1 year gen chem, some o-chem, a 1 year A&P sequence, stats....

Google APTA and go the website... you can read about PTs and PTAs.. the centralized application service link is there and it will depict all of the PT programs and their requirements for school and experience.

It has links to PTAs as well - but I am not as familiar with them..but the prereqs are much less then PTs and you probably meet that if you have been in an LPN program.

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Specializes in Hospital Education Coordinator.

remember, PT assistants (and therapists) have to assist others in walking, etc. Are you able to do that safely?

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peri,

i'm not sure if you have a previous degree or what college background you have.. here is a quick summary.

pt assistants typically attend a apta certified program and graduate with an associates..they assist pts and have hands on care with patients...

pt curriculum is not at the masters and clinical doctorate level - both result in being certified as a pt through the apta.... both require a previous degree and there is a hefty load of pre-reqs. there is a variance in what pre-reqs are required by what school.. but the general theme is 1 year gen bio, 1 year gen chem, some o-chem, a 1 year a&p sequence, stats....

google apta and go the website... you can read about pts and ptas.. the centralized application service link is there and it will depict all of the pt programs and their requirements for school and experience.

it has links to ptas as well - but i am not as familiar with them..but the prereqs are much less then pts and you probably meet that if you have been in an lpn program.

hello, just cause. thank you so much for replying. actually i am planning to attend college in jan. the only i have is that i'm a cna that i got through my high school. i was going for my lpn, but u read how that turned out. now i wanted to start fresh and get my aa degree pta and then go to get my master's in pt.

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remember, pt assistants (and therapists) have to assist others in walking, etc. are you able to do that safely?

hello classic and thank you for replying. yes, i know the pt's and pta's have to assist others with ambulating. yes i can do that safely. i did much of that in nursing while i was getting my cna.

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i heard that pta's can do almost everything a pt can do except evaluate and diagnose pts. is this true?

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If end state goal is becoming a PT I would highly look at APTA's website.. when you look at the two curriculum's they are not related - as an LPN to RN is related...they are sequential.

A PTA to PT is NOT sequential and the two programs are built on two highly different sets of pre-reqs.

If you want to be a PT I highly recommend you look at this and you will find they are not sequential.

As far as PTAs doing everything a PT can do except examine and diagnose..... that is a HUGE portion of the job - so I think there is a huge difference...below is a job description from APTA.

This extract is taken from

Who are PTs & PTAs? The Physical Therapist

Physical therapists (PTs) are health care professionals who diagnose and treat individuals of all ages, from newborns to the very oldest, who have medical problems or other health-related conditions that limit their abilities to move and perform functional activities in their daily lives.

PTs examine each individual and develop a plan using treatment techniques to promote the ability to move, reduce pain, restore function, and prevent disability. Continue

The Physical Therapist Assistant

Physical therapist assistants (PTAs) provide physical therapy services under the direction and supervision of a physical therapist. PTAs help people of all ages who have medical problems, or other health-related conditions that limit their ability to move and perform functional activities in their daily lives. PTAs work in a variety of settings including hospitals, outpatient clinics, home health, nursing homes, schools, sports facilities, and more. PTAs must complete a 2-year associate's degree and are licensed, certified, or registered in most states

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hello, just cause. how are you? yes, i have looked at the apta website a while ago and yes i did in fact read the excerpts that you have provided for me. yes, i can clearly see that the two vary. what i assume is that being a pta will in fact give me an outlook on being a pt. pta is more of preparing the pt for certain procedures and mostly educating and training the pt. if you want to pm me instead of posting every time, feel free to do so. just out of curiosity, were/are you a pt? you seem to be fairly educated about pt. thank you for all your help.:D:yeah:

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thank you to all of those who have replied. does anyone out there do pt?:yeah::D

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