Working with children in the health care industry can be incredibly rewarding. You’re able to help adolescents become the healthiest version of themselves, which will benefit them for many years in the future. When it comes to pediatric physical therapy, it’s important that the therapists have as much expertise and knowledge as possible to help their young patients. That often means pursuing opportunities for career development, like continuing education.
Continuing education refers to any education that you receive after earning a college degree. Most people who pursue pediatric physical therapy earn a bachelor’s degree. It could be with a major in physical therapy, biology or kinesiology. They can also go on to earn a Doctorate in Physical Therapy. But you should keep seeking out opportunities for knowledge, even after the degrees are in your hand. That’s where continuing education comes in.
We’ll talk about why continuing education is important for pediatric physical therapy. We’ll also discuss courses and programs that may be worth exploring. Then, you’ll learn about the value that Alliance PTP places on continuing education. We’ll share how we make it a priority for all of our partners.
6 benefits of continuing education for pediatric physical therapy
Having the right degrees to become a pediatric physical therapist showcases your knowledge of the field. It also provides you with the expertise needed to provide the right treatment. But there’s always more insight to gain and hands-on experience worth trying. That’s why many veterans in the field will recommend continuing education.
Knowledge is power in every facet of life and in any career. However, the reasons for continuing education in pediatric physical therapy go beyond that. There are many benefits that you can gain now that will have a positive impact on you for many years to come.
Here are six reasons why continuing education is essential in pediatric physical therapy:
- Keeping up with new techniques — The world of health care is constantly growing and evolving. Research can shine a spotlight on new pediatric physical therapy techniques and treatments that you may not have studied during your formal education. With continuing education courses and training, you can stay up to date on advancements in the field that can benefit your young patients.
- Expanding your areas of specialty — A specialty may include helping children with abnormal gait. Perhaps you want to focus on helping those with developmental delays and disorders. By continuing to expand the knowledge in your areas of specialty, you can improve the quality of your patient care. Expanding your knowledge often refers to learning about new evidence-based practices for your specialty. It allows you to personalize your treatment plans as much as possible for each child. You want to make sure that they receive the most effective care based on their needs and challenges.
- Optimizing your skills — Continuing education for pediatric physical therapy helps you to fine-tune your skills. There’s always room for improvement. It’s important to close the gaps in your skill set and optimize your skills for the best possible patient care. Gaining insight on assessments or learning a new exercise can make a real difference.
- Bolstering your confidence — Getting a degree to practice pediatric physical therapy takes an enormous amount of hard work, determination and perseverance. But even after getting that degree, it’s normal to feel nervous about your own abilities at the beginning of your career. You may even experience imposter syndrome. With continuing education, it’s easier to silence the inner critic in all of us. You know that you have the knowledge to back up your skills.
- Improving patient-provider relationships — Patient satisfaction, retention and referrals often boil down to the quality of your connections with your patients. It’s important that both your patients and their parents or guardians feel comfortable and confident in your ability to care for them. That goes beyond the physical therapy treatments. Continuing education can help improve your communication and bedside manner for a high-quality patient experience.
- Increased earning potential and opportunities — One of the most significant benefits of continuing education for any field is the doors that it can open for you in the future. It also provides a boost that it can bring to your earning potential. When you add continuing education classes or programs to your résumé, you’re likely to be qualified for higher-paying opportunities. It also helps you stand out from other applicants and gain a competitive edge.
Types of continuing education courses and programs for pediatric physical therapy
Now that we’ve talked about why you should pursue continuing education, it’s time to talk about what that actually looks like.
Continuing education can refer to many types of educational opportunities, and they can all benefit your expertise as a pediatric physical therapist in some way. Here are a few types that are worth exploring:
- Certification courses — There are many certification courses out there. The goal is to provide you with the knowledge and expertise to practice particular treatments. Examples of certification courses for pediatric physical therapy include power wheelchair training and mindful movement.
- Research — It’s common for people in health care fields to explore the academic side along with, or instead of, the industry. Conducting research not only counts as continuing education, but it can also further your interest and understanding of a specific area.
- Online courses — If you’re looking to learn more about a particular area or skill, there’s likely an online course for it. Whether it be for the patient, like balance training, or for the administration side of your job, like documentation, an online course can help.
- License renewal — For most health care professionals, it’s required by state law to renew licenses after a certain period of time. You want to make sure that you are keeping up with current policies, treatments and procedures.
There are many ways to find continuing education opportunities. If you already work at a physical therapy facility, your management team may have recommendations for courses or programs that would specifically benefit your current patient base. You can also look at the catalog for local health care educational institutions. Plus, the American Physical Therapy Association website often has continuing education opportunities.
At Alliance, we understand the value of continuing education. It can help both pediatric physical therapists as well as their patients and clinics. That’s why everyone who works for an Alliance Physical Therapy partner is provided with the financial assistance they need to pursue as many continuing education opportunities as they can. With an unlimited budget, you can continue moving forward in your journey as a pediatric physical therapist. We want to ensure that you can provide the highest level of care possible for the young patients who need you.
Alliance PTP can support you with continuing education for pediatric physical therapy
Dealing with the constant hustle and bustle of a PT clinic can be tough for a practice’s team to handle on its own. Alliance Physical Therapy Partners is here to help.
We’ve built a partnership in care that includes physical therapy practices and clinics across the country. The goal of this partnership is to help people find the PT they need and be a positive force in the clinic’s local community. But we also focus on supporting our partners so they can more easily make these goals a reality. That includes providing clinics with an unlimited budget for their pediatric physical therapists to pursue continuing education.
For more on how we help our team members succeed at our Alliance PTP partner clinics, take a look at our Careers page.
