Practicing as a PTA in Mississippi

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Table of Contents

The guidelines, rules, and regulations
The roles and responsibilities of a PTA
Supervision
Licensing and code of conduct
References

The practice of physical therapy or physiotherapy in Mississippi State is governed and regulated by the Mississippi State Board of Physical Therapy. The board is charged with the mandate of protecting the public’s health, safety, and welfare by setting the minimum requirements and creating titles reflective of the level of qualifications for the persons wishing to administer physical therapy services to the public. The board’s mandate extends to ensuring that professionalism is highly held by the persons practicing physical therapy services to the public by setting disciplinary actions applicable to persons who violate or deviate from the procedures, requirements and standards stipulated in the regulation.

A physical therapist assistant (PTA) is defined as a healthcare worker who aids a physical therapist in the provision of physical therapy services under the direct, on-site supervision of the physical therapist (Mississippi State Board of Physical Therapy, 2011). The physical therapist assistant normally engages in physical therapy procedures and accompanying activities that have been chosen and assigned by the supervising physical therapist. The PTA is restricted by the law from engaging in the following physical therapy activities: “interpretation of referrals; physical therapy initial evaluation and reevaluation; identification, determination or modification of plans of care (including goals and treatment programs); final discharge assessment/ evaluation or establishment of the discharge plan; or therapeutic techniques beyond the skill and knowledge of the physical therapist assistant” (Mississippi State Board of Physical Therapy, 2011).

The guidelines, rules, and regulations

The practice of physical therapy, like other professions with professional bodies, has the guidelines, rules, and regulations governing the duties, code of conduct, licensing, qualifications, and practice of a PTA.

The roles and responsibilities of a PTA

The roles and responsibilities of a PTA as stipulated by the Mississippi PT Practice Act include the following. First, to practice only with the direct, on-site supervision of a physical therapist licensed to practice in Mississippi; secondly, to aid the physical therapist in patients evaluations but not to carryout patient evaluations; thirdly, to do treatment procedures as assigned by the physical therapist without initiating or altering the treatment procedures; and fourthly, to supervise other supporting staff as directed by the physical therapist.

More so, PTA informs physical therapist of any changes in the patient’s status including the patient’s outward reactions to the therapy. In addition, it stops, with immediate effect, any treatment procedures that, according to their judgment, are harmful to the patient. Lastly, PTA abstains from performing any treatment procedure that is perceived to be not in the best interest of the patient. These guidelines are aimed at ensuring that PTA is able to implement what was learnt during training while at the same time, under supervision to be full competency of a physical therapist profession.

Supervision

The relationship between a PTA and the supervising physical therapist is regulated by the following rules and regulations: First, the evaluation of the patient and formulation of a plan of care must be made by the supervising physical therapist during the first visit. Secondly, a joint visit must be made by the supervising physical therapist and the PTA before PTA commences treatment procedures on the basis of the plan of care. Thirdly, after the initial joint visit, the “supervising physical therapist must personally render treatment and reassess the patient attended by the PTA on every “sixth treatment day or fourteenth calendar day” depending on which comes first (Mississippi State Board of Physical Therapy, 2011).

Each supervisory visit includes a full functional evaluation, revising activities to determine whether to alter or stop the plan of care, checking of ability to use outside resources and documenting the evidence of the visit. In addition, the supervising physical therapist is under obligation to check the patient final treatment at the time of discharge and compile a discharge sheet summary. Lastly, the supervising physical therapist is not allowed to supervise more than four PTAs at the same period and is bound by the professional obligation and duty to offer the PTA extra assistance when necessary. These rules and guidelines are in place to ensure professionalism in the supervision of PTA and the patient’s progress in physical therapy sessions.

Licensing and code of conduct

The physical therapist assistant is issued with a regular or temporary license as per section 3-4 of the Mississippi PT Practice Act upon submission to the board, verified by oath, written evidence in form and content satisfactory to the board. A temporary license is granted to a PTA who meets all the requirements but has registered the exam or waiting to take the approved examination or is yet to receive the results of examination. The license should be renewed biennially or on other conditions stated by the Act.

All the licensees are obliged to follow the regulations laid down in the Act in conducting their duties, services and practice their profession according to the Act. The board has the mandate of ensuring that the discipline of the physical therapist profession is observed, therefore it charged with authority of imposing sanctions, singly or in combination when an applicant or a licensee has committed any violation found in section 8-1 of the Act. Incase of any violation, the board may take the following action(s) on the license: revoke, suspend, censure, impose fine, restrict, put licensee on probationary status and may take any other action deemed necessary by the board. Therefore, the licensing and standards of conduct are there to streamline the industry, giving it the professionalism required of physical therapy practice.

References

Mississippi State Board of Physical Therapy. (2011). Mississippi State Board of Physical: Therapy Regulations Governing Licensure of Physical Therapists and Physical Therapist Assistants. Web.

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Practicing as a PTA in Mississippi

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