Paperwork outside of work in physical therapy

[Highschoolstudent111]

I am a high school senior currently deciding on what career to pursue. I have been accepted to a direct admit 6 year physical therapy program so it is something that I am considering. I shadowed a physical therapist and he said that he does about 2 hours of paperwork per day outside of work. Is it like this for most physical therapists? I definitely don’t want to have to take any work home, so people who are currently physical therapists, is this the right profession for me?

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[starrsgirl]

Sadly, I think it can be normal...but it shouldn't be normal. I get paid hourly and I only do paperwork on the clock. Some of my salaried friends definitely clock in much longer hours than their expected work day to do paperwork in the evening. There are a lot of factors here...including personality factors. I am a pretty strong personality and have no qualms saying NO to management pressure or finding a different job.

That said, you may find high loads of paperwork after patients in any of the medical professions. So in order to escape that, you may have to look at a completely different career path.

 

[NewTestament]

I think the average PT spends 1-2 hours/day after hours doing paperwork. That's the statistic I heard.

 

[truthseeker]

I almost never do paperwork outside of work. Get efficient and you won't have to. I might stay 20 minutes after work or come in 20 minutes early once every couple weeks but that's it. I work in a rural hospital, primarily outpatients but with maybe 20% inpatients/home health

 

[DesertPT]

Varies by setting. Hospital-based/inpatient jobs are more likely to have some amount of dedicated time for paperwork built into the day than outpatient jobs. Outpatient PTs are more likely to take paperwork home as well as hospital documentation typically has to be done on a hospital computer. As was said above, most healthcare professionals in today's day and age spend as much time looking at a computer screen as they do looking at a patient. PT is certainly better than medicine in this regard, but it is part of the reality.

 

[OHIO PT]

As a rehab manager I do end up doing some paperwork and other management things at home, however our staff therapists do not do any. Our hourly therapists are actually not allowed, per company rules, to do any paperwork off the clock. All our evaluators are salaried and our assistants hourly but even our staff salaried evaluators arent doing paperwork off the clock. This is a SNF setting btw.

 

[OHIO PT]

I am a high school senior currently deciding on what career to pursue. I have been accepted to a direct admit 6 year physical therapy program so it is something that I am considering. I shadowed a physical therapist and he said that he does about 2 hours of paperwork per day outside of work. Is it like this for most physical therapists? I definitely don’t want to have to take any work home, so people who are currently physical therapists, is this the right profession for me?

Also what an advantage, if you do decide you want to be a PT, to be accepted to a direct entry program. I also did a 3+3 direct entry program. Which one did you get into? What a relief to not have to worry about applying to grad schools, taking GRE's, saving a year of school/tuition. Do not pass up that opportunity if you think PT is what you want. Good luck!