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This question is about what a physical therapist does.
How many hours do physical therapists work?
Most physical therapists work 40 hours per week. Their work hours generally range from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, but some may start earlier or work later in the evening to accommodate their patient's schedules.
Clinics usually try to have hours that accommodate the working public, so it is common to find practices that are open from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm.
Typically, the same physical therapist is not there for the entire duration of the day, instead, the shifts are split between 2 or more physical therapists.
Physical therapists who work in hospitals or nursing homes may need to work hours on the weekends or holidays to provide continuous patient care. Some therapists prefer to work 4, 10-hour days with their day starting at 8:00 am and ending at 6:30 pm.
This schedule allows the physical therapist to schedule patients on an interval basis since most patients require at least 2 sessions per week. In addition to the 40 hours spent providing care to patients, most full-time physical therapists will spend extra time doing notes and creating treatment plans.
Outpatient therapy clinics are known for having longer hours. If you are looking for more flexibility in your scheduling, working as a physical therapist in a home health setting may be something to consider. While the hours can vary, most home health therapists have their first patient at 8:00 am and end their day around 4:00 pm.
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