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Per diem physical therapist skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted experts

Jan Kretzschmar,

Jan Kretzschmar

Per diem physical therapist example skills

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical per diem physical therapist skills. We ranked the top skills for per diem physical therapists based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 25.5% of per diem physical therapist resumes contained patients as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a per diem physical therapist needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 per diem physical therapist skills for your resume and career

1. Patients

Here's how per diem physical therapists use patients:

Established empathetic and supportive relationships with patients, clearly communicating information on treatment and responding effectively to their concerns and questions.
Evaluate and treat patients with neurological, orthopedics, systemic and other conditions warranting physical therapy in a skilled nursing setting

2. Rehabilitation

Here's how per diem physical therapists use rehabilitation:

Collaborated with veterinarians and provided rehabilitation for pets, predominately canines
Support physical therapists with patient rehabilitation treatment plans.

3. Per Diem

Per Diem means "per day" in Latin. This phrase is commonly used to define a substitute teacher's role, which is decided on a day-by-day basis. This may also define a teacher's or other employee's pay rate, which may be paid out based on the number of days worked instead of the number of hours.

Here's how per diem physical therapists use per diem:

Position: Physical Therapist, Per Diem Responsibilities: Developing PT programs, D/C planning and referrals to agencies/outpatient clinics.
Treated Inpatient Acute Care Orthopedics on a Per Diem Basis

4. Home Health

Here's how per diem physical therapists use home health:

Home health care - orthopedic, neurological and medical disabilities
Provided patient care in Out Patient and Home Health settings with variety of diagnosis.

5. Treatment Programs

Here's how per diem physical therapists use treatment programs:

Worked with a variety of orthopedic diagnoses, conducting initial evaluations and developing and implementing treatment programs
Provided direct patient care by evaluating, setting goals, designing treatment programs, and exercise programs.

6. Physical Therapy Assistants

Here's how per diem physical therapists use physical therapy assistants:

Supervised physical therapy assistants and aides, performed scheduling.
Provide Physical Therapy Assistants PT Aides staff with written instructions/POC and supervise them.

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7. Nursing Home

Here's how per diem physical therapists use nursing home:

Evaluate and provides PT service for people with disabilities and impairments in an outpatient facility and nursing homes.
Participated and contributed to family care plan meetings between disciplines for residents of the nursing home.

8. Physical Therapy

Here's how per diem physical therapists use physical therapy:

Provided home care physical therapy services to adult population including post-operative orthopedic surgeries, cardiac rehab, and neurological disorders.
Provided physical therapy evaluations, care assessments and implemented treatment plans for residents in Assisted living facilities.

9. Discharge Planning

Here's how per diem physical therapists use discharge planning:

Supervised physical therapist assistant in terms of patient care, implementation of treatment plan, patient's prognosis and discharge planning.
Perform skilled evaluation to determine prognosis, provide intervention, update plan of care and aide with discharge planning.

10. Compassion

Here's how per diem physical therapists use compassion:

Demonstrated compassion and empathy with both patients and their families while demonstrating fiscal responsibility for the company.
Demonstrate competency in providing quality care to patients according to their individualized needs with compassion.

12. Direct Patient Care

Here's how per diem physical therapists use direct patient care:

Skilled Nursing Facility support staff as needed for PT evaluations and direct patient care on weekends and evenings per my availability.
Direct patient care to post operative and non-surgical orthopedic patients in a physician owned physical therapy practice.

13. SNF

SNF is a kind of nursing home perceived by the Medicare and Medicaid frameworks as meeting long haul medical services needs for people who can work autonomously after a restricted time of care.

Here's how per diem physical therapists use snf:

Focused on the care delivery model within a SNF environment.
Worked in both inpatient and SNF settings Evaluated and designed treatments and exercises according to patient's goals and diagnoses.

14. Therapeutic Exercises

Patients who have experienced physical injuries through accidents or medical conditions are assigned therapeutic activities to regain their physical health and body functions. E.g., If a person has had knee injuries, the therapist will suggest specific knee exercises to bring the knee back to normal. These exercises can be as simple as walking, stretching, lifting, or balancing.

Here's how per diem physical therapists use therapeutic exercises:

Develop and implement appropriate individualized care plans, including manual therapeutic exercises, gait training, balance, and other interventions.
Progressed highly motivated out-patient orthopedic patient population through therapeutic exercises based on patient's status and plan of care.

15. Sub-Acute

Here's how per diem physical therapists use sub-acute:

Reviewed charts, provided PT evaluations for the neurological, geriatric, and orthopedic patient in the sub-acute population.
Perform evaluations for Sub-Acute, Independent Living, Assisted Living, and Long-Term-Care residents Responsible for supervising COTA therapists and Co-Signing documentation

5 Per Diem Physical Therapist resume examples

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What skills help Per Diem Physical Therapists find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What skills stand out on per diem physical therapist resumes?

Jan Kretzschmar

Professor, King's College

The ability to motivate and work in a team.

What soft skills should all per diem physical therapists possess?

Jan Kretzschmar

Professor, King's College

The ability to empathize with patients and make them feel special.

What hard/technical skills are most important for per diem physical therapists?

Jan Kretzschmar

Professor, King's College

Anything related to assessments.

What per diem physical therapist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Adrienne Pinckney PT, DPT, Cert. MDT

Clinical Education Team Member & Assistant Professor of Instruction, University of Delaware

Even in light of the pandemic, I believe that entry level physical therapists (DPTs) should avoid taking a gap year after graduation (unless extreme personal circumstances warrant this decision). Licensed physical therapists are essential healthcare workers and are critical to the spectrum of care and recovery of all patients with a myriad of conditions and injuries, including COVID-19. As such, although PTs may not find jobs in the healthcare setting of their top choice, they will not have trouble finding employment in the United States.

If an entry-level DPT has to take a gap year for whatever personal reason, I strongly recommend that they make every effort to seek out PT mentorship and remain connected to the PT world through trying to be physically present in some capacity in a PT/rehab setting (either as a volunteer, PT aide/tech in a facility, administrative support . . . something) or even in any type of facility related to health & wellness (fitness center, wellness center, etc.), in an effort to stay connected to patient care and exercise their observation, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills as a PT clinician. Taking a year off can be very detrimental to passing the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE), which is required for PT state licensure (if the individual doesn't take the exam immediately after graduation), as well as detrimental to their overall skill set as quality physical therapists.

Do you want to know more?

List of per diem physical therapist skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for a per diem physical therapist resume and required skills for a per diem physical therapist to have include:

Patients
Rehabilitation
Per Diem
Home Health
Treatment Programs
Physical Therapy Assistants
Nursing Home
Physical Therapy
Discharge Planning
Compassion
Social Work
Direct Patient Care
SNF
Therapeutic Exercises
Sub-Acute
Occupational Therapy

Brain Injury
Adaptive
PTAs
Mental Health
Acute Care
Discharge Summaries
Inpatient Rehabilitation
Gait Training
Adaptive Equipment
Functional Mobility
Traction
Crisis Intervention
Family Therapy
Patient Evaluations
Substance Abuse
Treatment Sessions

Early Intervention
TBI
Splints
ICU
Optima
CVA
Eating Disorders
DME
Individual Therapy
Group Therapy Sessions
DBT
SLP
Functional Outcomes
MDS

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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Per Diem Physical Therapist Skills

Updated January 8, 2025

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