What does a rehab technician do?
A rehab technician's role is to assist physical therapists and patients in a hospital or similar facility. Typically, their responsibilities revolve around gathering a patient's personal information and medical history, escorting them to corresponding rooms, and conducting initial tests and assessments. It is also essential to maintain records of all transactions, updating medical accounts promptly and accurately. Furthermore, a rehab technician may also perform basic treatments under the supervision of a physical therapist. There are also instances when they have to sanitize and clean therapy equipment, all in adherence to the facility's safety regulations and policies.
Rehab technician responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real rehab technician resumes:
- Make rounds for walkers and wheelchairs for patients.
- Assist therapist with transfers, monitoring of splints, hot packs, and modalities.
- Prepare patients for therapy sessions and assist patients to put on devices such as braces and splints.
- Maintain and clean medical equipment, interact with staff and patients, and occasionally cover the reception desk.Skills UsedCNA and CPR
- Provide nursing and orthopedic patient care for stroke patients, assisting with rehabilitation, medication and recovery knowledge.
- Assist physical therapists in the rehabilitation of patients by providing exercise programs and proper treatment for healthy injury recovery.
- Care for pigs, sheep, goats, and cattle.
- Perform job with compassion and encouragement to help them mentally as well as physically.
- Assist technicians in miscellaneous duties such as ear clipping, weaning litters, and special projects.
- Assist therapist in teaching patients proper use of wheelchairs, braces, canes, crutches, and prosthetic devices.
- Schedule appointments and record owner and pet information.
- Maintain and organize hospital records according to HIPPA and hospital policy.
- Produce proper and timely documentation and charts of patients as required by the hospital administration.
- Safeguard, motivate, and assist patients with exercises and functional activities under license personnel/therapist.
- Assist in handling treatment procedures such as cryotherapy, ultrasound, and balance activities.
Rehab technician skills and personality traits
We calculated that 24% of Rehab Technicians are proficient in Patients, Physical Therapy, and Rehabilitation. They’re also known for soft skills such as Dexterity, Physical stamina, and Compassion.
We break down the percentage of Rehab Technicians that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Patients, 24%
Managed long-term ventilator patients in rehab setting Performed all respiratory therapeutic procedures including weaning parameters, tracheal down-sizing and PMV trials
- Physical Therapy, 10%
Provide non-interpretive therapeutic exercise, mobility skills and wheel chair skills under the supervision of the licensed physical therapy practitioner.
- Rehabilitation, 10%
Provided nursing and orthopedic patient care for stroke patients, assisting with rehabilitation, medication and recovery knowledge.
- Customer Service, 6%
Documented and provided efficient customer service to clients.
- CPR, 4%
Acquired certification in First Aid, CPR and ADE.
- Cleanliness, 4%
Promoted safety: Promoted patient safety and environmental cleanliness.
"patients," "physical therapy," and "rehabilitation" are among the most common skills that rehab technicians use at work. You can find even more rehab technician responsibilities below, including:
Dexterity. The most essential soft skill for a rehab technician to carry out their responsibilities is dexterity. This skill is important for the role because "physical therapist assistants should be comfortable using their hands to provide manual therapy and therapeutic exercises." Additionally, a rehab technician resume shows how their duties depend on dexterity: "grab bars, tub lifts, stair lifts)"
Physical stamina. Many rehab technician duties rely on physical stamina. "physical therapist assistants and aides are frequently on their feet and moving as they work with their patients," so a rehab technician will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways rehab technician responsibilities rely on physical stamina: "showed that ability to follow the basic physical therapy techniques need to improve that patient's movement, stamina and coordination. "
Compassion. rehab technicians are also known for compassion, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to rehab technician responsibilities, because "physical therapist assistants and aides should enjoy helping people." A rehab technician resume example shows how compassion is used in the workplace: "performed job with compassion and encouragement to help them mentally as well as physically. "
Detail oriented. A big part of what rehab technicians do relies on "detail oriented." You can see how essential it is to rehab technician responsibilities because "physical therapist assistants and aides should be organized, keep accurate records, and follow written and verbal instructions carefully to ensure quality care." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical rehab technician tasks: "recorded detailed notes on patient progress and responsiveness to treatment during therapy sessions. "
Interpersonal skills. Another crucial skill for a rehab technician to carry out their responsibilities is "interpersonal skills." A big part of what rehab technicians relies on this skill, since "physical therapist assistants and aides spend much of their time interacting with patients, their families, and other healthcare practitioners; therefore, they should be courteous and friendly." How this skill relates to rehab technician duties can be seen in an example from a rehab technician resume snippet: "demonstrated strong interpersonal skills with colleagues, patients, and family members. "
The three companies that hire the most rehab technicians are:
- Reliant Rehabilitation49 rehab technicians jobs
- Tenet Healthcare23 rehab technicians jobs
- HealthPRO19 rehab technicians jobs
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Compare different rehab technicians
Rehab technician vs. Animal assisted therapist
Certified Occupational Therapy Assistants are professionals who work with licensed occupational therapists in providing therapy to patients. This therapy is usually related to the physical or mobility challenges of a patient. Certified Occupational Therapy Assistants help patients retain their skills, improve on their challenges, and eventually recover. They record the patient's progress after every therapy session. They may also help out in creating treatment plans for the patient. Since they spend a lot of time with patients, their inputs and recommendations are valuable in crafting and adjusting the treatment plan.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between rehab technicians and animal assisted therapist. For instance, rehab technician responsibilities require skills such as "rehabilitation," "customer service," "cpr," and "cleanliness." Whereas a animal assisted therapist is skilled in "pet," "patient care," "data collection," and "behavioral issues." This is part of what separates the two careers.
The education levels that animal assisted therapists earn slightly differ from rehab technicians. In particular, animal assisted therapists are 3.9% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a rehab technician. Additionally, they're 0.2% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Rehab technician vs. Physical science aide
An occupational therapy assistant is primarily responsible for assisting an occupational therapist when handling patients at a clinic or similar setting. Their duties revolve around gathering patient information and medical history, treating patients using the therapist's care plan, monitoring a patient's progress, and maintaining an accurate and extensive record. There are also instances when an assistant must discuss the conditions and extent of treatment to patients and families, as well as monitor supplies and inventory.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, rehab technician responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "patients," "physical therapy," "rehabilitation," and "customer service." Meanwhile, a physical science aide has duties that require skills in areas such as "patient care," "chemistry," "laboratory equipment," and "physical science." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
Physical science aides earn similar levels of education than rehab technicians in general. They're 1.2% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.2% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Rehab technician vs. Certified occupational therapy assistant
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from rehab technician resumes include skills like "customer service," "cpr," "cleanliness," and "direct supervision," whereas a certified occupational therapy assistant is more likely to list skills in "patient care," "occupational therapy treatments," "snf," and "adaptive. "
Certified occupational therapy assistants earn the best pay in the education industry, where they command an average salary of $51,821. Rehab technicians earn the highest pay from the health care industry, with an average salary of $29,851.Most certified occupational therapy assistants achieve a similar degree level compared to rehab technicians. For example, they're 2.0% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 1.0% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Rehab technician vs. Occupational therapy assistant
Types of rehab technician
Updated January 8, 2025
