Profession
CEU Courses for Physical Therapist Assistants
PTAs carry out the plan of care and spend long stretches of the visit with the patient. Continuing education should match that work, including how to reinforce education without changing the plan.
What makes a course useful for a PTA
Look for skills you can use while implementing someone else’s evaluation: cueing, patient education, and recognizing when a report needs to go back to the physical therapist. A nutrition course should not ask a PTA to open an independent nutrition practice.
Choosing PTA CEUs
Practical
You should be able to use the idea in the next treatment session.
Supervised
New nutrition comments belong inside the plan the PT established, or as a report back to that PT.
Compliant
Your board’s hour total and approval test are yours to confirm.
Questions
Can a PTA prescribe a diet after these courses?
No. The courses teach recognition and general education. Diet prescriptions and changes to the plan of care stay with the evaluating clinician and, when needed, a dietitian. PTAs can make recommendations for a dietitian referral and offer generalized nutrition education, which is very valuable.
Related resources
Nutrition courses for PTAs
Reinforcing habits without prescribing a diet.
PTA state requirements
Why you still check the board.
12-CEU bundle
Each course is 4 CEUs. The bundle is 12 CEUs.
Review the courses, then confirm your board
Course 1 and Course 3 are 4 CEUs and $149. Course 2 is 4 CEUs and $149.99. The 12-CEU bundle is $299. Credit depends on the license you hold.