Onboarding plan
Physical Therapist Assistant Onboarding Plan (30-60-90 Days)
A practical, printable plan to take a new physical therapist assistant from first day to full productivity.
Physical Therapist Assistant onboarding at a glance
Week one covers orientation, safety and shadowing. Days 1–30 build vocabulary and supervised practice on core procedures; days 31–60 move to independent work with competency sign-offs; days 61–90 focus on full productivity, cross-training and a credential plan.
Before day one
- Confirm start date, schedule, pay and supervisor in writing
- Verify required credentials: State PTA license or certification, National Physical Therapy Examination for PTAs (as applicable)
- Prepare equipment and access: gait belts and parallel bars; walkers, canes and crutches; resistance bands and weights; treadmills and exercise bikes
- Assign a buddy or preceptor
- Enroll the new hire in Physical Therapist Assistant training so foundations are covered before or during week one
Week one: orient and protect
- Workplace tour, emergency procedures and incident reporting
- Use gait belts and proper guarding for every mobility task
- Check vital signs when patients have cardiac or blood pressure concerns
- Use good body mechanics and ask for help with heavy patients
- Clean equipment between patients
- Shadow an experienced physical therapist assistant through a full shift
- Training modules 1–3: role foundations, a day on the job and essential vocabulary (15 terms)
Days 1–30: learn
Goal: perform core tasks safely under supervision.
- Supervised practice: guard a patient during gait training
- Supervised practice: teach a home exercise program
- Supervised practice: write a SOAP note
- Training modules 4–7: duties, step-by-step tasks, tools and safety
- 30-day check-in: confidence, questions and early wins
Days 31–60: contribute
Goal: handle a regular workload independently.
- Carry out treatment plans written by the physical therapist: independently
- Lead therapeutic exercise and stretching sessions: independently
- Train patients in walking, transfers and assistive devices: independently
- Apply modalities such as heat, ice and electrical stimulation: independently
- Competency sign-offs completed (see checklist below)
- Training final knowledge check and certificate of completion
- 60-day check-in
Days 61–90: own
Goal: full productivity and a growth plan.
- Meet productivity and quality targets for the role
- Begin cross-training on a secondary task
- Agree on a credential goal (for example, State PTA license or certification)
- Discuss the career path: PTA Student or Rehab Aide → Physical Therapist Assistant → Senior PTA or Clinical Instructor
- 90-day review
Competency checklist
| Skill or task | Trained | Observed | Signed off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guard a Patient During Gait Training | |||
| Teach a Home Exercise Program | |||
| Write a SOAP Note | |||
| Therapeutic exercise | |||
| Gait and transfer training | |||
| Modalities application | |||
| Patient guarding and safety |
How to measure onboarding success
- Days until the new hire works without a preceptor
- Competency sign-offs completed on time
- Documentation or charting error rate
- 90-day retention
How Physical Therapist Assistant training maps to this plan
- Introduction to the Physical Therapist Assistant Role
- A Day on the Job
- Essential Physical Therapist Assistant Vocabulary
- Core Duties and Responsibilities
- Common Tasks, Step by Step
- Tools, Equipment and Technology
- Safety, Compliance and Professional Standards
- Skills Employers Look For
- Launching Your Physical Therapist Assistant Career
- Final Knowledge Check