Qualifications and Work Environment

Professional Roles
Professional roles have been developed for each of the basic elements of the profession - clinical practice, research and education.

• Clinical practice includes many types of physiotherapeutic care - preventive, acute, rehabilitative, and maintenance.
• Research is undertaken to try to find ways of improving the quality of care and stimulating development in all aspects of the physiotherapy profession.
• Education is an essential component of the profession at several levels - undergraduate and graduate university programs, as well as continuing education programs.

Physiotherapists work in:

• private clinics
• hospitals
• rehabilitation centres
• long term care
• home care programs
• schools
• child development centres
• public health units
• industry
• recreation centres

In 2000, the following statistics apply to physiotherapists:

Employed full-time: 60% Part-time: 39%
Self-employed: 40% Employees: 59% (2% unknown)
Public sector: 56% Private practice: 44%