Text(s):

Please refer to the PTA Program Textbook Listing and Check with your instructor prior to the purchase of any textbooks to make sure you have the most recent information.

Course Description:

              This is the second full time clinical experience that is designed to provide students with the opportunity to practice and apply skills learned in previous PTA classes.  Students are expected to be quickly integrated into a physical therapy department by working with a clinical instructor.

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Course Objectives:

              Following the successful completion of this course with a grade of "C+" or higher , the student/learner will possess skills in the following domains:

Cognitive/Knowledge

• describe the sequence from the initial evaluation of a patient forward
• describe the organization of the physical therapy department within the facility that they are affiliating with and how it differs and is similar to the facility they affiliated with during the first clinical education course

Psychomotor

• prepare patients for physical therapy treatment
• coordinate the care of more than one patient at a time
• prepare an effective methodology for manual muscle tests (MMTs) for the upper extremities (UEs) & lower extremities (LEs)
• build on their skills in the measurement of ROM and appropriate assistive devices
• demonstrate gait training, vital signs measurement, and physical agents treatment applications within the patient’s plan of care
• prepare elements of patient documentation for a subjective, objective, plan SOAP note
• demonstrate components of discharge planning with the assistance of a supervising PT
• prepare an in-service presentation for their classmates
• adjust interventions within the plan of care (POC) established by the PT in response to patient clinical indications and report this to the supervising PT
• provide patient related instruction to patients, family members, and caregivers to achieve patient outcomes based on the POC established by the PT

Affective

• display professional behavior with patients, clinicians,  family members and peers                       
• observe patient confidentiality
• defend the importance of professionalism within the clinical community
• defend the importance of and demonstrate skill in self assessment
• recognize when the direction to perform an intervention is beyond that which is appropriate for a PTA and initiate clarification with the PT
• recognize the differences between patient populations and communication styles that are utilized
• behave and interact professionally with patients
• recognize when intervention should not be provided due to changes in the patient’s status and report any changes in patient status to the supervising PT
• respond appropriately in an emergency situation to maintain patient safety

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Course Outline:

Week 1                           

The student/learneris expected to briefly observe the physical therapy department and personnel utilization until the student and the CI determine that the student/learner is sufficiently acclimated to this setting.  The CI will be interacting with the student/learner and working with the student/learner to set up observations as needed.  The student/learner needs to initiate interaction with patients, seek out the components of departmental organization, and documentation style. During this week, the student/learner is expected to develop goals for the clinical affiliation, discuss and negotiate the goals with the clinical instructor, and determine a plan for implementation during the clinical affiliation.  If possible, the student/learner should be provided with the opportunity to observe an initial patient visit examination performed by a physical therapist, and participate in the development of a plan of care for a patient. These expectations are at the discretion of the CI and the student/learner.

Weeks 2-4          Integration into the setting

The student/learner can be expected to perform the following activities within the department:

 MMT, ROM, vital signs, measurement for assistive devices, gait training, transfers, massage, wound care dressings, hydrotherapy, physical agents, bed mobility, therapeutic exercise, and SOAP note format for treatment documentation Additional experience with  techniques is encouraged, as deemed appropriate by the CI and the student/learner.

Other potential experiences (dependent upon availability)

              Department in-services, case meetings, orthopedic surgery observation, Grand Rounds, home or workplace ergonomic assessment, discharge planning.

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