All PTA Program courses may be attempted only twice and the minimum passing

grade is a C+.

Grading:

**The Academic Coordinator of Clinical Education is responsible for assigning the grade for clinical education courses.**

Text(s):

            Required: none

            Recommended: none

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Course Description:

            This full time clinical affiliation takes place at the conclusion of all of the technique and procedure related courses for the PTA student.  Students will be setting goals for themselves and negotiating those goals with their clinical instructor in advance of the affiliation.  Students will be expected to perform all activities in the clinic that would normally be delegated to a physical therapist assistant in that facility.  Students will be expected to provide an “In-Service” presentation to colleagues at the clinical site.

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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

The student/learner will be able to successfully:

1. describe the role of the PT and the PTA
2. describe physical therapy as a component of the rehabilitation of patients
3. collect patient information for case study format
4. assemble a list of medications that are commonly prescribed for patients receiving physical therapy
5. formulate a list of potential side-effects from prescribed medications that would affect the physical performance of a patient

Psychomotor

The student/learner will be able to successfully:

1. indicate when a patient should be re-evaluated by a physical therapist
2. set up & maintain a personal schedule for themselves while they are in the clinical site
3. coordinate the physical therapy care for more than one patient at a time
4. maintain appropriate patient documentation in SOAP format for the physical therapy care rendered
5. independently operate physical therapy equipment and modalities within the department
6. outline potential patient progression sequences within a specified Plan of Care.
7. design a therapeutic exercise program to address the Long Term Goals and Short Term Goals identified within the evaluation of a patient and consistent with the identified plan of care
8. present an “in-service” for colleagues in the clinical setting
9. participate in patient discharge planning
10. utilize negotiation skills with their supervisor
11. take appropriate action in an emergency situation
12. adjust interventions within the POC established by the PT in response to patient clinical indications and report this to the supervising PT
13. recognize when interventions should not be provided due to changes in the patient’s status and report any changes in the patient’s status to the supervising PT
14. prepare and submit a written patient case study

Affective

The student/learner will be able to successfully:

1. internalize the role of the PTA by seeking evaluative patient information from the PT
2. exhibit support and understanding for the patient who may be having psychological difficulty in dealing with their diagnosis or treatment and discuss these patients with the clinical instructor
3. recognize when the direction to perform an intervention is beyond that which is appropriate for a PTA and initiate clarification with the PT
4. relate statutory and regulatory information pertaining to the delivery of physical therapy services to other colleagues
5. recognize the differences between ethical and unethical practice situations
6. cooperate with other personnel within the physical therapy department to assure a high quality of care and professionalism toward all individuals both clinicians and patients
7. obey statutory and regulatory rules that govern the practice of physical therapy
8. devote time to the reading of professional literature

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Course Outline:

Week 1:        Days 1 & 2  Observation and orientation for this facility

Development, discussion and negotiation of goals for the affiliation

Development of an action plan for the attainment of the negotiated goals

Week 1:        Day 3 through the end of Week 6

The student/learner is expected to perform all duties that would normally be expected of a PTA at entry level.  The student/learner is expected to participate in departmental “in-service” presentations, and required to present an “in-service” to the department, individually or with a fellow PTA or PT student/learner.

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