PTA.-290L Clinical Practice

Credits 0 / 1.2 Contact Hours
Pre-requisite: Placement into College Level Reading, completion of ELAP-120 with a 2.0 or higher, or successful completion of ACRD-090, ACRD-091 or ACRD-092; PTA.-280. Note: Division signature required. Co-requisite: PTA.-290
Comprehensive practice of professional behaviors data collection and intervention techniques using a case study format of diagnostic categories including musculoskeletal neurological cardio-vascular and pulmonary. The laboratory component will be followed by an eight-week physical therapist assistant internship at an assigned clinical facility. The internship includes application of professional behaviors data collection and therapeutic interventions.

Course Outcomes
It is not expected that each student will have exposure to all of the following clinical objectives. 1. Communication a. Communicate verbally and non-verbally with the patient, the physical therapist, health care delivery personnel, and others in an effective, appropriate, and capable manner. b. Completes thorough, accurate, logical, concise, timely and legible documentation that follows guidelines and specific documentation formats required by state practice acts, the practice setting and other regulatory agencies 2. Recognizes individual and cultural differences and responds appropriately in all aspects of physical therapy services. 3. Behavior and Conduct a. Exhibits conduct that reflects a commitment to meet the expectations of members of society receiving health care services. b. Exhibits conduct that reflects a commitment to meet the expectations of members of the profession of physical therapy. i. Interacts professionally with others ii. Accepts constructive criticism iii. Modifies behavior based on self-evaluation and constructive criticism iv. Conducts self in a responsible manner v. Punctual and dependable vi. Follows facility policies and procedures vii. Demonstrates initiative viii. Adapts to change c. Maintains patient privacy and modesty d. Maintains confidentiality e. Exhibits conduct that reflects practice standards that are legal, ethical and safe. i. Recognizes the role of the PTA in the clinical education of PTA students ii. Demonstrates awareness of own strengths and limitations iii. Practices in a safe manner that minimizes risk to patients, self and others iv. Adjusts interventions within the plan of care established by the physical therapist in response to patient clinical indications and reports this to the supervising physical therapist. v. Recognizes when intervention should not be provided due to changes in the patient’s status and reports this to the supervising physical therapist vi. Report any changes in the patient’s status to the physical therapist vii. Recognizes when the direction to perform an intervention is beyond that which is appropriate for a physical therapist assistant and initiates clarification with the physical therapist. viii. Takes appropriate action in an emergency situation 4. Plan of Care a. Communicates an understanding of the plan of care developed by the physical therapist to achieve short and long term goals and intended outcomes. b. Participates in discharge planning and follow-up as directed by the supervising physical therapist 5. The student will demonstrate competence in implementing selected components of interventions identified in the plan of care established by the physical therapist, including: a. Functional training including: i. activities of daily living ii. assistive/adaptive equipment iii. body mechanics iv. developmental activities v. gait and locomotion training vi. prosthetics and orthotics vii. Wheelchair management skills b. Infection Control Procedures i. universal precautions ii. isolation techniques iii. sterile technique c. Manual therapy techniques i. PROM ii. therapeutic massage d. Physical and mechanical agents i. athermal agents ii. biofeedback iii. compressions therapies iv. cryotherapy v. electrotherapeutic agents vi. hydrotherapy vii. superficial and deep thermal agents viii. traction e. Therapeutic exercise i. aerobic conditioning ii. balance/coordination training iii. breathing exercises/coughing iv. conditioning and reconditioning v. posture awareness training vi. ROM exercises vii. stretching exercises viii. strengthening exercises f. Wound management including application and removal of dressing or agents, including precautions 6. The student will demonstrate competency in performing components of data collection skills essential for carrying out the plan of care: a. Aerobic Capacity and Endurance i. measurement of standard vital signs ii. recognizes and monitors responses to positional changes and activities b. Anthropomorphic Characteristics i. measurement of height, weight, length and girth c. Arousal, Mentation and Cognition i. recognizes changes in the direction and magnitude of patient’s state of arousal, mentation and cognition d. Assistive, Adaptive, Orthotic, Protective, Supportive and Prosthetic Devices i. Identifies the individual’s and caregiver’s ability to care for the device ii. Recognizes changes in skin condition while using devices and equipment iii. Recognizes safety factors while using the device e. Gait, Locomotion and Balance i. Describe the safety, status, and progression of patients engaged in gait, locomotion, balance, wheelchair management and mobility f. Integumentary Integrity i. recognizes absent or altered sensation ii. recognizes normal and abnormal integumentary changes iii. recognizes activities, positioning and postures that aggravate or relieve pain or altered sensations. iv. recognizes viable vs. nonviable tissue g. Joint Integrity and Mobility i. recognizes normal and abnormal joint movement h. Muscle Performance i. measures muscle strength by MMT ii. observe the presence or absence of muscle mass iii. recognizes normal and abnormal muscle length iv. recognizes changes in muscle tone i. Neuromotor Development i. Recognizes gross motor milestones ii. Recognizes fine motor milestones iii. Recognizes righting and equilibrium reactions j. Pain i. administers standardized questionnaire, graphs, behavioral scales or visual analog scales for pain ii. recognizes alignment of trunk and extremities at rest and during activities iii. Recognizes activities that aggravate or relieve edema, pain, dyspnea or other symptoms k. Posture i. describes resting posture in any position ii. recognizes alignment of trunk and extremities at rest and during activities l. ROM i. measures functional and goniometric ROM m. Self-Care and Home/Community Management i. inspects the physical environment and measures physical space ii. recognizes safety and barriers in home, community and work environments iii. recognizes level of functional status iv. administers standardized questionnaires to patients and others n. Ventilation, Respiration and Circulation i. recognizes cyanosis ii. recognizes activities that aggravate or relieve edema, pain, dyspnea or other symptoms iii. describes chest wall expansion and excursion iv. observes and monitors thoracoabbdominal movements and breathing patterns with activity v. describes sputum characteristics.. 7. Education of Others a. Under the direction and supervision of the physical therapist, instructs other members of the health care team using established techniques, programs and instructional materials commensurate with the learning b. Participates in educating patients and caregivers as directed by the supervising physical therapist. c. Provides patient-related instruction to patients, family members and caregivers to achieve patient outcomes based on the plan of care established by the physical therapist. d. Educates others about the role of the physical therapist assistant. 8. Administration a. Interacts with other members of the health care team in patient care and non-patient care activities. b. Provides accurate and timely information for billing and reimbursement purposes. c. Participates in performance improvement activities (quality assurance). 9. Career Development a. Reads and understands the health care literature b. Recognizes the role of the physical therapist assistant in the clinical education of physical therapist assistant students. c. Implements career development and lifelong learning opportunities. d. Participates in learning experiences within the practice setting e. Seeks guidance to address limitations. f. Seeks opportunities to learn. 10. Social Responsibility a. Demonstrates a commitment to meeting the needs of the patients and consumers b. Demonstrates an awareness of social responsibility, citizenship and advocacy, including participation in community and service organizations and activities 11. Clinical Education a. Exposure to appropriate role modeling b. Exposure to a variety of impairments common to the clinical setting