Revised 5/2017

PTH 131 - Clinical Education I (3 CR.)

Course Description

Provides supervised instruction in the delivery of physical therapy in one of various clinical settings. Emphasizes the practice of all therapeutic skills learned in the first year, including direct patient care skills and all forms of communication. Lecture 1 hours. Laboratory 9 hours. Total 10 hours per week.

General Course Purpose

This course provides the student with direct patient care experiences under the supervision of a licensed Physical Therapist or Physical Therapist Assistant. It is the first of three required clinical education courses. The course consists of two parts: clinical seminars and a supervised clinical experience. Seminar classes take place prior to the clinical experience and focus on an introduction to clinical education. Topics include legal, ethical and supervisory guidelines as they pertain to the PTA during clinical experiences. Seminar also introduces students to the assessment tool that is used to evaluate clinic performance. Student clinical experiences are directly supervised by clinic faculty guided by academic faculty. Students are assigned to one of many local clinic facilities which include inpatient, outpatient and skilled nursing settings.

Course Prerequisites/Corequisites

Prerequisites: PTH 105, PTH 121, PTH 151, PTH 115, PTH 122

Course Objectives

Upon completion of this course, the student should be able to:

  • Function in the role of a physical therapist assistant according to the APTA Standards of Ethical Conduct for the PTA within the organization and administration of the assigned health care facility.
  • Adhere to legal and supervisory guidelines as set forth by the appropriate body.
  • Deliver physical therapy interventions safely and effectively according to the written plan of care, or as directed verbally by the supervising therapist. Skills competencies are inclusive of all skills learned in the academic setting and those learned which are specific to the individual clinic setting.
  • Communicate verbally in language appropriate to patients and members of the health care team.
  • Document patient progress completely and accurately using acceptable format and appropriate language.

Major Topics to Be Included

  • Therapeutic exercise and activities
  • Gait and transfer training
  • Modalities
  • PTA role definition in a clinical setting
  • Patient care documentation
  • Legal, ethical and supervisory guidelines