Revised 5/2017

PTH 232 - Clinical Education III (5 CR.)

Course Description

Provides supervised instruction in the delivery of physical therapy in a student preferred clinic setting. Provides instruction during the administration of therapeutic skills in a clinical setting. Emphasizes independent problem solving and student directed creativity in the delivery of the total therapy program. Includes skill applications that are reflective of all domains of physical therapy practice including rehabilitation techniques and specialized settings. Lecture 1 hour. Clinical 20 hours. Total 21 hours per week.

General Course Purpose

This course prepares the student to become an entry level physical therapist assistant through direct patient care experiences under the supervision of a licensed Physical Therapist or Physical Therapist Assistant. It is the third 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 prepare the student to become an entry level PTA. Topics include resume preparation, interview skills, licensure requirements, career planning and organization of physical therapy services. The focus of the clinic experience is critical clinical reasoning and problem solving for the delivery of a complete physical therapy treatment program under the direct supervision of clinic faculty guided by academic faculty.

Course Prerequisites/Corequisites

Prerequisites: PTH 105, PTH 115, PTH 121, PTH 122, PTH 131, PTH 151, PTH 210, PTH 225, PTH 227, PTH 231 and PTH 245.

Corequisites: PTH 210

Course Objectives

Upon completing the course, the student will 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 safe, effective and evidence based treatment interventions based upon the physical therapist’s established plan of care. Skills competencies are inclusive of all skills learned in the academic setting and those learned which are specific to the individual clinic setting.
  • Assess patient/client subjective information and objective performance relative to the physical therapist established treatment goals and determine the presence or lack of progress toward the stated goals
  • Carry out an entire treatment session, complete with documentation, patient education and home exercise instruction in accordance with the established plan of care.
  • Suggest treatment strategies, including exercise interventions, consistent with the established treatment goals and plan of care
  • Document patient progress completely and accurately using acceptable format and appropriate language in a timely manner.
  • Write and present a research based clinic in-service appropriate to the assigned clinic setting.
  • Plan and carry out a service project based on clinic need.

Major Topics to Be Included

Physical therapy interventions:

  • Data collection skills
  • Therapeutic exercise and activities
  • Gait and transfer training
  • Modalities
  • Manual techniques
  • Movement assessment
  • Neurological rehabilitation techniques

Development of an entry level PTA clinician:

  • PTA role definition in a clinical setting
  • Patient care documentation
  • Legal, ethical and supervisory guidelines
  • Intervention modification and progression
  • Time management
  • Applying communication strategies
  • Clinical decision making
  • Psychosocial responses to the clinic environment; patient/therapist relationships
  • Administration and reimbursement

Optional Topics

Optional experiences
  • Clinic observations, e.g., surgery, radiography, occupational therapy, case conferences, medical rounds
  • Business/practice planning