Mercer County Community College
Physical Therapist Assistant Program
Course Handbook
PTA 240
PTA Clinical Education III
Summer 2011
Holly Alexander PT, MPT
MS 157
Course Director
609-570-3478
Mercer County Community College
Mailing Address:
P.O.Box B
Trenton, NJ 08690
Shipping: 1200 Old Trenton Rd., West Windsor, NJ 08550-3407
Mercer County Community College
Physical Therapist Assistant Program
Course Syllabus Form
Course #: / PTA 245Course Title: / PTA Clinical Ed. III
Credit Hours:(Lecture/Lab) / 5
Contact Hours: / 0
Number of weeks: / 8
Clinical Contact Hours / 240
Number of clinical weeks: / 6
Pre-requisite course(s): / PTA 235 PTA Clinical Ed II
Co-requisite courses: / PTA 241 PTA Seminar III
Grading
% / Activity / NumberN/A / Written Exam(s) / 0
N/A / Quizzes / 0
20 / Paper(s) / 1
10 / Presentation(s) / 1
N/A / Class Participation / 0
N/A / Practical Exam / 0
N/A / Competency Test(s) / 0
70 / Clinical Affiliation(s) / 1
Grading of Clinical Affiliation
Content / Possible PointsStudent goals / 5
Being Prepared for Midterm / 5
Being Prepared for Final / 5
Communication with ACCE (verbal & written) / 10
Meeting Course Objectives / 75
PTAP Policy: Course Grading
One of the goals of the MCCC PTA program is to prepare student/learners to practice as physical therapist assistants. In New Jersey, as in many other states, PTAs are required to be licensed. Licensure is granted following the successful completion of a standardized licensing exam, with a score equivalent to 77 or higher. Since Mercer has adopted a new grading system where a 75 is considered a C, but includes scores as low as 70 within the same range, the PTA program has adopted C+ as the minimum passing score for all PTA program courses.
A 93-100 B+ 87-89 C+ 77-79 D 60-69
A- 90-92 B 83-86 C 70-76 F less than 59
B- 80-82
Grades below 77 are not considered passing grades for PTAP courses, and are therefore considered unacceptable. All PTAP courses must be completed with a grade of “C+” or higher. PTA Program courses may be attempted only twice.
**The Academic Coordinator of Clinical Education is responsible for assigning the grade for clinical education courses.**
Required Text(s): (none)
Recommended Text (s):
Dreeben, Olga. Physical Therapy Clinical Handbook for PTAs. 2008. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers; ISBN-13: 978-0-7637-4667-4
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/learners will be setting goals for themselves and negotiating those goals with their clinical instructor in advance of the affiliation. Students/learners will be expected to perform all activities in the clinic that would normally be delegated to a physical therapist assistant in that facility. Students/learners will be expected to provide an “In-service” presentation to colleagues at the clinical site, as well as prepare a written patient case study.
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Course Goals:
Following the successful completion of this course with a grade of C+ or higher, the learner will be able to:
1. Develop, discuss and negotiate goals for the affiliation while also developing an action plan for the attainment of the negotiated goals.
2. The student/learner will be performing all duties that would normally be expected of a PTA at entry level.
3. The student/learner will participate in departmental “in-service” presentations, and present an “in-service” to the department.
Course Objectives:
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: Clinical Education III
Week 1: Days 1 & 2
o Observation and orientation for this facility
o Development, discussion and negotiation of goals for this affiliation
o Development of an action plan for the attainment of the negotiated goals
Week 1: Day 3 through the end of Week 6
o The student/learner is expected to perform all duties that would normally be expected of a PTA at entry level. The student/learner is also expected to participate in departmental “in-service” presentations and is required to present an “in-service” to the department, individually or with a fellow PTA or PT student.
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Mercer County Community College
Physical Therapist Assistant Program
In-Service Presentation Expectations (10%)
Identify a topic relevant to physical therapy practice, it might be:
· A specific physical therapy diagnosis
· A specific treatment technique
· A specific treatment approach
· An innovative piece of therapeutic exercise equipment
· A surgical procedure
· A new or frequently used testing tool
· medical complications that patients commonly seen in that department have and their impact on physical therapy regimens
Research the topic utilizing various forms of media
· print (research articles from journals, books, etc.)
· interviews
· Internet (WWW, support group sites, etc.)
· Videos or DVDs (if available)
· Seminars (if available)
Develop an outline for a 30 - 45 minute presentation for your peers within the physical therapy department
Prepare the presentation utilizing audio-visuals to clarify the information
Present your in-service
O Be prepared to answer questions from your audience
O Videotape your in-service presentation (optional)
O Evaluate your performance using the rubric provided.
O Submit an outline of your presentation along with a copy of all handouts to the course director.
O If you used a PowerPoint Presentation, you can email that to me as well.
Mercer County Community College
Physical Therapist Assistant Program
PTA 240 Clinical Education III
Presenter Feedback: In-service Presentation
Student/learner: ______Date: ______
Title of presentation:______
Directions: Mark the appropriate box for each of the performance elements. Comments on
reverse side.
Performance Element / Level 3 / Level 2 / Level 1Topic Relevance / Topic was interesting and relevant to physical therapy and to the audience in attendance / Topic was somewhat relevant to physical therapy and/or the audience in attendance. . / Topic was not relevant to physical therapy and/or the audience in attendance.
Interaction / There were several opportunities for discussion and sharing of ideas. / There were some opportunities for discussion and sharing of ideas / There were few opportunities for discussion and sharing of ideas.
Incorporation of research / Information was included from various sources which were included in a reference list. / Information was included from 1-2 sources which were included in a reference list / Unclear as to the source of information presented. No reference list provided.
Organization / A presentation outline was shared. Main ideas and sequence can be recalled. / A presentation outline was mentioned. Some main ideas can be recalled. / A presentation outline was not evident. Some of the main ideas can be recalled.
Presentation / Speaker was relaxed, well articulated, and maintained good eye contact with the audience. / Speaker met two of the previous criteria. / Speaker met one of the previous criteria.
Handouts/visuals / The handouts were aligned with the presentation, and showed main ideas clearly and concisely. / The handouts were loosely aligned with the presentation, and related to the main ideas. / The handouts were not aligned with the presentation but included many ideas.
Additional Comments: (continue on back if needed)
Signature: ______
Printed Name: ______
Case Study Expectations (20%)
Identify: One of the patients that you have been able to see for an initial evaluation and treatment and critically analyze their exercise program.
Describe: The patient
Diagnosis
Evaluation Findings
Treatment Goals
Treatment approach
Treatment outcomes
Research: The diagnosis in the literature
The treatment approach in the literature
Compare: What you see versus what has been reported in the literature.
Discuss: The similarities and differences between what you have seen and what you have read (in regards to the exercise program or PT interventions) with the rationale for what you have observed. Would you have treated the patient differently or the same as what was provided? Why or Why not. If you would have done it differently, what exactly would you have done and why? Does the literature support the use of the exercise program (or PT intervention) that was given to the patient? Does literature support the “altered” exercise program that you developed? What was your opinion of the original program? Why do you think the exercise program (or PT intervention) was good, bad, helpful, not helpful, etc? You might want to add components of how it was progressed, how it was explained to patients, strengths and or weaknesses of the program.
Prepare: A written case study of the patient incorporating the above expectations.
The case study needs to include a bibliography with at least 5 references published within the past 5 years. Your list must include a variety of references with no more than 3 listings from Web sites. At least 1 reference must be a scholarly journal.
The case study also must follow the PTA Program Documentation Style Guide which can be found on the program’s website and in the PTA program handbook.
Case Study: Grading Criteria and Point Values
1. Grammar 5 points
2. Spelling 5 points
3. Medical Terminology Usage 5 points
4. Organization/Clarity 5 points
5. Timeliness 5 points
6. References 10 points
7. Meeting the Objectives 65 points
for the Assignment
(research portion and discussion portion are 20 points each)
Reasonable Accommodations
On July 26, 1990, the President of the United States signed the Americans with Disabilities Act (P.L. 101-336). The ADA is intended to remove barriers against the more than 43 million people with disabilities in the United States. If you have a documented learning disability, psychological disability, physical disability, or other hidden disability that requires an accommodation, it is your responsibility to make an appointment to meet with the course director and potentially the PTA program coordinator prior to the due date for any course examinations or assignments to discuss what accommodations might be necessary.
A list of Essential Functions for the PTA program students and graduates is available to all students by request, from any PTA program faculty member or through the program’s website.
Mercer County Community College & the Americans with Disabilities Act
Any student in this class who has special needs because of a disability is entitled to receive accommodations. Eligible students at Mercer County Community College are assured services under the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
If you believe you are eligible for services, please contact Arlene Stinson, the Director of Academic Support Services. Ms. Stinson’s office is LB221, and she can be reached at (609) 570-3525.
Required Documents for Completion of PTA 240
Please refer to the “Master Checklist of Required Paperwork & Due Dates” for PTA 245
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Policy: Student Injuries during Clinical &/or Lab
1. Advise your Clinical Instructor and Course Instructor (ACCE Holly Alexander) immediately of the.
2. Prepare an Injury Report and an Insurance Claim Form. Copies of both of these forms can be obtained either in the nursing office on the first floor of the MS building, or from your ACCE (Holly Alexander: MS 157). Submit completed copies of the forms to the ACCE (Holly Alexander). Keep the originals for your records.
3. Attach a copy of the incident report to the insurance claim form and follow the instructions on the form to file a claim. Students are responsible for filing all claims and for any follow up necessary, directly with the insurance company.
Conduct During Clinical Affiliations
1. Activities begin promptly at the specified time.