PTA Specialty Certification in Orthopaedics

Curriculum

Effective: 06/17

PTA Specialty Certification in Orthopaedics

Program Description

Physical therapist assistants are an important member of the healthcare team and play a vital role in bringing the physical therapist’s plan of care to life. EIM’s PTA Specialty Certification in Orthopaedics provides licensed PTA’s the opportunity to advance their knowledge and practice in the care of patients suffering orthopedic-related conditions. You will gain the confidence and autonomy to provide quality, evidence-based care utilizing advanced exercise prescription, pain neuroscience education and sound clinical reasoning.

Program Objectives

  1. Become a certified, highly skilled, PTA practitioner with advanced clinical competency in orthopaedic physical therapy.
  2. Be equipped to incorporate the advanced exercise prescription and modern pain neuroscience education for patients with orthopaedic related conditions.
  3. Enhance your critical thinking and psychomotor skills to improve decision-making and outcomes of care.
  4. Improve your knowledge of current evidence and begin your preparation for the APTA’s PTA Advanced Proficiency Pathways (APP) Program.

Program Length- 5-7 months, Admission (September and March)

Admission Requirements

  1. All applicants must provide a copy of a current and valid license to practice physical therapy in one of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, or US Virgin Islands. This license must be in good standing.
  2. All applicants must have successfully completed a CAPTE accredited professional physical therapist assistant curriculum, or have had a state physical therapy board approve the applicant’s first-professional physical therapist assistant program as “equivalent” to a US CAPTE accredited professional physical therapy program.
  3. If English is not the applicant’s native/first language, specified language proficiency requirements must be met.

Curriculum

The EIM PTA Specialty Certification in Orthopaedics Program consists of 7total credits of blended online and onsite learning.

The curriculum consists of the following outlined academic courses:

  • PTA Evidence-based Practice
  • PTA MSK Lower Quarter Management
  • PTA Special Topics
  • PTA MSK Upper Quarter Management
  • Advanced Exercise Prescription
  • Weekend Intensive in Orthopaedics - 2-day
  • Virtual Rounds and Case Presentations
  • PTA Certification ExamComprehensive

EBP 6015 PTA Evidence-based Practice(2 weeks/ online).5 Credit

This self-directed course is an introduction to the underlying principles and clinical application of evidence-based practice for the physical therapist assistant (PTA). Students will focus on developing and/or enhancing the ability to obtain peer-reviewed research, performing basic appraisal of the evidence, and applying the evidence into clinical practice. There is no lab intensive associated with this course.

Course Objectives

  1. Recall and define the basic terms associated with research and evidence-based practice.
  2. Identify the hierarchy of evidence, including the strengths and weaknesses of each level of evidence.
  3. Define and apply basic components of statistical analysis and clinical research to allow ranking of research based on reliability and validity.
  4. Locate best available evidence within healthcare literature.
  5. Describe how to efficiently read a research article.
  6. Identify ways to locate the best available evidence given a specific clinical question.
  7. Incorporate the concept of clinician expertise into evidence-based clinical decision-making.

OPTA 6110 PTA MSK Lower Quarter Management (4 weeks, faculty-led)1 Credit

This course is designed to improve the PTA’s knowledge and skill level in the evidence-based management of individuals with lumbopelvic spine and lower extremity disorders and dysfunction. The current evidence regarding treatment approaches will be reviewed, with a focus on teaching the manual therapy and exercise skills necessary to improve clinical outcomes for PTAs working with patients with lower quarter conditions. This course will consist of viewing pre-recorded lectures, reading articles, and online discussion with your peers and faculty to maximize the learning experience. An intensive laboratory weekend is included to provided hands-on demonstration and practice of selected manual therapy and exercise interventions for the lumbopelvic and lower extremity regions.

Course Objectives

  1. Discuss the current literature as it relates to the treatment of individuals with lower quarter disorders and dysfunction.
  2. Participate in peer-assessment activities.
  3. Demonstrate appropriate clinical decision-making skills, including clinical reasoning, clinical judgment, and reflective practice.
  4. Examine patients/clients by obtaining a history, by performing a systems review, and by selecting and administering valid and reliable age-related tests and measures.
  5. Manage a plan of care
  6. Provide evidence-based physical therapy interventions to achieve patient/client goals and outcomes.

OPTA 6120 PTA Special Topics(4 weeks/online)1 Credit

This self-directed course will provide the learner with information regarding healthcare professionalism, medical screening, pharmacology, empathy, and pain neuroscience education. The material will be presented in a manner that improves the quality of care PTAs can provide their patients/clients, while also enhancing their ability to interact with other healthcare providers. There is no lab intensive associated with this course.

Course Objectives

  1. Identify appropriate behaviors associated with professionalism in the healthcare setting.
  2. Understand the role of empathy and therapeutic alliance in providing an environment that maximizes the opportunities for success in the physical therapy setting.
  3. Utilize a medical screening form to guide a review of systems across the life span.
  4. Recognize potentially serious conditions that are not appropriate for treatment by a physical therapist or physical therapist assistant, as well as yellow flags: such as depression or fear avoidance, and communicate effectively with physical therapists and other healthcare providers as needed.
  5. Understand the basics of pharmacokinetic and pharmacotherapeutic principles and how they impact our patients.
  6. Use information on therapeutic actions, potential side effects, and implications for PT practice in planning and modifying patient plans of care with other healthcare providers.
  7. Understand the ranges for normal test results for selected clinical tests, and possible reasons for abnormal test results.
  8. Recall and discuss the latest evidence for therapeutic neuroscience education as it relates to patients dealing with pain and disability.
  9. Demonstrate the ability to apply the basic principles of therapeutic neuroscience education to clinical practice.

OPTA 6130 PTA MSK Upper Quarter Management(4 weeks, faculty-led)1 Credit

This course is designed to improve the PTA’s knowledge and skill level in the evidence-based management of individuals with cervical-thoracic spine, ribcage, and upper extremity disorders and dysfunction. The current evidence regarding treatment approaches will be reviewed, with a focus on teaching the manual therapy and exercise skills necessary to improve clinical outcomes for PTAs working with patients with upper quarter conditions. This course will consist of viewing pre-recorded lectures, reading articles, and online discussion with your peers and faculty to maximize the learning experience. An intensive laboratory weekend is included to provided hands-on demonstration and practice of selected manual therapy and exercise interventions for the cervical-thoracic, ribcage, and upper extremity regions.

Course Objectives

  1. Discuss the current literature as it relates to the treatment of individuals with upper quarter disorders and dysfunction.
  2. Participate in peer-assessment activities.
  3. Demonstrate appropriate clinical decision-making skills, including clinical reasoning, clinical judgment, and reflective practice.
  4. Examine patients/clients by obtaining a history, by performing a systems review, and by selecting and administering valid and reliable age-related tests and measures.
  5. Manage a plan of care.
  6. Provide evidence-based physical therapy interventions to achieve patient/client goals and outcomes.

OPTA 6140 Advanced Exercise Prescription(4 weeks/online)1 Credit

This course discusses the physiology behind advanced strength, coordination, and skill exercises including plyometrics, how clinicians can use a clinical decision-making process for therapeutic exercise prescription, and practical examples of assessing and prescribing exercise for various populations. With this information clinicians bring patients and clients to their highest level of function through appropriate use of exercise.

Course Objectives

  1. Describe types of exercises and elements of exercise that would be appropriate and discusses patients who might benefit from exercise to enhance advanced coordination and skill.
  2. Describe the type of patient who might benefit from advanced exercise.
  3. Learn various methods of assessing advanced coordination and skill are included as well as parameters for prescribing effective exercises.
  4. Describe the types of exercises and how to prepare exercise dosage to improve patient gain
  5. Demonstrate assessment and outcome measurement techniques and exercise prescription for advanced strength, coordination, and skill.

OPTA 7080WI Weekend Intensive in Orthopaedics (2-day onsite)1.5 Credits

EIM's PTA Practicum in Orthopaedics course is designed to enhance the participant's knowledge and skill level in the evidence-based management of individuals with lower quarter and upper quarter disorders and dysfunction. This lab intensive course focuses on the clinical reasoning, basic and advanced exercise and hands-on skill development necessary to effectively intervention techniques into the clinical management of these individuals. Participants will receive hands-on demonstration and practice of both data collection and selected interventions of the lower and upper quarter.

Course Objectives

  1. Identify and perform key elements of a basic and advanced exercise prescription in those suffering from upper and lower quarter conditions and dysfunction.
  2. Synthesize and analyze data from the upper quarter/lower quarter clinical examination based on best practice.
  3. Enhance the clinical decision-making of the PTA managing a patient with upper and lower quarter conditions and dysfunction.
  4. Discuss and implement pain neuroscience education for the appropriate patient case.

OPTA 7170 Virtual Rounds and Case Presentations(2 weeks/faculty led)1 Credit

This course will focus on advanced decision-making regarding clinical care in a collaborative virtual environment. The focus of virtual rounds is to further develop each student’s clinical decision-making skills and EBP skills providing high quality, evidence-focused feedback on patient cases. Enrollment in EIM Virtual Rounds will focus on lower quarter and upper quarter patient cases.

Course Objectives

  1. Clearly and concisely discuss and/or provide feedback on patient cases including key elements of data collection, diagnosis, prognosis and plan of care.
  2. Demonstrate clinical decision-making skills, including clinical reasoning, clinical judgment, and reflective practice.
  3. Synthesize data from patient cases and analyze data to make clinical judgments regarding patient/client management.
  4. Participate in peer discussion and provide feedback to physical therapist assistant colleagues that encourage the application of current best evidence into clinical practice.
  5. Demonstrate mastery of clinical decision-making in lower quarter and upper quarter musculoskeletal care, with appropriate incorporation of basic and advanced therapeutic exercises and modern pain science education throughout the entire course of care.

OPTA 7080 PTA Certification Comprehensive Exam (2 weeks/online)N/C

Students will have two weeks to complete a final comprehensive written examination that focuses on management of the Upper and Lower quarter, exercise prescription, clinical reasoning, decision-making, and the application of evidence-based approaches in the PTA rehabilitation process.