PTAP 203 - Clinical Education III

6 Credits: (300 clinical hours) Last 8 weeks

Course Description
This is the final clinical education experience, which builds on skills developed throughout the Physical Therapist Assistant Program and during Clinical Education I and II. It occurs in a different type of clinical setting than Clinical Educations I and II. Clinical Education III enables the student to integrate all areas of didactic and laboratory practice into clinical practice. The student will be able to integrate his/her health care delivery skills and become an integral member of the health care team.

Note The duration is 300 hours (generally eight 40-hour weeks).

Prerequisite PTAP 105, PTAP 124, and PTAP 202.

Butler County Community College Clinical Education Handbook (2020-2021). Butler: Butler County Community College.

Objectives
The student will be able to rate at “Entry Level Performance” for the American Physical Therapy Association’s (APTA) Clinical Performance Instrument (CPI) for each of the following criteria:

A. Performs in a safe manner that minimizes the risk to patient, self, and others

B. Demonstrates expected clinical behaviors in a professional manner in all situations

C. Performs in a manner consistent with established legal standards, standards of the profession, and ethical guidelines

D. Adapts delivery of physical therapy services with consideration for patients’ differences, values, preferences, and needs

E. Communicates in ways that are congruent with situational needs

F. Participates in self-assessment and develops plans to improve knowledge, skills, and behaviors

G. Demonstrates clinical problem solving

H. Performs selected therapeutic exercises in a competent manner

I. Applies selected manual therapy, airway clearance, and integumentary repair and protection techniques in a competent manner

J. Applies selected physical agents and mechanical modalities in a competent manner

K. Applies selected electrotherapeutic modalities in a competent manner

L. Performs functional training in self-care and home management and application and adjustment of devices and equipment in a competent manner

M. Produces quality documentation in a timely manner to support the delivery of physical therapy services

N. Participates in the efficient delivery of physical therapy services

Content
(From the APTA CPI performance criteria)

A. Safety

B. Clinical behaviors

C. Accountability

D. Cultural competence

E. Communication

F. Self-assessment and lifelong learning

G. Clinical problem solving

H. Interventions: therapeutic exercise

I. Interventions: therapeutic techniques

J. Interventions: physical agents and mechanical modalities

K. Interventions: electrotherapeutic modalities

L. Interventions: functional training and application of devices and equipment

M. Documentation

N. Resource management

Student Evaluation
All objectives will be evaluated in the same manner. The course is overseen by Butler County Community College’s Academic Coordinator of Clinical Education (ACCE). The grading system consists of Satisfactory (“S”) or Unsatisfactory (“U”) performance. The student’s performance will be assessed both at the midterm and during the final days using the American Physical Therapy Association’s Clinical Performance Instrument (CPI), which contains 14 individual performance criteria (comprising the course content), each comprised of a multitude of essential skills. A visual analog scale (VAS) is provided for each criterion, with vertical markings noting “Beginning Performance,” “Advanced Beginner Performance,” “Intermediate Performance,” “Advanced Intermediate Performance,” and “Entry-level Performance.” The ACCE provides the student’s Clinical Instructor with an addendum of minimum final ratings for each of the criteria, all of which must be met in order to recommend Satisfactory (“S”) performance. Each clinical instructor completes a training module of the utilization of the CPI. The CPI is completed by the Clinical Instructor at the clinical site, and the final grade is determined by the PTA Program ACCE based on the VAS findings, written comments, and recommendations from the Clinical Instructor. Additionally, the student is required to perform an in-service or case presentation.Bibliography
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Fairchild, S. Pierson and Fairchild’s Principles and Techniques of Patient Care. 6th ed. (2018). St. Louis: Elsevier Saunders.

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Hislop, H, Avers, D., Brown, M. Daniels and Worthingham’s Muscle Testing: Techniques of Manual Examination. 9th ed. (2014). Philadelphia: Saunders.

Kisner, C, Colby, L.A., Borstad, J. Therapeutic Exercise: Foundations and Techniques. 7th ed. (2018). Philadelphia: Davis.

Lippert, L. Clinical Kinesiology and Anatomy. 6th ed. (2017). Philadelphia: Davis.

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Manske, R. C., Shankman, G. A. Fundamental Orthopedic Management for the Physical Therapist Assistant. 4th ed. (2015). St. Louis: Mosby.

Martin, S., Kessler, M. Neurologic Intervention for Physical Therapy. 3rd ed. (2015). Philadelphia: Saunders.

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