PHT 2810L - Physical Therapy Clinical Practice II

Health Science Department

Credit(s): 4
Contact Hours: 220
Effective Term Spring 2026 (660)

Requisites

Prerequisite PHT 2220 with a minimum grade of C and
Prerequisite PHT 2220L with a minimum grade of C and
Prerequisite College level Mathematics general education core with a minimum grade of C and
Prerequisite DEP 2004 with a minimum grade of C

Course Description

This clinical and laboratory course is correlated with previous didactic and lab material. It provides the student with selected experiences in the college laboratory and health care agency. Emphasis is placed on more complex therapeutic procedures in clinical practice. Problem-solving techniques are employed in clinical decision-making. (Note: 40 clinical hours per week for five (5) weeks and 20 hours in the college laboratory).

Learning Outcomes and Objectives

  1. The student will, at entry level, engage in appropriate ethical and legal practice in all situations.
    1. Perform duties in a manner consistent with the APTA (American Physical Therapy Association) Guide for Conduct of the Physical Therapist Assistant and Standards of Ethical Conduct to meet the expectations of patients, members of the physical therapy profession, and other providers as necessary.
    2. Adhere to legal practice standards, including all federal, state, and institutional regulations related to patient/client care and fiscal management.
    3. Implement in response to an ethical situation, a plan of action that demonstrates sound moral reasoning congruent with core professional ethics and values.
    4. Report to appropriate authorities suspected cases of abuse of vulnerable populations.
    5. Report to appropriate authorities suspected cases of fraud and abuse related to the utilization of and payment for physical therapy and other health care services.
  2. The student will, at the advanced intermediate level, execute duties and activities that exemplify accountability and sound judgment.
    1. Report any changes in the patient's/client's status or progress to the supervising physical therapist.
    2. Perform duties in a manner consistent with APTA's Values Based Behaviors for the Physical Therapist Assistant.
    3. Demonstrate compliance with completion of the required number of clinical hours.
  3. The student will, at the advanced intermediate level, exhibit inclusive behaviors and cultural competence when interacting with others.
    1. Demonstrate respect for the differences of others.
    2. Apply knowledge, theory, and judgment from the patient's/client's perspective, based on the plan of care established by the physical therapist.
  4. The student will, at the advanced intermediate level, demonstrate effective communication skills with others.
    1. Distinguish between effective and ineffective verbal and non-verbal communication with all stakeholders, including patients/clients, family members, caregivers, practitioners, interprofessional team members, consumers, payers, policymakers, faculty, and classmates.
    2. Educate others using teaching methods that are commensurate with the needs of the patient, caregiver or healthcare personnel.
    3. Participate in the provision of patient-centered interprofessional collaborative care.
  5. The student will, at the advanced intermediate level, participate in activities that promote professional growth as a clinician.
    1. Identify and integrate appropriate evidence-based resources to support clinical decision-making for progression of the patient within the plan of care established by the physical therapist.
    2. Identify career development and lifelong learning opportunities, including the role of the physical therapist assistant in the clinical education of physical therapist assistant students.
    3. Perform a self-critique by identifying strengths and areas needed improvement.
  6. The student will, at the advanced intermediate level, demonstrate appropriate clinical reasoning skills.
    1. Interview patients/clients, caregivers, and family to obtain current information related to prior and current level of function and general health status, such as, but not limited to, fatigue, fever, malaise, and unexplained weight change.
    2. Communicate an understanding of the plan of care developed by the physical therapist to achieve short and long term goals and intended outcomes.
    3. Review health records, such as lab values, diagnostic tests, specialty reports, narratives, consults, and physical therapy documentation prior to carrying out the PT plan of care.
    4. Monitor and adjust interventions in the plan of care in response to patient/client status and clinical indications.
    5. Determine when an intervention should not be performed due to clinical indications or when the direction to perform the intervention is beyond that which is appropriate for the physical therapist assistant.
    6. Accurately measure standard vital signs.
    7. Assess a patient’s mental functions.
    8. Fit and adjust patient devices and equipment to ensure patient safety.
    9. Perform gait, locomotion, and balance training safely.
    10. Perform safe functional training in self-care and in domestic, education, work, community, social, and civic life.
    11. Respond appropriately to emergencies.
  7. The student will, at the advanced intermediate level, demonstrate competence in implementing selected components of interventions identified in the plan of care established by the physical therapist. Interventions include:
    1. Therapeutic exercise.
    2. Muscle performance, such as measuring muscle strength by manual muscle testing; observing the presence or absence of muscle mass; recognizing normal and abnormal muscle length and changes in muscle tone.
    3. Posture, including determining normal and abnormal alignment of the trunk and extremities at rest and during activities.
    4. Range of motion, including measuring functional range of motion and measuring range of motion using an appropriate measurement device.
    5. Manual therapy techniques, including passive range of motion and therapeutic massage.
    6. Biophysical agents, including biofeedback, electrotherapeutic agents, compression therapies, cryotherapy, hydrotherapy, superficial and deep thermal agents, traction and light therapies.
    7. Airway clearance techniques, including breathing exercises, coughing techniques and secretion mobilization.
    8. Application of devices and equipment, including assistive/adaptive devices and prosthetic and orthotic devices.
    9. Functional training in self-care and in domestic, education, work, community, social, and civic life.
    10. Motor function training for balance and gait.
    11. Patient/client education.
  8. The student will, at the advanced intermediate level, demonstrate competence in performing components of data collection skills essential for carrying out the plan of care by administering appropriate tests and measures (before, during, and after interventions) for the following areas:
    1. Integumentary integrity, including detecting absent or altered sensation; normal and abnormal integumentary changes; activities, positioning, and postures that aggravate or relieve pain or altered sensations, or that can produce associated skin trauma; and recognize viable versus nonviable tissue.
    2. Joint integrity and mobility, including detecting normal and abnormal joint movement.
    3. Anthropometrical characteristics, including measurements of height, weight, length and girth.
    4. Neuromotor development, including detecting gross motor milestones, fine motor milestones, and righting and equilibrium reactions.
    5. Gait, including determining the safety, status, and progression of a patient while engaged in gait activities.
    6. Locomotion, including determining the safety, status, and progression of a patient while engaged in locomotion activities (wheelchair mobility and management).
    7. Balance, including determining the safety, status, and progression of a patient while engaged in balance activities.
  9. The student will, at the advanced intermediate level, produce appropriate and accurate documentation that describes the data collection and interventions provided to the patient/client. Appropriate documentation includes:
    1. The use of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) to describe a patient's/client's impairments, activity and participation limitations.
    2. Adherence to the guidelines and specific documentation formats required by state practice acts, the practice setting, and other regulatory agencies.
  10. The student will, at the advanced intermediate level, effectively participate in resource management.
    1. Appropriately contribute to the discontinuation of care of a patient.
    2. Perform accurate and timely billing.
    3. Describe organizational planning and operation.
    4. Engage in quality assurance and performance improvement activities.
  11. The student will describe the medical and physical therapy care management and the role of various health care providers caring for a patient with a given disease/disorder.
    1. Summarize appropriate medical and physical therapy treatment of patients with lymphedema and pulmonary dysfunction.
    2. Discuss the unique aspects of working with the geriatric population.
    3. Explain appropriate physical therapy assessment and treatment techniques for patients with vestibular disorders.
  12. The student will identify personal strengths and areas for further development.
    1. Discuss previous personal challenges working with various patient populations and progress made towards overcoming these challenges.
    2. Summarize the types of patients the student feels most comfortable treating.
    3. Discuss techniques of patient-student-therapist interactions encountered in the clinical setting that could be improved.
  13. The student will demonstrate competence in implementing selected components of interventions identified in a mock plan of care established by the physical therapist.
    1. Perform wound management interventions, including isolation techniques, sterile technique, application and removal of dressing or agents, and identification of precautions for dressing removal.
  14. The student will demonstrate competence in performing components of data collection skills essential for carrying out the plan of care by administering appropriate tests and measures for ventilation, respiration, and circulation.
    1. Detect signs and symptoms of respiratory distress, and activities that aggravate or relieve edema, pain, dyspnea, or other symptoms.
    2. Describe thoracoabdominal movements and breathing patterns with activity, and cough and sputum characteristics.

Criteria Performance Standard

Upon successful completion of the course, the student will demonstrate competency by achieving a "Pass" or "P" for the overall course. This is a Pass or Fail course. The "Pass" or "Fail" score is determined by the following criteria that are listed in detail on the Clinical Education Grading Rubric. The student must receive a "Pass" on each of the requirements below in order to pass the course. 1. Discussion Posts (Pass or Fail) 2. Attendance Form (Pass or Fail) 3. Clinical Notebook (Pass or Fail) 4. In-service or Case Study (Pass or Fail) 5. Clinical Performance Instrument Self-Evaluation (Pass or Fail) 6. Evaluation of the Clinical Experience and Clinical Instructor (Pass or Fail) 7. Clinical Performance Instrument (Pass or Fail) - Must achieve Web CPI 3.0 Performance Criteria # 2-11 at the Advanced Intermediate Level and CPI Performance Criterion #1 at Entry-level in order to pass this requirement.

History of Changes

Revised 8/15/83 Revised 8/84 Revised 7/85 DBT 12/12/85 Effective Session 19861 Revised 7/88 SCN Change 7/10/89 Effective Session 19891. DBT 11/21/89, Effective Session 1991 3 YR C&I Review 1993-94. C&I 10/22/96, Effective Session 19971. C&I 5/22/01, DBT 6/25/01, Effective YrTr 20011. C&I 4/23/02, BOT 5/14/02, Effective yrtr 20021. C&I 10/25/05, BOT 11/15/05, Eff 20061(0370). C&”I 11/10/08, BOT 12/16/08, Effective 20091(0415). C&I Approval: 09/16/2011, BOT Approval: 10/20/2011, Effective Term: Spring 2012 (450). C&I Approval: 11/20/2015, BOT Approval: 03/15/2016, Effective Term: Summer 2016 (515). C&I Approval: , BOT Approval: , Effective Term: Spring 2018 (540). C&I Approval: , BOT Approval: , Effective Term: Spring 2019 (555). C&I Approval: 02/14/2019, BOT Approval: 03/19/2019, Effective Term: Fall 2019 (565).
C&I Approval: , BOT Approval: , Effective Term: Spring 2026 (660)

Related Programs

  1. Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA-AS) (640) (Active)