PHT 2820L - Physical Therapy Clinical Practice III

Health Science Department

Credit(s): 4
Contact Hours: 232
Effective Term Fall 2026 (670)

Requisites

Prerequisite PHT 2810L with a minimum grade of C and
Prerequisite PHT 2931 with a minimum grade of C

Course Description

This clinical course provides the student with selected experiences in a healthcare agency under the direct supervision of a physical therapist/physical therapist assistant. Emphasis is placed on complex/advanced therapeutic procedures in clinical practice. Advanced problem-solving techniques are employed in clinical decision-making. (Note: This course is a full-time clinical experience x 6 weeks.)

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 Guide for Conduct of the Physical Therapist Assistant (APTA) and Standards of Ethical Conduct (APTA) 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 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 entry-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 required number of clinical hours.
  3. The student will, at entry-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 entry-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 entry-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 needing improvement.
  6. The student will, at entry-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.
    10. Perform functional training in self-care and in domestic, education, work, community, social, and civic life.
    11. Appropriately respond to emergencies.
    12. Contribute to patient and healthcare provider safety.
  7. The student will, at entry-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 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 entry-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. Anthropometric 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 entry-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 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 entry-level, effectively participate in resource management.
    1. Appropriately contribute to the discontinuation of care.
    2. Perform accurate and timely billing.
    3. Describe organizational planning and operation.
    4. Participate in quality assurance and improvement.
  11. The student will identify personal strengths and areas for further development.
    1. Discuss personal goals for overcoming challenges working with various patient populations.
    2. Summarize the types of patients the student feels most comfortable treating.
    3. Discuss strategies that foster effective patient-student-therapist interactions in the clinical setting.
  12. The student will educate health care facility staff using appropriate and effective means.
    1. Research a physical therapy topic using current evidence-based articles and clinical practice guidelines.
    2. Apply professional speaking skills to present relevant information to the healthcare team using various teaching methods to ensure understanding and successful delivery.
  13. 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 Entry-Level for Web CPI 3.0 Performance Criteria # 1-11.

History of Changes

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 4/27/99, DBT 5/18/99, effective 19991. C&I 4/23/02, BOT 5/14/02, Effective yrtr 20021. 3 Year Review 2005. “C” grades added, eff 20081(0400). C&I 4/27/2010, BOT 6/15/2010, Effective 20102(0435). 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: , BOT Approval: , Effective Term: Fall 2026 (670)

Related Programs

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