Dec 08, 2024  
2009-2010 Catalog 
    
2009-2010 Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Physical Therapist Assistant AAS


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Within the discipline of physical therapy, the position of physical therapist assistant (PTA) has emerged as an integral, technically trained, skilled clinician supervised only by the physical therapist (PT). The PTA plays a key role in the patient’s recovery from injury or dysfunction, as well as in the client’s pursuit of wellness and health promotion. The PTA may intervene, with guidance from the plan of care established by the PT.

Direct and indirect interventions may include treating impairments, functional limitations, and disabilities across the human life span. Of primary importance is their effect on the cardiovascular and neuromuscular systems of the body.

Philosophy

The PTA is a generalist who works under the direction of the PT. Specifically, the PTA follows the APTA Code of Ethics and the appropriate state and federal regulations, in a professional manner. The PTA is a technically competent, safe, and knowledgeable practitioner with the aim of being a reflective lifelong learner. Career development and planning are an integral component of the student and graduate.

The PTA may appropriately delegate within his or her scope of practice. The PTA is not only a frontline patient/client educator, but educator of the family as well. PTA’s operate under the PT plan of care.

Educational Process

The faculty is committed to providing a coordinated curriculum based upon a broad spectrum of research, theory, function, practice, and life skills. Professionalism is role modeled by primary didactic faculty and many clinical educators. They train and educate the PTA to communicate in ways that are congruent and appropriate within the program, clinical environment, and the community. Regular student advising and mentoring is a vital component of this process.

A keystone of the educational process is the ability to critically analyze clinical situations and use sound judgment. PTAs may act as advocates for their patients, linking community resources to patient or client needs. Clinical data collection skills are taught using standardized tests and are consistent with PTA educational models, such as the Normative Model of PTA Education and the CPI (Clinical Performance Instrument).

Students are assessed on a regular basis to assure technical competencies and procedural knowledge required to complete all of the performance indicators and program outcomes. In the state of Ohio, a license is required to practice as a PTA.

Employment

PTAs utilize electrical, mechanical, a-thermal and thermal modalities; assist in gait training; instruct in balance and strengthening exercises, rehabilitative balance, and coordination tasks; and improve work or sports performance, along with enhancement of activities of daily living.

PTAs are employed in a variety of settings, including hospitals, rehabilitative centers, skilled nursing facilities, outpatient ambulatory centers, home health agencies, federal or state agencies, and within school settings. Future prospects appear bright as the demand for services will continue to grow, according to government estimates.

Interested students with a background of felony convictions are advised to contact the State of Ohio PT Section and Licensing Board (1.800.871.1921) prior to application to assure that he or she will be eligible to obtain licensing in the future.

Criminal background checks are required upon acceptance and drug screening maybe required by some clinical affiliations.

Application Information

As with any health sciences program at Shawnee State University, prospective students are required to progress through a selective admission process. Each program is limited in terms of size, due to the availability of clinical site placements. In addition to becoming accepted to the University at large, the student must apply to the individual program(s) that interest him or her. The process may be commenced online and with assistance from the health sciences representative. The deadline and special application packet vary from year to year, so students are encouraged to obtain the most recent information online. A new student group or cohort will begin in the summer session 2010 graduating in Spring 2011. A second cohort of students will begin in the Fall of 2010 and will graduate in the Spring of 2012.  Students are encouraged to apply early in the spring semester for admission and scholarships.

Academic Requirements

In order to remain in good standing in the PTA program, and subsequently graduate, students must obtain a minimum of a “C” (2.0) in each course within the curriculum. For students not maintaining this performance standard, two options of remediation/re-entry are currently available.

Accreditation

The physical therapist assistant program at Shawnee State University is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) at the American Physical Therapy Association, 1111 N. Fairfax St., Alexandria, VA 22314; telephone: 703.706.3245; email: accreditation@apta.org; web site: www.capteonline.org.

Please Note

  • Clinical practicums are contracted training sites with over 80 facilities throughout the United States. Most sites are within a 30-80 mile radius of Shawnee State. The faculty highly recommends that students participate in a clinical practicum that is two or more hours drive away from campus. Students may request that faculty originate a new site if the site meets the criteria and needs of the program.
  • Only those students who have been officially accepted into the program are eligible to take any course beginning with the PTAT prefix.

Curriculum


This program is designed over the following five semester sequence:

PTAT 1 + 1 Program (for students that already have most or all of the non-PTAT classes finished).
Advising in 2009 and spring of 2010 only.

FIRST YEAR

FALL
Course No.        Course Description                     Credit Hrs.        Pre-requisites
AHNR 1102       Medical Terminology                         2
AHNR 1104       Phys. Prin. for Health Sciences         2
BIOL 1130         Prin. of Anatomy & Phys. I                4
ENGL 1101       Discourse and Composition (A)  -or-  3-5
ENGL 1102       Discourse and Composition (B)
MATH 1500       Principles of Statistics                      3
PSYC 1101       Introduction to Psychology                3
                                                                           17-19

SPRING
PTAT 1111       Introduction to PT                               2
BIOL 3630        Kinesiology                                       3              BIOL 1130
COMM 1103     Public Speaking & Human Comm.      3
SOCI 1101        Introduction to Sociology                    3
ENGL 1105       Composition & Argumentation            3              ENGL 1101 or 1102
PSYC 1130      Life Span Dev. for Health Sciences      3              PSYC 1101
                                                                               17 

SUMMER

PTAT 1114      Regnl. Studies in Movement & Science  3            BIOL 3630 grade of C- or better
PTAT1113       Regnl. Studies in Movt. & Sci. Lab         3            BIOL 3630 grade of C- or better
PTAT 2123      PTA Procedures 1 & 2 Concepts           3            PTAT 1111 or duel registration, and
                                                                                                 acceptance in PTA program
PTAT 2122      PTA Procedures 1 & 2 Lab                   2            PTAT 1111 or duel registration, and
                                                                                                 acceptance in PTA program
PTAT 1115      PT in Physical Dysfunction                   2            PTAT 1111 or duel registration, and
                                                                                                 acceptance in PTA program
                                                                               13

SECOND YEAR


FALL
PTAT 2231      Rehab Procedures I Concepts               3            PTAT 1114, 1113
PTAT 2230      Rehab Procedures I Lab                       2            PTAT 1114, 1113
PTAT 2232      Neurology & Rehab Proced. Concepts   3            PTAT 1114, 1113
PTAT 2233      Neurology & Rehab Procedures Lab      2            PTAT 1114, 1113
PTAT 2190      Clinical Practicum I                              2
                                                                               12

SPRING
PTAT 1235      PT Administration (Online/Hybrid)         2
PTAT 2255      PTA Seminar (Weekend & Capstone)   1
PTAT 2290      Clinical Practicum 2                            3             PTAT 1111, 1115, 2123, 2122, 1114,
                                                                                                1113, 2231, 2230, 2232, 2233, 2190
PTAT 2390      Clinical Practicum 3                            3             PTAT 2290
PTAT 2490      Clinical Practicum 4                            3             PTAT 2390
                                                                              12




Two Year PTAT Program (for incoming freshman with no or few college credits)

FIRST YEAR

FALL
Course No.     Course Description                      Credit Hrs.      Pre-requisites
AHNR 1102    Medical Terminology                             2
AHNR 1104    Phys. Prin. for Health Science               2
BIOL 1130      Prin. of Anatomy & Phys. I                    4
ENGL 1101    Discourse and Composition (A)   -or-     3-5
ENGL 1102    Discourse and Composition (B)
MATH 1500    Principles of Statistics                          3
PTAT 1111     Introduction to PT                                 2
                                                                             16-18

SPRING
PSYC 1101    Introduction to Psychology                     3
BIOL 3630      Kinesiology                                           3
COMM 1103   Public Speaking & Human Comm.          3
PTAT 1115     PT in Physical Dysfunction                     2           PTAT 1111 or duel registration, and
                                                                                                 acceptance in PTA program
PTAT 2123     PTA Proceduress 1 & 2 concepts           3           PTAT 1111 or duel registration, and
                                                                                                 acceptance in PTA program
PTAT 2122     PTA Procedures 1 & 2 Lab                     2           PTAT 1111 or duel registration, and
                                                                                16              acceptance in PTA program
                                                                               

SUMMER
PTAT 1114     Regnl. Studies in Movement & Sci.         3           BIOL 3630 grade of C- or better
PTAT 1113     Regnl. Studies in Mvt. & Sci. Lab            3           BIOL 3630 grade of C- or better
SOCI 1101     Introduction to Sociology                        3
ENGL 1105    Composition & Argumentation                 3           ENGL 1101
                                                                                12

SECOND YEAR

FALL
PSYC 1130    Life Span Dev. for Health Sciences          3          PSYC 1101
PTAT 2231     Rehab Procedures I Concepts                 3          PTAT 1114, 1113
PTAT 2230     Rehab Procedures I Lab                         2          PTAT 1114, 1113
PTAT 2232     Neurology & Rehab Proced. Concepts     3          PTAT 1114, 1113
PTAT 2233     Neurology & Rehab Procedures Lab        2          PTAT 1114, 1113
PTAT 2190     Clinical Practicum I                                2
                                                                                15

SPRING
PTAT 1235     PT Administration (Online/Hybrid)            2
PTAT 2255     PTA Seminar (Weekend and Capstone)   1
PTAT 2290     Clinical Practicum 2                               3          PTAT 1111, 1115, 2123, 2122, 1114,
                                                                                               1113, 2231, 2230, 2232, 2233, 2190
PTAT 2390     Clinical Practicum 3                               3          PTAT 2290
PTAT 2490     Clinical Practicum 4                               3          PTAT 2390
                                                                                12

  • All PTAT courses MUST be completed with a grade of C or better to move on through the program.
  • Students will be accepted into the program in the spring/early summer and begin classes in the fall.
  • There will be no preference given for college or high school GPA, but students applying out of high school MUST have taken a minimum of high school algebra, chemistry or physics, and biology with a grade of C or better.

           
 



 

 

Note


1 PHYS 2201, Physics 1, or PSCI 2251, Physical Science by Inquiry 1, will substitute for AHNR 1104.

Total Degree Hours 74-76


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