Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA)

Examines the basic patient care skills for the healthcare practitioner enabling understanding and demonstration of skills that include positioning, body mechanics, transfers, range of motion, palpation, vital signs, aseptic techniques, bandaging, medical terminology, activities of daily living (ADLs), wheelchair management, architectural barriers, and gait training.

Provides a laboratory experience developing and assessing the essential skills required by Commission on Accreditation of Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). This course ensuring competency in essential psychomotor skills required by CAPTE accreditation.

Explores the history of the profession including definition, development and areas of practice. The role of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), the physical therapist assistant (PTA) and the relationship between the physical therapist (PT), PTA and other health care professionals are investigated. This course covers current issues and trends including professionalism, legal aspects, ethics, quality assurance, communications and reimbursement issues such as Medicare, Medicaid, Worker's Compensation and commercial insurance.

​Covers the study of basic functional anatomy as it relates to the field of physical therapy. This course explains descriptive terminology, osteology, arthrology, and neurology and muscle physiology. This course focuses on origin, insertion, action, and innervation of major muscles along with the movements that occur. Laboratory sessions will involve palpation of bones, muscles, and joints, location of origin and insertion, muscle actions and structures affecting movement.

Examines the theory and principles of physical therapy modalities. This course includes therapeutic heat and cold, traction, hydrotherapy, and light therapies.

Provides the opportunity to develop and be evaluated on essential skills in therapeutic interventions, modalities, muscle testing, range of motion assessment, gait, and posture \ required by Commission on Accreditation of Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), ensuring student competency in the psychomotor skills acquired throughout the semester. These skills include therapeutic modalities and therapeutic interventions and assessment of those interventions in contemporary physical therapy for the physical therapist assistant.

Investigates the functioning, disability and health associated with a variety of genetic, developmental and neuromusculoskeletal conditions. The course covers medical management including pharmacology, and its impact on physical therapy rehabilitation principles are discussed. The course investigates evidence based practice for genetic, developmental, musculoskeletal, and neurological system diagnosis, as well as common medical and surgical conditions, will be reviewed as they relate to physical therapy rehabilitation.

Introduces oral and written professional communication in the physical therapy field. This course develops skills in verbal and non-verbal communication, performance evaluation, literature research, and presentation, use of editorial style and technology, and development of professional behaviors.

Investigates the functioning, disabilities and health associated with a variety of pathophysiological processes and conditions. Medical management, including pharmacology, and its impact on physical therapy rehab principles are discussed. Evidence based practice for cardiovascular, endocrine/metabolic, gastrointestinal, genital/reproductive, hematologic, immune, integumentary, hepatic/biliary, lymphatic, and respiratory system diagnoses as well as chronic pain diagnoses and common medical and surgical conditions will be reviewed as they relate to physical therapy rehab.

Explores the principles and application of electrical stimulation (ES) modalities currently used in physical therapy practice. This course enables the understanding of the electrochemical and physiological effects of electrical stimulation and identification of the various forms and applications of electrical stimulation modalities.

Focuses on the science of human motion, theories of biomechanics, and muscle and joint structure and function. This course emphasizes basic principles of therapeutic exercise and their application to specific body regions, and includes the application of kinesiology and exercise principles.

Explores medical documentation of patient care as used in the profession of physical therapy throughout multiple practice settings. This course develops physical therapy documentation skills that use standardized formats and meet requirements of various payer sources and settings.

Provides students with a vehicle to pursue in depth exploration of special topics of interest.

Explores the psychosocial aspects of the patient and or client and health care practitioner. Investigates recognition of and adjustment for psychological, sociological, educational, cultural, economic, and political concerns on the delivery of health care services. Communication skills and social and advocacy responsibilities of the health care practitioner are discussed enabling the development of skills necessary to meet expectations and needs of members of society receiving health care services.

Examines the theory, principles, and practices of orthopedic conditions. This course includes assessment and management techniques pertaining to orthopedic conditions, goniometry, manual muscle testing, gait analysis, and posture analysis.

Examines the theory and principles of physical therapy with an introduction to assessment, management techniques and advanced physical therapy procedures as they relate to neurologic, cardiac, and pulmonary conditions.

Provides the opportunity to develop and be evaluated on essential skills in orthopedic, neurological, pediatric, geriatric and special population assessment and management required by Commission on Accreditation of Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), ensuring student competency in the psychomotor skills acquired throughout the semester. These skills include Orthopedic Assessment and Management and Neurological Assessment and Management in contemporary physical therapy for the physical therapist assistant. This is a laboratory experience, providing students with the opportunity to develop and be assessed on essential skills required by CAPTE accreditation, ensuring student competency in the psychomotor skills acquired throughout the semester.

Advances development and application of the written and oral communication skills utilized in healthcare and physical therapy workplace settings.

Provides students with a vehicle to pursue in depth exploration of special topics of interest.

Provides students with an experiential learning opportunity.

Focuses on an initial clinical exposure providing hands on patient practicum skills and techniques. Includes application of basic patient care skills including transfers, range of motion, modalities, bandaging, aseptic techniques, and gait training. Students demonstrate professional behavior and communication principles appropriate in the physical therapy setting. A designated clinical instructor in an acute care, geriatric, or outpatient setting provides supervision.

Focuses on an intermediate clinical experience providing hands on patient practicum skills and techniques. Includes continued application of physical therapy procedures of Internship I with the addition of therapeutic exercise, goniometry, manual muscle testing, and motor learning techniques. Students demonstrate professional behavior and communication principles appropriate in the physical therapy setting. A designated clinical instructor in an acute care, rehabilitation, outpatient, geriatric, or home health setting provides supervision. During the internship, the student presents an in-service on a physical therapy related topic.

Incorporates advanced clinical experience providing hands on patient practicum skills and techniques. Students refine all physical therapy skills in preparation to enter the field as an entry-level physical therapist assistant. This final experience includes independent practice with an assigned caseload under the on-site supervision of a clinical instructor. The student presents an inservice on a physical therapy related topic.