Clinical I Syllabus for 2018-2019
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Instructor Information

Course Information

Recording Policy

Disability Statement

If you have a disability (learning, mental, physical) that affects your ability to participate effectively and have access to any program or service at Amarillo College please contact Disability Services at (806) 345-5639 . Our offices are located in the Student Service Center office 112. More information may be found at www.actx.edu/disability.
Disability Services facilitates access to all programs and services according to the ADA, Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, as well as other federal and state laws.

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If you find you are unable to access material in an accessible format please contact the Disability Services Office at (806) 345-5639 . This office will work in conjunction with other campus resources to address and accommodate your issue in a timely manner.

Statement for Mental Health and Advocacy & Resource Center:

As a student you may experience a range of issues that can cause barriers to learning, such as strained relationships, increased anxiety, alcohol/drug problems, feeling down, difficulty concentrating and/or lack of motivation. These mental health concerns or stressful events may lead to diminished academic performance or reduce a student's ability to participate in daily activities. Amarillo College offers services to assist you with addressing these and other concerns you may be experiencing. If you or someone you know are suffering from any of the aforementioned conditions, you can learn more about the broad range of confidential mental health services available on campus by calling the AC Counseling Center at 806-371-5900. The AC Counseling Center website is https://www.actx.edu/counseling/ . Also, if you are in need of social services (affordable housing, utilities, transportation, food, clothing, childcare, medical/dental/vision, legal), please call the AC Advocacy & Resource Center at 806-371-5439. The AC Advocacy & Resource Center website is https://www.actx.edu/arc

Amarillo College Tutoring for Success Policy:

Administrative Drop Policy

Students who do not attend class on or prior to the census date will be administratively dropped. Effective Fall, 2016

Student Withdrawal Procedures

Students who wish to withdraw from a course must complete all steps indicated on the Academic Withdrawal Request form by the course withdrawal deadline.

NOTE: Students who are attending Texas institutions of higher education, for the first time fall 2007 and later, may not withdraw from more than six courses during their academic career. This withdrawal limitation does not include dual credit or developmental classes (Senate Bill 1231 Rule 4.10.) For more information on Drop and Withdrawal Policies, please visit the Registrar's Office Web site.

Privacy Statement

The Amarillo College Privacy Policy is found at https://www.actx.edu/-amarillo-college-privacy-notice , and applies to all Amarillo College students.  If you have questions about this privacy statement or you believe that your personal information has been released without your consent, send email to humanresources@actx.edu .

Course

PTHA-1260-001 Clinical I

Prerequisites

Prerequisites:  PTHA 1301, PTHA 1405,  PTHA 1413, PTHA 1431, PTHA 2301, and PTHA 2409.

Course Description

A health-related work-based learning experience that enables the student to apply specialized occupational theory, skills, and concepts. Direct supervision is provided by the clinical professional. 

Student Resources Student Resources Website

Department Expectations

Occupational License Disclaimer

Notice to Students enrolled in an educational program for preparation of issuance of certain occupational licenses:

Students enrolled in an educational program in preparation for obtaining certain occupational licenses are potentially ineligible for such license if the student has been convicted of an offense. For further information, please contact:

Melodie Graves
Justice Involved Advocate
Student Service Center 117
mgraves24@actx.edu
806-371-5995
Make appointment at https://melodiegraves.youcanbook.me

You can also contact the Legal Clinic, or the faculty member in charge of the educational program that you seek to enroll in. The further information you will receive will include notification to you of your right to request a criminal history evaluation letter from the licensing authority in order to clarify your particular situation.

Hours

(2 sem hrs; 30 clinical)

Class Type

Clinical

Syllabus Information

Textbooks

1. PTA MACS, 3rd Edition, 2018, from the Texas Alliance of Physical Therapist Assistant Educators, Inc.
2. Full Access to the clinical education web-based platform, www.trajecsys.com 

Both can be purchased through the bookstore or directly. Both are one-time purchases which will be used in the Spring 2020 also.

Supplies

Clinic ID badge which is purchased at the West Campus Business office for $2.00. Preferred method for payment is cash. This is required and must be worn during the clinic rotation.

Student Performance

160 Contact Hours

COURSE OBJECTIVES

1. Demonstrate the ability to safely perform selected physical therapy assessment skills and treatment interventions from within the physical therapist’s plan of care for routine patients with moderate supervision and guidance by the physical therapist

  2. Demonstrate the ability to perform adequate documentation and communication with the physical therapist, given extra time and guidance, regarding all aspects of patient status, patient treatment and patient response to treatment

  3. Demonstrate the ability to assist the supervising physical therapist in the education of patients and family members/caregivers

  4. Demonstrate the ability to perform appropriate patient communication in a culturally competent manner, with moderate guidance from the physical therapist

  5. Demonstrate the ability to participate in scheduling and other routine administrative procedures of the physical therapy department

  6. Recognize administrative roles and duties through attendance at departmental meetings, committee meetings, and case conferences with other healthcare providers as appropriate

  7. Demonstrate appropriate legal and ethical behavior during skill performance and interactions with patients, family members, and other healthcare providers with occasional guidance from the supervising physical therapist

Students Rights and Responsibilities

Student Rights and Responsibilities

Log in using the AC Connect Portal

In order to receive your AC Connect Email, you must log in through AC Connect at https://acconnect.actx.edu .

If you are an active staff or faculty member according to Human Resources, use "Exchange". All other students, use "AC Connect (Google) Email".

Expected Student Behavior

DISABILITY STATEMENT:  Any student who, because of a disabling condition, may require some special arrangement in order to meet course requirements should contact disAbility Services (Phone 371-5436) as soon as possible.

Students Rights and RESPONSIBILITIES:Students are to read the Amarillo College Student Rights and Responsibilities publication with emphasis on reading the Academic Information, Student Conduct and Responsibilities, and the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Education/Prevention Program

ACADEMIC DISHONESTY: Students demonstrating academic dishonesty as defined in the “Students Right and Responsibilities” handout will receive a grade of “F” in the course and will be subject to all PTA program policies regarding course failure.

Student Grievance Procedure

A student who has a problem with the course or the course instructor should make every attempt to resolve the problem with the course instructor. If that is not successful, the student may appeal the decision of the instructor to the program director, Dean of Health Sciences, Vice President of Academic Affairs, President of Amarillo College - IN THAT ORDER.

Grading Criteria

Instructional Method: Observation, demonstration, return demonstration, supervised treating of patients

Criteria for successful completion of PTA MACS during PTHA 1260

The student is required to be at entry level on Professional Behaviors 1-7, and 9 at the completion of the summer clinical rotation. The student should be at entry level on 52 additional skills as outlined in syllabus.

 

Students will be expected to have met ENTRY LEVEL on all the required skills in the PTA MACS indicated with a √ or + AND be determined to be at Entry Level by the last rotation in order to successfully complete the program. THE SKILLS REQUIREMENT FOR CLINICAL 1 ARE LISTED BELOW.

 I. PTA MACS

The PTA MACS is divided into six sections: Professional Behaviors, Plan of Care, Interventions in Client and Patient Management, Test and Measures, Healthcare Environment and Site Specific Skills.

Professional Behaviors:

Skill #1-7 and #9 will be addressed at each clinical experience by filling in the white form. By the last clinical all skills must be at entry-level on the Master List.

Plan of Care:

For Clinical I, students should achieved entry level with skill number #12, #13 and #15 by the conclusion of the rotation.

Interventions in Patient/Client Management:

For Clinical I, students are to check off as many skills as appropriate for their level and according to site availability. The students have completed Therapeutic Exercise, Data Collection, Basic Patient Care and Physical Agents at this time. These main categories have multiple sub-categories. 

Skill Number                            Check offs needed

   #17                                                   10

   #18                                                    5

   #20                                                    7

Tests and Measures:

            Students are to check off Skill #21.4 and at least 4 joints for #21.8 and #21.10.

Healthcare Environments:

            Students should have skill # 22 and #24 at entry level by the conclusion of Clinical I.

Site Specific Skills:

Any additional skill that is unique to the facility is encouraged to be at entry level when possible.

 

II. ACCE 

The ACCE grade will be based by the following criteria:

• Performance on Documentation Examples (2 submissions)  30% of ACCE Grade

• Weekly Journal Entries (4 submissions) 40% of ACCE Grade

• Daily Log Sheet (20 submissions) 30% of ACCE Grade

 Course Grade:

Skills Acquisition   60%  

Attendance              20% 

ACCE                       20%

 TOTAL                     100%

 GRADING SCALE:

A=100-92.5%

B=92.4-83.5%

C=83.4-74.5%

F=74.4-0%

** Grade of C or better is required to continue in the PTA program

 GRADING CRITERIA FOR PTA MACS

There are a total of 34 skills or categories of skills in the PTA MACS book. For PTHA 1260 Clinical I, the student should achieve entry level for a designated skill or a percentage of each category of skills as designated above for this rotation with a score of (√ or +). The student’s grade is calculated based on the percent of the 34 categories  skills at entry level upon conclusion of this rotation. The student is not penalized if a skill is not offered at this clinical rotation.

If the student is unable to successfully address the 60 skills at an entry level skill and it is the determined that the student has failed the rotation, the student will be given an incomplete and an additional clinical rotation will be arranged. If at the end of the second attempt the student will receive a failing grade and student will be required to repeat PTHA 1260 when it is offered again to progress in the program.

Acceptance for each approved skill will be subject to the following:

1. Approved items are to be checked appropriately. 
2. If a skill was not available to the student, simply leave that skill blank and the student will not be penalized. However, the student is responsible for requesting the chance to optimize experiences at each site because future opportunities may be even more limited for gaining proficiency in a certain skill. All NI’s will be valued at .5 when calculating completion of skills.
3. The student will have 5 points deducted from the final grade for each U (Unsatisfactory). The ACCE should be notified as soon as a problem has been identified.  So that the student and ACCE can work together to resolve the matter or disciplinary action which could include failing the course, dismissal or an additional clinical assigned.

Your grade will be calculated based on the number of skills checked off (√) = 1 point, NI = .5 points, and U = (-5 points). For instance: there are 60 skills and you have 50 √’s and 10 NI’s, your PTA MAC grade would be: 91.6% (55/60)

 

FAILURE OF PTHA 1260 will result if:

1. An inability to accomplish a minimum of skills as designated above.
2. A failure to submit required evaluations through Trajecsys.
3. A failing evaluation by the Clinical Instructor due to poor performance that could not be resolved.
4. Non-compliance with Facility and Program Attendance Policy Requirements without special permission given by the Clinical Instructor at the Facility, as well as by the Academic Coordinator for Clinical Education of the Program who additionally serves as the instructor for PTHA 1260.
5. Request from the Clinical Instructor or representative of the Clinical Facility to withdraw the student from the facility.
6. Withdrawal of the student from the facility by the ACCE due to non-compliance with requirements of the class or extenuating circumstances.***

ALL FINAL GRADES ARE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE ACCE/PROGRAM DIRECTOR FROM AMARILLO COLLEGE AND CAN BE MODIFIED AS NEEDED TO REFLECT THE STUDENT’S OVERALL PERFORMANCE ON THIS CLINICAL.

Completion of skill checks for PTA MACS: Completion of student and CI rankings on tabbed categories (white and yellow pages). 

Completion of all required evaluations on Trajecsys.  

Submission of MACS skills sheets in a sealed envelope with the CI’s initials and date.  All other documents are submitted directly through Trajecsys. These can be submitted at the school by Tuesday following end of the clinical or mailed directly to the ACCE.

The PTA should maintain a packet of the following documents/items in front pocket: copy of all updated immunizations, flu vaccine, CPR card, copy of liability insurance, as well as clinic ID badge.

Each student will submit 2 documentation examples for Week 2 and Week 4 during this clinical rotation. These are in addition to the notes that are required by your CI during your rotation. The 2 notes are to be uploaded to Blackboard by midnight on Sunday. The notes are to be written on your actual patients with all personal identifying information removed (name, address, birth date, medical record number, etc.) YOUR CI MUST APPROVE THE NOTES BEFORE YOU SUBMIT TO VERIFY CORRECT THE REMOVAL OF PHI. These notes will be used to grade documentation skills. Areas such as organization of the information, formatting of the information, use of appropriate language, placement of information in appropriate sections, and overall documentation skills will be evaluated.

***The clinical instructor maintains the right to terminate the clinical. Based on the circumstances and justifications of the termination, the student may or may not be offered another site to complete that clinical cycle, offered a chance to repeat the clinical at that site or another site, or may be dismissed from the program. This decision would be reviewed on a case-by-case basis through a faculty ad-hoc review process if the student completes and submits a formal request. 

Attendance

Attendance: "Regular attendance is necessary for satisfactory achievement. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the student to attend class." All absences must be reported to the CI in a method acceptable to the  and to Nancy Lewis PT,ScD, OCS, COMT or  Sue Grady PT , DPT, Program Director, by telephone, text, or email, prior to the start of the scheduled workday.

Attendance Policy for Clinical or Practicum Attendance

1. Attendance will comprise 20% of the final grade for the clinical or practicum.

   1. Each student begins with 100 points.

   2. Each tardy results in a 5-point deduction.

   3. Each absence results in a 10-point deduction.

   4. Each time the student leaves early will result in a 5-point deduction.

2. Routine or health maintenance appointments need to be scheduled outside of clinical and practicum times or scheduled during break times.

3. Each acute illness episode (for self or child) requires a primary health care provider’s verification to avoid a penalty.

4. Transportation failures will result in a penalty.

5. The student is required to arrive to the clinic early enough to be at the designated work station and ready to work at the start of the clinic day.

6. Each student will clock in through www.trajecsys.com upon arrival at the work station and clock out when they leave the workstation.

7. The student must recover the hours missed if the clinic is open and the appropriate licensed PT or PTA is willing, on-site, and able to provide legally required supervision of the student.

8. The student is not required to recover hours missed which were due to the clinic's closure for a holiday, for a low-census day or early closure day, or for the absence of an appropriate licensed PT or PTA to provide legally required supervision.

9. The method to recover hours will be chosen by the site clinical instructor and could result in extended days, weekend hours, extension of clinical duration, or failure of the clinical.

10. Failure of Clinical 1 (Summer) results in dismissal from the program.

11. Extenuating or unusual situations will be handled on a case-by-case basis through a faculty ad-hoc review process if the student completes and submits a formal request.

Calendar

Additional Information

This clinical is coordinated by the ACCE of the Physical Therapist Assistant Program.

COURSE DESCRIPTION: A health-related work-based learning experience that enables the student to apply specialized occupational theory, skills and concepts. Direct supervision is provided by the clinical professional.

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE: The course is designed to provide an opportunity for the students to observe physical therapy as it is being applied in the clinical area. As the student masters PT competencies in the laboratory setting, they can assist the Physical Therapist in administering therapy in a clinical environment.This course will also reinforce the documentation skills learned in Basic Pt. Care Skills by requiring notes on patients seen in the clinical environment.

Successful completion of the following courses:

BIOL 2401 and 2402, PTHA 1301, PTHA 1405,  PTHA 1413, PTHA 2301, PTHA 2409.

Safety Procedures: In case of an emergency the student needs to call the Safety and security department at 9-371-5163 at the Amarillo and ask for security after receiving emergency care at the clinical site or emergency facility.

Student Injury Website: www.actx.edu/allied_health/index. If an injury occurs the student needs to follow steps on this website as well as notify the ACCE.

CLINIC DRESS CODE:

The student is to follow the dress code of the specific clinic he/she is attending while adhering to AC/PTA program student handbook policies. General rules consistent with the handbook are below:

• Personal hygiene should be acceptable for maintaining a clean environment with reduction of cross contamination and appropriate for work that requires close personal contact.
• Tattoos must be discretely covered if require by the clinical site.
• Piercing jewelry is only acceptable in the ear lobes with small, discrete post earrings and/or in the top of the ear. All other visible piercing jewelry must be removed.
• Makeup should be modest.
• Long hair should tied back. 
• Fingernails must be short, clean, and kept in a natural state.
• Clothing should be clean and free of wrinkles.
• Shoes should be basically flat, closed, and clean.
• Use of fragrances in cosmetics, hair care, lotions, colognes, or perfumes needs to be minimal.