PTA 105 Introduction to Physical Therapy

• Relate an overview of the history of rehabilitation treatments, the field of physical therapy and the major factors that influenced its development in the United States
• Describe the current basic organizational structure of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA)
• Identify other organizations involved in the physical therapy profession
• Describe typical practice settings in which PTs and PTAs are employed
• Describe how PTAs are utilized in various practice settings with different patient populations
• Relate the purpose of the APTA’s Guide to Physical Therapist Practice
• Discuss the APTA Standards of Ethical Conduct for the Physical Therapist Assistant
• Explain the use and value of the APTA Guide for Conduct of the Physical Therapist Assistant
• Discuss the application of the APTA Core Values for the PT and PTA
• Describe the physical therapist patient/client management model
• Explain the role and responsibilities of the physical therapist assistant within the physical therapist patient/client management model
• Discuss how the APTA Problem-solving Algorithm and its associated controlling assumptions, the PTA Direction Algorithm and the PTA Supervision Algorithm, guide PTs and PTAs to work together to provide safe, effective, and efficient physical therapy services
• Identify the fundamental concepts of the direction and supervision of PTAs within the PT/PTA team
• Compare and contrast the levels of supervision of the PTA by the PT as defined by legal and professional guidelines
• Explain the use and benefits of a resume and cover letter in obtaining a position in the workforce as a physical therapist assistant
• Identify key components of professional communication documents relevant to physical therapy clinical rotations
• Define patient-centered care
• Describe various college resources that support student success and when and how the student would use them
• Apply study skills relevant to succeeding in the physical therapist assistant program
• Apply multiple learning strategies to improve learning 
• Identify the roles and significance of documentation in health care
• Explain when to document, what to document and why the documentation is important as PTA provides patient interventions
• Identify the categories of documentation content
• Use appropriate terminology, abbreviations, grammar, syntax, and punctuation in both physical therapy documentation and communication