Physical Therapist Assistant, AAS

Program Description

Code 283 - 67.25 Credits

The Physical Therapist Assistant program at Kellogg Community College prepares students to provide physical therapy services under the direction and supervision of a licensed physical therapist. The program includes a rigorous curriculum of the classroom, lab, and clinical education experiences in physical therapy settings of health care facilities preparing the student for success on the national licensure exam which is required to work and practice as a Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) in most states. The Associate of Applied Science Degree in Physical Therapist Assistant is awarded upon program completion.

Physical therapist assistants carry out intervention programs using physical modalities, therapeutic exercises and activities of daily living. They accept responsibility for the patient’s personal care and safety during interventions and carefully observe, record and report patient conditions, reactions and responses related to their assignments. As a movement expert, the job requires the provision of significant hands-on treatment to patients and assuming responsibility for patient safety during the performance of functional activities.

The program education provides students with a working knowledge of and thorough testing regarding the theories behind treatment protocols and pathological conditions being treated and provides an understanding of the specific techniques, modalities and machinery which are used to treat those conditions. Clinical experiences are completed under the supervision of professional physical therapists and physical therapist assistants where students apply learned knowledge and skills.

Accreditation and/or State Board Approved

The Kellogg Community College Physical Therapist Assistant program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 1111 North Fairfax St., Alexandria, VA 22314; http://www.capteonline.org/home.aspx.

Admissions

See the following link for program admission information: http://www.kellogg.edu/admissions/allied-health-admissions/.

Clinical Education Access Requirements

Students formally accepted to participate in Allied Health, Emergency Medical Services, or Nursing programs are required to comply with clinical access requirements prior to, and potentially during clinical education placement in a hospital, outpatient clinic, or other clinical education providers. The Program’s Director or Coordinator will provide students with detailed direction and timeline for completing all clinical access requirements.

• Students are required to undergo a physical examination, immunizations, a drug screen, and criminal background check.
• Students are required to secure and maintain CPR certification in Basic Life Support (BLS) from American Heart Association or Basic Life Support (BLS) for Health Care Providers from American Red Cross throughout their clinical education participation.
• Students are required to maintain professional liability insurance according to College policies as required by clinical education providers. The College ensures students are covered with professional liability insurance with the cost collected through lab fees.
• Students are required to adhere to the uniform and personal appearance standards according to program policies determined by clinical education providers.

Clinical access requirements are determined by the College according to the policies of clinical education providers.

Clinical education providers reserve the right to impose additional requirements at any time to ensure the safety of patients, employees, and students.

Students participating in clinical education are not employees of a clinical education provider or of the College, and therefore are not covered by Workman’s Compensation insurance. It is highly recommended that students maintain personal health insurance while enrolled in an educational program.

Compliance and cost of clinical access requirements are the responsibility of the student.

Latex Environment Statement

Students participating in Allied Health, Emergency Medical Services, or Nursing courses are likely to have contact with latex throughout their educational experience. Due to the broad range of equipment, manikins, materials, and supplies used in the College’s practice and simulation laboratories, and within a vast number of hospitals and other clinical education facilities, students with latex allergies considering any of these programs should direct questions to their physician prior to applying to the program to ensure safe participation in a latex environment.

Positive Drug Screen Statement

Students with a positive drug screen will be deemed ineligible to participate in clinical education.  Furthermore, as clinical education is a critical requirement of nursing, allied health, and emergency medical services programs, the student will be dismissed from their current program of study.  For students who would like to be considered for re-admission, they should refer to their program’s policy of re-admission and direct questions to the program director.