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ORANGE COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Middletown, New York 10940
(845) 341‑4280;  
PHYSICAL THERAPIST ASSISTANT DEPARTMENT

2014-2015 STATEMENT OF GOALS & ACTIVITIES FOR CENTER COORDINATORS OF CLINICAL EDUCATION (CCCEs) & CLINICAL INSTRUCTORS (CIs)

The following goals and activities have been formulated based on formal feedback (Clinical Educators' Meetings, Advisory Board Meetings, results of questionnaires) and informal feedback (faculty visits to clinical affiliations, telephone calls, observations):

GOAL 1:	Newly designated clinical instructors will understand the role of a PTA, as well as their own
		role in providing an appropriate learning experience to the student.  They will thoroughly
understand the evaluation form used to document student performance and newly designated CIs will understand the behavioral objectives for being an effective clinical instructor.

		Related Activities:
Newly designated clinical instructors will attend orientation session, prior to Clinical Educators' meetings, as well as become knowledgeable of the contents of the Student Evaluation of Clinical Experience and Clinical Instruction form which serves as a guideline for participating as a CI; if CI unable to attend the Orientation, PTA Department Clinical Liaison and/or Academic Coordinator of Clinical Education will review contents of Evaluation of Student Performance with CI prior to student’s mid-term evaluation.

GOAL 2:	Be aware of professional supervision requirements of a PTA student in the specific setting in
which student is placed to comply with state regulations (NYS Practice Act), PT and PTA Guide to Practice, and College and APTA policy/position statements.

A significant change for SNFs under the MDS 3.0 is the manner in which they are to document and use therapy students.  Under the rules, in order to record minutes as individual therapy under Medicare parts A and B, when a student is involved in treatment, only one patient at a time can be treated by the student and the supervising PT or PTA. Under Medicate Part B, the supervising PT or PTA cannot engage in any other activity or treatment when the patient is receiving treatment. Under Medicare Part A, the PT or PTA cannot be treating or supervising other individuals and must be able to immediately intervene or assist the student as needed while the student and patient both are within line of sight. In other words, under Medicare Part A but not under Medicare Part B, the PT or PTA could, for example, attend to paperwork while supervising the student and patient.

		Related Activities:
- Review handouts/minutes addressing this topic from Clinical Educators’ Meetings.  Contact SUNY Orange department office and/or APTA (national/local chapter) for latest information.
SUNY Orange PTA office will continue to include reminder paragraph on three memos to CCCE prior to student attending a clinical affiliation regarding the necessity for on-site PT supervision of a student PTA.

GOAL 3:	To abide by CAPTE standards, the PTA Department at SUNY Orange will continue the following grading system in clinical education.  The Academic Coordinator of Clinical Education (ACCE) will confer final grade (Pass/Fail) based on Clinical Instructors’ conveyance of their observations of student performance.
		
Related Activities:
- Clinical Instructors will continue to complete the “Evaluation of Student Performance” as described in the form’s general instructions understanding the importance of adding comments to clearly convey information to the student and the ACCE, especially if performance has been unsatisfactory.

GOAL 4:	Be aware of the Physical Therapist Assistant National Physical Therapy Examination has continued a fixed date schedule (4x/year) (2014: Oct 8th - last date for year; 2015: Jan 14th, April 8th, July 8th, Oct 7th; 2016: Jan 13th, April 6th, July 6th, Oct 6th)  			
(https://www.fsbpt.org/ForCandidatesAndLicensees/FixedDateTesting/).  The rationale for 	
this decision was to preserve the integrity of the PTA Exam; be aware of responsibilities required 	
to supervise a PTA working on a limited permit; be aware that graduate should not become 	
employed as a PTA until limited permit number is obtained; be aware that PTAs who have a 	
limited permit must indicate this when signing medical documentation.

		Related Activities:
- Distribute information to staff (sent from the College) regarding workshops offered here on 	campus pertaining to National Physical Therapy exam for the PTA preparation (NPTE); if hiring 
a recent PTA graduate who has APPLIED for a limited permit, wait for PTA graduate to 
OBTAIN limited permit number before employment may begin.  View PTA Department 
website for details regarding a new graduate working under a limited permit including the 
necessity for graduate to sign documents as a “signature, PTA-limited permittee” until 
his/her 	certification has been completely processed including passing the National Physical 
Therapy Licensing Exam for PTAs and receiving his/her certification number.

GOAL 5:	Clinical coordinators/Clinical instructors will continue to participate in faculty development
		programs.

		Related Activities:
‑ An attempt will be made for at least one representative from the clinical affiliation to attend annual Clinical Educators' meetings.								
		‑ Attend faculty education workshops at SUNY Orange as they are offered.
		
GOAL 6:	Enhance student's knowledge of fiscal considerations regarding physical therapy delivery system.

		Related Activities:
Clinical instructors should provide opportunities for student to become aware of billing procedures, managed care/insurance, documentation regarding reimbursement, etc.  The APTA stresses the importance of students recognizing the roles and responsibilities of physical therapist assistants in the physical therapy delivery system which includes an understanding of fiscal considerations for physical therapy providers and consumers.

GOAL 7:	Enhance student's problem solving skills pertaining to basic patient needs and safety in
Clinical Education I progressing to more complex  problem solving skills as student progresses through Clinical Education II and Clinical Education III (appropriate for level of clinical education).

		Related Activities:
‑ Include in the Orientation of student to your facility how the student could problem solve (appropriate for his/her clinical level at your specific facility) by providing examples.

‑ Provide opportunities and encourage students to problem‑solve to reinforce that problem- solving is encompassed in the role of a PTA.

GOAL 8:	Enhance student’s abilities to retrieve, organize and orally present medical information to staff.

		Related Activities:
Assign your student either one case study or one in-service to present before a group (mandatory during all three Clinical affiliations).

GOAL 9:	Become familiar with the “Learning Contract” to utilize with a physical therapist assistant student as deemed appropriate for documenting student problems and documenting student and clinical affiliation activities to remediate the problems, including expected outcomes. 

		Related Activities:
All CCCE’s and CI’s are encouraged to contact the department’s Academic Coordinator of Clinical Education to alert him of student issues and/or concerns and, if desired, to request assistance in writing a Learning Contract for student remediation.  A learning contract must be used when unsatisfactory indicators exist at the midterm, but may be used at other times as well, i.e., if unsatisfactory performance occurs subsequent to the midterm.

GOAL 10:	Become familiar with APTA’s “Physical Therapist Assistant Student Evaluation of Clinical Experience and Clinical Instruction.”

		Related Activities:
CCCE’s will be sent a copy of the blank form prior to each semester that they will be accepting one or more of our students for a clinical experience to remind the CCCE of its contents (contained within the “Clinical Education Policies & Procedures” manual).  CI’s should allow time to discuss the completed forms with the students at both midterm & final and possibly implement student suggestions.
		CI’s are also required to add statistical data and to sign the face sheet.

GOAL 11:	Become familiar with APTA’s “Guidelines: Clinical Instructor” for increased awareness of the role of the CI, see following link: http://www.apta.org/uploadedFiles/APTAorg/About_Us/Policies/BOD/Education/ClinicalInstructors.pdf .

		Related Activities:
Receive/read copy of “Guidelines: Clinical Instructor” distributed from College through minutes of Clinical Educators’ meeting enclosures and/or distribution by Clinical Liaison during faculty visit.

GOAL 12:	Physical Therapist Assistant students will be provided opportunity in the clinical setting to interact with supervising PT if Clinical Instructor is a PTA.

Related Activities:
All PTAs who serve in the capacity of Clinical Instructors will assure that PTA students have appropriate interaction with the supervising PT in the clinical setting.

GOAL 13:	PTA students will observe physical therapists and physical therapist assistants while at their clinical environment to appreciate how the PT/PTA team enhances the care provided to patients/clients.

		Related Activities:
The Clinical Instructor, whether a PT or a PTA, will provide role modeling example of the PT/PTA relationship working as a team contributing to the enhancement of the overall delivery of physical therapy services.

GOAL 14:	Increase correspondences through email accounts to clinical affiliation sites to expedite 				communication, limit amount of paper used, and improve compliance with required 				documentation.

		Related Activities:
		ACCE and/or Clinical Liaison will verify emails received from students’ Orientation Forms 		upon clinical site visitations as well as the annual orientation meeting.

GOAL 15:	Continue with and receive feedback on the conversion of Evaluation of Student Performance form to electronic version (PDF)/submittal to ACCE to expedite communication, limit amount of paper used, and improve compliance with required documentation.

		Related Activities:
		ACCE and/or Clinical Liaison will instruct and educate the CCCE/CI at clinical sites used 
for Clinical Education 1, 2, and 3 experiences on how to download, complete, and submit electronic version of Evaluation of Student Performance.