Hazleton Physical Therapist Assistant Program Technical Standards*
Technical Standards
The mission of Penn State Hazleton Campus is to produce highly skilled and compassionate Physical Therapist Assistants (PTA). Candidates must develop foundational and applied sciences knowledge and requisite clinical skills at a level deemed satisfactory by the faculty. Candidates must demonstrate appropriate application of knowledge and skills and contribute to person-centered decisions across a broad spectrum of clinical situations in all settings.
The PTA program is committed to graduating competent and caring physical therapist assistants who can provide benefit without harm to the public.
- Candidates for admission and graduation must demonstrate:
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- Intelligence
- Integrity
- Compassion
- Humanitarian and social concern
- Physical and emotional capacity to perform the duties of a physical therapist assistant professionally.
- Technical standards, along with academic standards, are required for admission, promotion, and graduation.
- “Candidate” refers to both applicants to the PTA program and current PTA students.
- These standards can be met with or without reasonable accommodations.
- Candidates with disabilities should not be discouraged from pursuing education to become physical therapist assistants.
- Candidates with disabilities enrich the diversity of the candidate population and contribute to a culturally competent healthcare workforce.
- Candidates with disabilities should contact the Student Disability Resource Center for confidential discussions about necessary accommodations.
- Meeting the technical standards for graduation does not guarantee that a graduate can fulfill the technical requirements of any specific clinical position.
Observational and Situational Awareness Skills
Candidates must be able to:
- Demonstrate situational awareness by perceiving informational and environmental cues in real-time for safe and effective care.
- Assess the patient/client’s condition and changes in real-time.
- Identify movement patterns and abnormalities effectively.
- Acquire information through demonstrations and interactive learning experiences in foundational and applied sciences.
- Learn professional skills and abilities through interactive courses.
- Accurately examine patients/clients and their environments.
- Assess relevant contextual cues for effective care.
Communication Skills
Candidates must be able to:
- Exhibit interpersonal skills for effective care-giving, including communication with inter-professional healthcare team members, patients/clients, and their families.
- Communicate effectively in person and in writing, even in time-limited settings.
- Provide information succinctly yet comprehensively.
- Clearly and accurately record information.
- Interpret verbal and non-verbal communication accurately.
- Make correct judgments in seeking supervision and consultation promptly.
Patient/Client Care Skills
Candidates should be able to:
- Safely assist patients/clients in moving, performing tests, measures, and interventions.
- Ensure the physical safety of patients/clients at all times.
- Provide general care and emergency treatment.
- Respond appropriately to emergency situations.
- Adhere to safety standards and precautions.
Intellectual-Conceptual, Integrative, and Cognitive Skills
Candidates must be able to learn through a variety of modalities, including, but not limited to:
- Understand three-dimensional and spatial relationships of structures.
- Participate effectively in individual, small-group, and lecture learning in classroom, clinical, and community settings.
- Collaborate and contribute as part of a team.
- Synthesize information.
- Perceive causal relationships to make accurate, evidence-based conclusions.
- Formulate hypotheses, investigate potential answers and outcomes, integrate psychosocial factors, and reach appropriate conclusions.
- Find sources of information and knowledge.
- Acquire knowledge through various modalities.
- Possess the ability to be a life-long learner.
Behavioral Attributes, Social Skills and Professional Expectations
The candidate must be able to:
Revised 05/2020, 5/2024