Subject: Procedure for Practicum Assignment Policy: 7
Effective Date: 05/23/2007 Standard Element: 4J, 6J
Purpose: This policy is to ensure that students have varied clinical experience to ensure fulfillment of the program’s objectives and mission.
Policy: In order for the student to meet entry-level requirements as a physical therapist assistant, they will have the opportunity to complete their clinical experiences in settings that represent those in which physical therapy is commonly practiced while managing patients with diseases and conditions that represent those commonly seen in practice across the lifespan and the continuum of care.
Procedure:
1. The student is required to complete three clinical affiliations for a total of 600 hours.
2. The student’s intermediate clinical experience is three weeks in length. They are assigned to an inpatient or outpatient facility. This placement is commensurate with their education to date.
3. The remedial and final clinical experiences are six weeks in length. Clinical placement is selected to best represent the needs of the student to ensure a well-rounded experience thus achieving the goals of the clinical education program.
4. The ACCE will introduce how the process of assigning clinical sites to the student during new student orientation and during classroom discussions or individually, if necessary.
5. Students will be responsible for providing feedback to the ACCE regarding preferred clinical locations and will have the opportunity to identify new potential clinical sites.
6. The ACCE informs students that they may be required to travel 45 minutes to 1 hour to each site, with the possibility of longer distances depending on availability.
7. The ACCE reviews availability, type of clinical sites, student needs and ability level, student requests, and the PTA Student Evaluation of Clinical Experience and Instruction, to determine the appropriate assignments.
8. The ACCE makes the final decision for placement and notifies the student once the information is made available.
Revised and Reviewed 8/2009, 6/2011, 6/2015, 3/2016, 5/2024
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