Physical Therapist Assistant Program Mission Statement

1. Produce a well qualified entry level physical therapist assistant who functions under the supervision of the physical therapist in a variety of physical therapy settings and is capable of providing physical therapy treatments as outlined by the physical therapist to the satisfaction of the physical therapist.
2. Produce graduates who meet standards for licensure or registration as physical therapist assistants in a variety of states.
3. Meet the accreditation standards of the Commission on Accreditation of Physical Therapy Education for Physical Therapist Assistant Programs.
4. Involve the faculty in advice concerning all aspects of the program including: curriculum, budget, student competency, clinical components and policy and procedures, etc.
5. Teach clinical techniques currently utilized in physical therapy practice.
6.  The mission of the PTA Program is consistent with the mission of the college.

Goals of the Physical Therapist Assistant Program

1. Provide the student with a well-rounded general education and basic science core including courses which are transferable.
2. Provide the program within less than 80 academic weeks. 
3. Meet the degree requirements of New York State and Nassau Community College.
4. Provide a first semester core course (AHS 101 - Introduction to Allied Health Sciences) in which the student studies with other Allied Health practitioners.
5. Provide the technical material in an orderly manner such that:
   • Students have demonstrated competence in skills prior to the performance of those skills in the clinical setting.
   • Anatomy, physiology, kinesiology, pathology and disease entities are presented early in the program.
   • Reinforcement occurs in the clinic, via the writing of SOAP notes, during practice lab, in-service presentations and by questions asked by the instructor.
   • Advanced therapeutic exercises which require the knowledge of neurology are presented last.
   • The number of hours in the clinic escalates with each semester. The clinical grading system for the students is dependent upon topics previously learned.
   • Problem solving via case studies prepares the student for the licensing examination.
   • All of the curriculum content areas including the clinical component as established in the Evaluative Criteria of Education Programs for the Preparation of Physical Therapist Assistants are taught. The Guide to Physical Therapist Practice and the Normative Model for the Physical Therapist Assistant as published by the American Physical Therapy Association are utilized.
   • Each course has been prepared in terms of behavioral objectives with specified competencies. The criteria for measuring these competencies are the quizzes, oral-practical, and written examinations, projects and the clinical evaluations.

The goals and objectives are one hundred percent consistent with and reflective of the program faculty's analysis of the assistant's role.

Detailed goals and objectives of each course are available for student perusal from the technical assistant.

Students must be familiar with the Guide for Physical Therapy Practice and the Normative Model of Practice for the Physical Therapist Assistant. Both may be purchased from the American Physical Therapy Association 1-800-999-APTA or are available for perusal from the technical assistant.