Physical Therapist Assistant - Orange County Community College

Physical Therapist Assistant from Orange County Community College is a Campus Associate Physical Therapy degree that prepares you for a Healthcare career. Program Description The Associate in Applied Science degree program in Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) is designed to provide students with both the academic knowledge and clinical skills to become certified/licensed PTAs. The field of Physical Therapy is demanding. Graduates are required to meet all program requirements which are guided by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education. Many states, including New York, also require that students pass the national licensing examination as part of the certification/licensure process. The PTA works with, and under the direction and supervision of the physical therapist who plans the patient care program; the PTA then helps to carry out this program. Duties of the PTA include monitoring of vital signs, lifting of patients and equipment, training of patients in therapeutic exercises and activities of daily living, wound care, use of whirlpool and electrical stimulation during treatment procedures, application of heat and cold modalities, patient and family education, wheelchair activities, use of walkers and crutches, assisting the physical therapist in performing patient assessments and complex treatment procedures. The PTA also monitors the patient?s responses to treatment, documents relevant aspects of patient care and maintains ongoing communication with the patient, family, supervising physical therapist and other health care professionals. The primary focus of the curriculum is to develop a strong clinician who possesses critical thinking and problem-solving skills. To accomplish this, the program provides the clinical training as well as a broad general education background. Courses include both core classes and non-core classes (general education courses). The core Physical Therapist Assistant courses are offered once each year beginning in the fall semester. All program requirements must be completed within six consecutive semesters from the time of enrollment in the first PTA course. These courses must be taken in the sequence in which they are offered. The curriculum includes classroom instruction, laboratory time and clinical experiences. However, general education courses may be taken on a part-time basis during the day or evening, and may be completed over a longer period of time than the four semesters. But they must be completed no later than the semester in which they fall into sequence with the core courses. View more details on Orange County Community College . Ask your questions and apply online for this program or find other related Physical Therapy courses.