Accreditation
The Physical Therapist Assistant Program at Athens Technical College is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 1111 North Fairfax Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314; telephone: 706-706-3254; email: accreditation@apta.org; website: http://www.capteonline.org.
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Mission Statement
The mission of the physical therapist assistant program is to ensure that each graduate has the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to obtain initial entry-level employment as a physical therapist assistant as an active member of a comprehensive health care team working under the direction and supervision of a physical therapist.
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Work Environment
Physical therapist assistants provide treatments to patients of all ages and health conditions in a variety of settings, including hospitals, inpatient rehabilitation facilities, skilled nursing facilities, outpatient clinics, school systems, and patients' homes. The hours and days worked vary with the practice setting. A PTA is called upon to utilize critical thinking and problem solving skills on a daily basis. The PTA must also possess excellent communication and interpersonal skills to interact appropriately with patients, their families, coworkers, and other healthcare providers. The job of a physical therapist assistant can be physically demanding and may involve moving, assisting, or lifting patients who are unable to move themselves.
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Nature of the Work
Physical therapist assistants (PTAs) are licensed healthcare providers who work as part of a team to provide physical therapy interventions under the direction and supervision of a licensed physical therapist. PTAs assist the physical therapist in the treatment of individuals of all ages and cultural backgrounds who have medical problems or health-related conditions that limit their ability to move and perform functional activities in their daily lives. PTAs help patients improve their ability to perform functional activities. A PTA should have a genuine desire to help others and be able to motivate them to do their best.
The duties of a PTA include assisting physical therapists in performing interventions for patients using heat, cold, electricity, ultrasound, water, massage, therapeutic exercise, gait training, balance, coordination, and functional activities. Physical therapist assistants must maintain constant effective communication with the physical therapist regarding patient progress and response to treatment and record this information in patients' medical records.
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Employment
The employment outlook for physical therapist assistants is very good. The aging of the American population will contribute to an increased demand for physical therapy services. In addition, new PTAs will be needed to replace workers when they reach retirement age. Employment opportunities for PTAs are expected to grow by 35 percent through 2018.
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Earnings
Earnings for a physical therapist assistant depend on the practice setting, years of experience, and geographic location. Median annual earnings nationally of physical therapist assistants in 2008 were $46,140. The middle 50 percent earned between $37,170 and $54,900. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $28,580, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $63,830. In 2008, the median wages for PTAs employed in the following practice settings were:
- Home health-$51,950
- Skilled nursing facilities-$51,090
- Hospitals-$45,510
- Outpatient clinics-$45,045
Source: U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-2011 Edition (http://www.bls.gov/oco/)
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Student Learning Outcomes
Graduates of the associate degree program in Physical Therapist Assistant will be able to complete the following competencies:
- Pass the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) for physical therapist assistants
- Perform interventions under the direction and supervision of a physical therapist in an ethical, legal, technically competent, and safe manner
- Obtain accurate information by performing data collection within the established plan of care
- Provide documentation to support the delivery of physical therapy services, including interventions, response to interventions, and data collection techniques
- Demonstrate effective written, verbal, and nonverbal communication skills with physical therapists, patients, family members, and other healthcare providers
- Implement a self-directed plan for career development and lifelong learning
- Demonstrate the personal and professional ethics and interpersonal skills that are expected in the workplace
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Essential Functions
The purpose of the essential functions list is to allow prospective students who are considering a career to be informed of the physical, emotional, and psychological demands related to training and employment in a field of study. These lists are provided to allow prospective students to make informed career choices by providing them with a summary of the physical abilities and personality traits that are generally required for the successful completion of a curriculum and result in employment in their field of study after graduation.
For students to be successful in the Physical Therapist Assistant program, they must be able to perform the following essential functions:
- Students must possess sufficient strength, coordination, mobility, and manual dexterity to perform the following procedures accurately, safely, and efficiently:
- Transport, move, lift, or transfer patients in wheelchairs, beds, or treatment tables
- Assist with gait training activities
- Move, reach, manipulate, and operate equipment and controls
- Access supply and storage areas
- Maneuver in elevators, stairwells, and confined spaces within treatment areas
- Move between treatment areas or from one physical location to another
- Spend prolonged periods of time walking, standing, sitting, bending, as well as crawling, reaching, pushing, and pulling
- Students must be able to demonstrate the following abilities:
- Ability to observe patients, confirm patient's identity, perform physical therapy procedures, and assess change in patient status
- Ability to gather information from medical records, request forms, computer screens, instrument panels, product information guidelines, and expiration dates
- Ability to receive information from instrument signals and alarms, emergency signals, telephone conversations, and voices while in protective garb
- Ability to detect the presence of fire, gas, or toxic reagents for maintaining clinical and patient safety
- Student must possess the following skills:
- Critical thinking and problem solving skills to assess patient reactions and responses to treatment, schedule patients efficiently, and perform multiple tasks simultaneously
- Interpersonal skills sufficient to interact appropriately with patients, families, and coworkers from a variety of social, emotional, cultural, and intellectual backgrounds
- Communication skills, both verbal and written, in order to explain physical therapy procedures, answer questions from patients and coworkers, maintain accurate logs, and document in the medical records
- Initiative to work independently yet recognize self-limitations
- Ability to accept guidance and supervision from superiors
- Skills in handling stressful situations related to dealing with patient response to pain, injury, or death and dying
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Program Expenses
The Higher Education Act requires all colleges and universities to notify students and prospective students of all program costs for which they will be responsible. Students will be responsible for the following expenses each semester (unless otherwise noted):
- Tuition ($75 per credit hour)
- Registration fee ($39)
- Student activity fees ($30)
- Accident insurance fee ($6)
- Instructional and technology supply fee ($55)
- Program supply fee (Varies - see course descriptions for exact amounts)
- APTA and PTAG student membership ($87 per year)
- Background check and drug screen if required by a clinical site (Approximately $95 per required check)
- Immunizations (From approximately $40 to $400)
- Jurisprudence examination ($90.60)
- Licensure application fee ($75)
- Licensure examination ($425.60)
- Malpractice insurance ($11 per year)
- Physical examination (Approximately $200)
- Supplies (Approximately $75)
- Textbooks (Approximately $1,500 for entire program)
- Uniforms and name tag (Approximately $100)
These expenses are based on costs in effect at the time this catalog was published. Prices are subject to change.
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Admission Requirements
The Physical Therapist Assistant program utilizes a competitive admission process to select students. Program faculty designed the process to ensure maximum opportunity for student success. The Physical Therapist Assistant program admits students once per year at the beginning of Fall Semester. Prospective students may gain admission to the college initially as Health Care Science program students/applicants to the Physical Therapist Assistant program in order to complete any required learning support classes and general education courses.
Applicants must submit all required documentation to the Admissions Office by June 1 to be eligible for the competitive selection process. Applicants who are on academic probation or are academically dismissed from the college as of the application deadline will not be considered for selection. Applicants not selected for the program may reapply during subsequent admission intake periods. There is no waiting list between intake periods; applicants must complete the application process for each attempt for entry into the program.
Applicants must complete the following steps by the June 1 application deadline in order to be considered for selection to the program:
- Submit a completed and signed application for admission and $20 nonrefundable application fee
- Submit official transcripts from all colleges attended (applicants who have not completed a minimum of 30 semester or 45 quarter credit hours at one or more colleges will be required to submit high school transcripts; a minimum grade point average of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale is required in all high school and/or college work attempted in order to be eligible for consideration)
- Complete the online Physical Therapist Assistant Interest Form for the current application period and submit electronically; applicants will receive e-mail confirmation verifying receipt of the electronic interest form from the Physical Therapist Assistant program office (the online form is available at www.athenstech.edu-select Prospective Students and then Competitive Health Pgms)
- Attend a mandatory Physical Therapist Assistant information session in the application period for which admission is sought (applicants who have attended an information session during a previous application period must attend another information session; documentation of attendance at an information session is maintained in the Physical Therapist Assistant program office)
- Submit scores from the Health Occupations Basic Entrance Test V (HOBET V) that are less than five years old as of the application deadline (students who take the HOBET V at another college or at a testing center must submit official scores to the Testing Center at Athens Technical College; information about submitting official scores is available at www.athenstech.edu-select Prospective Students and then Testing Services)
- Submit a signed document to the office of admission acknowledging that commission of a felony before or during their enrollment in this program may prevent graduates from taking the licensure exam to become physical therapist assistants and that they may be required to complete drug testing and/or background checks at their own expense prior to participating in internships, practicums, or clinical activities at certain host sites for these activities (see Drug Testing/Background Checks) (blank documents are available from the office of admissions and online at www.athenstech.edu/oldcatalog/programsofstudy.cfm - Select Selective Admissions Forms)
- Submit an observation form to the office of admissions documenting the completion of a minimum of 24 hours of observation in a physical therapy setting or through employment as a physical therapy aide (blank observation forms are available from the Admissions Office and online at www.athenstech.edu/oldcatalog/programsofstudy.cfm - Select Selective Admissions Forms)
The Physical Therapist Assistant program faculty incorporated an observation requirement into the selection process in order to give prospective students the opportunity to gain an awareness of the job requirements of a physical therapist assistant. Additional consideration will be given to applicants who have completed a second observation experience of 24 hours in a different area of physical therapy practice. Applicants who have completed observation experiences during a previous application period may use those hours in a subsequent application period. Previously submitted forms are kept in the applicant's file in the Admissions Office. Applicants will receive e-mail confirmation verifying receipt of observation forms from the Physical Therapist Assistant program office.
The selection process will be weighted toward students who have completed mathematics (MATH 1101 or MATH 1111), anatomy and physiology I and II (BIOL 2113, BIOL 2113L, BIOL 2114, and BIOL 2114L), English (ENGL 1101), introductory psychology (PSYC 1101) and other core classes in the Physical Therapist Assistant curriculum with grades of C or better by June 1 of the academic year for which they are seeking admission to the program. Applicants transferring from other colleges must confirm the transferability of credit for these courses with the college's director of registration and records by the June 1 application deadline.
The Admissions Selection Committee will invite a group of the highest-ranking applicants (based on the admissions criteria) to participate in a formal interview process to determine aptitude, intent, and suitability for employment as a physical therapist assistant. The points from the interview process will be added to the applicant file score to determine final selection to the Physical Therapist Assistant program.
Please send any questions to pta@athenstech.edu.
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Readmission Policy
If students withdraw from the program for any reason, they must follow the steps detailed under Life Sciences Programs Readmission. In addition, students seeking readmission will abide by all policies and procedures in place at the time of their request for readmission.
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Residency Policy
Only in the event that the program slots cannot be filled with Georgia residents who meet the minimum admissions criteria can out-of-state students be admitted to the Physical Therapist Assistant program.
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