Professional Outcomes
Domains of Competence - Omaha Program
- Patient and Client Care Services: Program graduates shall apply principles of evidence-based practice and clinical reasoning to the Patient/Client Management Model through shared decision-making to achieve desired health outcomes.
- Knowledge for Practice: Program graduates shall demonstrate the ability to identify, organize, synthesize, integrate, and apply knowledge and skills specific to physical therapist practice, as well as related knowledge from other disciplines, to improve health care for patients and populations.
- Communication: Program graduates shall communicate using verbal, nonverbal and written communication demonstrating cultural humility to effectively exchange information and enhance therapeutic and professional relationships in varied situations and circumstances.
- Practice Management: Program graduates shall prioritize needs and manage resources to ensure safe, legal, ethical, effective, and sustainable services.
- Education and Learning: As an educator, program graduates shall demonstrate teaching skills that facilitate learning by patients, caregivers, colleagues, students, and communities.
- Reflective Practice and Improvement: Program graduates shall appropriately evaluate the care and services of patients/clients to continuously improve practice and outcomes throughout their careers.
- Professionalism: Program graduates shall demonstrate cultural humility and a commitment to high standards of ethical behavior, exhibit appropriate professional conduct, and advocate for a health system that enhances the well-being of the patient/client, society, and the profession.
- Systems Based Practice in Healthcare: Program graduates shall demonstrate awareness of and responsiveness to the larger context of healthcare systems and health policy and engages in quality improvement to provide care and services that are of optimal value.
- Clinical Reasoning: Program graduates shall demonstrate the ability to organize, synthesize, integrate, and apply sound clinical rationale for patient management.
Professional Core Abilities - Phoenix Program
- Professional Formation and Critical Self-Reflection – The student shall utilize a process of deliberative self-reflection to enhance understanding of self and engage in continued professional formation. Formation of professional identity is based on the following core values: accountability, altruism, compassion, excellence, integrity, professional duty and social responsibility.
- Communication Skills – The student shall read, write, speak, listen and use media and technology to communicate effectively. The student shall demonstrate respectful, positive and culturally appropriate interpersonal behaviors in the counsel and education of patients, families, and in communication with other health care professionals.
- Critical Thinking and Clinical Judgment – The student shall acquire, comprehend, apply, synthesize and evaluate information. The student shall integrate these abilities to identify, resolve and prevent problems and make appropriate decisions. The student shall demonstrate the behaviors of the scholarly clinician by developing and utilizing the process of critical thinking and systematic inquiry for the purpose of clinical reasoning, decision-making and exercising sound clinical judgment.
- Learning and Professional Development – The student shall consistently strive to expand his or her knowledge and skills to maintain professional competence and contribute to the body of professional knowledge. The student shall demonstrate the ability to gather, interpret and evaluate data for the purpose of assessing the suitability, accuracy and reliability of information from reference sources.
- Ethical Foundation and Moral Agency – The student shall practice in an ethical manner, fulfilling an obligation for moral responsibility and social justice. The student shall identify, analyze and resolve ethical problems.
- Social Awareness, Leadership and Advocacy – The student shall provide service to the community and to the profession. The student will assume responsibility for proactive collaboration with other health care professionals in addressing patient needs. The student will be prepared to influence the development of ethical and humane health care regulations and policies that are consistent with the needs of the patient and society.
Physical Therapy Care Abilities - Phoenix Program
- Patient Examination – The student shall perform: a) Thorough patient interview with appropriate medical history and review of systems; b) Physical examination utilizing appropriate tests and measures.
- Patient Evaluation and Physical Therapy Diagnosis – The student shall: a) Interpret results of the physical therapy examination and other diagnostic procedures; b) Synthesize pertinent data; c) Formulate an accurate physical therapy diagnosis. The process of evaluation also may identify the need for consultation with or referral to other health care providers.
- Patient Prognosis – The student shall predict the patient’s level of optimal improvement that may be attained through intervention within a given period of time.
- Patient Intervention – The student shall design an appropriate plan of care to produce changes consistent with the physical therapy diagnosis and prognosis. The student shall develop a customized plan of care in collaboration with the patient’s/family’s expectations and goals. The student shall also assume responsibility for delegation and supervision of appropriate human resources engaged in patient care activities.
- Patient Re-examination/ Re-evaluation – The student shall perform an accurate re-examination and re-evaluation to determine changes in patient status and to modify or redirect physical therapy intervention. The process of re-examination and re-evaluation also may identify the need for consultation with or referral to other health care providers. Patient re-examination and re-evaluation may also necessitate modification of delegation and supervision of appropriate human resources engaged in patient care activities.
- Patient Outcomes – The student shall track the results of physical therapy management, which may include the following domains: Pathology; Impairments; Functional limitations; Participation; Risk reduction/Prevention; Wellness; Community and Societal resources; and Patient satisfaction.
- Systems Management – The student shall identify the specific contribution of physical therapy management within the health care system and the influence of health care policy on that system. In addition, the student shall demonstrate knowledge and be able to effectively interact within the interdependent framework of the health care team in a complex society. The student shall extend his/her responsibility for physical therapy care beyond individual patients to include care of communities and populations.
Membership in the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) is strongly recommended.
Entry-level Doctor of Physical Therapy
| First Professional Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| First Semester (Fall) | Credits | |
| IPE 500 | Introduction to Collaborative Care | 0-0.5 |
| PTD 500 | Human Anatomy | 7 |
| PTD 501 | Exercise Physiology and Wellness | 2 |
| PTD 502 | Patient Management I | 1 |
| PTD 503 | Behavioral and Social Science | 2 |
| PTD 504 | Evidence Based Practice I | 2 |
| PTD 505 | Introduction to Imaging for Physical Therapists | 1 |
| PTD 506 | Integrated Laboratory I | 1 |
| PTD 507 | Emergency Medical Responder | 2 |
| PTD 508 | Introduction to Professional Formation | 1 |
| Term Credits | 19-19.5 | |
| Second Semester (Spring) | ||
| PTD 510 | Movement Science | 4 |
| PTD 511 | Health Conditions for the Physical Therapist | 3 |
| PTD 512 | Patient Management II | 3 |
| PTD 513 | Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Physical Therapy I | 3 |
| PTD 514 | Evidence Based Practice II | 2 |
| PTD 516 | Integrated Laboratory II | 2 |
| PTD 518 | Professional Formation I | 1 |
| Term Credits | 18 | |
| Second Professional Year | ||
| First Semester (Summer) | ||
| PTD 520 | Neuroscience | 3 |
| PTD 521 | Integumentary Physical Therapy | 2 |
| PTD 522 | Musculoskeletal Physical Therapy I | 2 |
| PTD 526 | Integrated Laboratory III | 2 |
| PTD 528 | Professional Formation II | 1 |
| PTD 560 | Professional Practice I | 6 |
| Term Credits | 16 | |
| Second Semester (Fall) | ||
| PTD 530 | Physical Therapy Pharmacotherapeutics | 2 |
| PTD 531 | Pain | 2 |
| PTD 532 | Musculoskeletal Physical Therapy II | 3 |
| PTD 533 | Motor Control and Motor Learning | 2 |
| PTD 534 | Neuromuscular Physical Therapy I | 3 |
| PTD 536 | Integrated Laboratory IV | 4 |
| Term Credits | 16 | |
| Third Professional Year | ||
| First Semester (Spring) | ||
| PTD 600 | Health Services | 2 |
| PTD 601 | Ethics in Physical Therapy Practice | 3 |
| PTD 602 | Musculoskeletal Physical Therapy III | 2 |
| PTD 604 | Neuromuscular Physical Therapy II | 3 |
| PTD 606 | Integrated Laboratory V | 2 |
| PTD 608 | Professional Formation III | 1 |
| PTD 671 | Professional Practice II - Part A | 3 |
| Term Credits | 16 | |
| Second Semester (Summer) | ||
| PTD 610 | Physical Therapy Management Systems | 2 |
| PTD 611 | Introduction to Differential Diagnosis | 2 |
| PTD 612 | Amputations and Prosthetics | 1 |
| PTD 613 | Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Physical Therapy II | 2 |
| PTD 615 | Medical Imaging: Clinical Correlates for the Physical Therapist | 1 |
| PTD 616 | Integrated Laboratory VI | 3 |
| PTD 617 | Clinical Electrophysiology | 1 |
| PTD 618 | Professional Formation IV | 1 |
| PTD 672 | Professional Practice II - Part B | 3 |
| Term Credits | 16 | |
| Fourth Professional Year | ||
| First Semester (Fall) | ||
| PTD 680 | Professional Practice III | 16 |
| Term Credits | 16 | |
| Second Semester (Spring) | ||
| PTD 688 | Expert Practice in Physical Therapy | 2 |
| PTD 690 | Professional Practice IV | 16 |
| Term Credits | 18 | |
| Total Credits | 135-135.5 | |
To satisfy the requirements for graduation, the student must successfully complete all courses in the physical therapy curriculum (including any and all pre-physical therapy requirements) while achieving a grade-point average of not less than 2.00. All candidates for the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree must be determined by the faculty to be of good moral character and fit for the practice of the profession. All indebtedness to the University must be paid, and the graduate must be present at the ceremonies where the degree is conferred (unless excused under University rules). To participate in Commencement, a candidate must submit an application for degree through the Registrar's Office by the University deadline. Additionally, in an effort to comply with accreditation and ongoing programmatic quality assurance, completion of all course evaluations and senior assessments is required in order for the student to be assigned a course grade and/or graduate.
Faculty
Professors: Lisa L. Black, Gianluca Del Rossi, Jennifer A. Furze, Terry L. Grindstaff, Gail M. Jensen, Tara McIsaac, Robert Sandstrom
Professor Emeritus: Judith R. Gale, Karen A. Paschal, A. Joseph Threlkeld
Associate Professors: Anastasia Kyvelidou, James V. Lynskey, Kirk M. Peck, Julie A. Peterson, Stefany Shaibi
Assistant Professors: Kimberly Beran-Shepler, Jessica Goodman, Alex Habegger, Rosalind L. Heckman, Rashelle Hoffman, Abbis Haider Jaffri, Heather Knight, Katherine Kugler, Kelly S. Nelson, Jamie Nesbit, Michelle Reilly, Maggie T. Schumacher, Kimberley Scott, Kimberly Somers, Kathleen M. Sutton, Nicholas J. Weber
Adjunct Associate Professor: Julie E. Hoffman
Adjunct Instructor: Kayce Marsh