PHYSICAL THERAPIST ASSISTANT (PTA)

Graduation Requirements (A Minimum of 77 Credits)

The Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) program will provide the students with the knowledge and skills necessary to perform as a competent, safe, and ethical PTA. The students will learn and apply techniques that will improve mobility, relieve pain, and prevent or limit permanent physical disabilities to patients in clinical settings.  Graduates from this program will be eligible to take their national licensure exam. FNU grants an Associate of Science upon completion.

1. Program Overview:

The Physical Therapist Assistant program at Florida National University is a full-time, day-time program offered at the Hialeah Campus and is designed to be completed in less than two years. The core of the program includes lectures, lab activities, and three clinical education experiences. The curriculum is designed to progress students from foundational didactic material to hands-on laboratory activities and assessments in preparation for applying learned physical therapy concepts to real patients. The clinical education component of the curriculum is designed to provide the student with the opportunity to utilize the knowledge, behaviors, and skills developed within the academic component of the curriculum.

2. Mission

The Mission of the Physical Therapist Assistant Program is to prepare students to enter the field of Physical Therapy by educating skilled, compassionate and confident entry-level Physical Therapist Assistants who are culturally competent, forward-thinking and life long learners so they may capably assist physical therapists to successfully address the rehabilitation needs of the patients of the community. The program embraces the mission of the university maintaining the highest standard of education and providing students with the tools, instruction, and guidance necessary to succeed as a physical therapist assistant in a continually evolving healthcare system.
The Program specifically supports the mission of the university by imparting the necessary knowledge, critical thinking, and clinical skills to the students as required for them to thrive in the field of Physical Therapy along with promoting service learning and preparing them for successful licensure.

3. Expected Learning Outcomes

• Graduates will interpret and successfully carry out a plan of care as designed by the supervising Physical Therapist using foundational knowledge, evidence-based practice, understanding of contemporary medical management approaches, and effective inter-professional communication skills.
• Graduates will exhibit cultural competency through effective and culturally sensitive clinical decision making, and verbal and non-verbal communication skills in all settings.
• Graduates will provide physical therapy services and interventions, as directed by the supervising PT, in a safe, legal, ethical, and compassionate manner including appropriate resource management, accurate documentation, and billing practices, while acting with integrity and accountability.
• Graduates will demonstrate a commitment to life-long learning through the use of a career development plan and by participating in the American Physical Therapy Association or other professional organizations.
• Graduates will conduct themselves in a manner that reflects respect for their colleagues, commitment to patient advocacy, an obligation to meet the needs of the patients and community they serve, and a desire to continually improve their organization.
• Graduates will competently collect data, utilize critical thinking and problem-solving skills, to promote patient progression within the scope of the PT plan of care, and address patient needs as they arise to foster a successful PT-PTA team approach to patient-centered care.
• Graduates will provide education as directed by the PT to patients, colleagues, or other healthcare providers regarding the field of physical therapy, the role of the PTA; along with health and wellness promotion using a variety of teaching strategies to reach the intended audience.

4. Accreditation

The Physical Therapist Assistant Program at Florida National University is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 3030 Potomac Ave., Suite 100, Alexandria, Virginia 22305-3085; telephone: 703-706-3245; email: accreditation@apta.org; website: http://www.capteonline.org. If needing to contact the program/institution directly, please call (305) 821-3333 ext. 1051 or email ptaprogram@fnu.edu.

5. Application Requirements

6. Curriculum

7. Faculty

Program Director
Michael Gubieda, MHA, BS, PTA, CLWT
(305) 821-3333 ext. 1051
mgubieda@fnu.edu

BS, PTA Academic Coordinator | AS,PTA Instructor
Bijlee Parsotan, BS, PTA
(305) 821-3333 ext. 1050
bparsotan@fnu.edu

PTA AS Instructor
Dr. Kevin Padin PT, DPT

8. Contact

 Please contact the PTA department at ptaprogram@fnu.edu with any questions regarding the program.

9. Student Outcomes

Acceptance Rate: 2020 & 2021 Two-year average – 83%
Graduation Rate: 2020 & 2021 Two-year average – 74%
Licensure (Ultimate) Pass Rate: 2020 & 2021 Two-year average – 92%
Job Placement Rate: 2020 & 2021 Two-year average – 100%