The Department of Physical Therapy has a responsibility for the safety of patients with whom students and graduates will come in contact. Although you learn and work under the supervision of the faculty and instructors, you interact with patients throughout your education. Patient safety and well-being are therefore major factors in establishing requirements involving the physical, intellectual, and emotional abilities of candidates for admission, retention, progression, and graduation. Herein, essential functions are the fundamental, crucial job duties performed in the position of a physical therapist; and technical standards are repeatable and established tasks needed to meet the overall expectations for physical therapist practice.
Students in the Doctor of Physical Therapy program at the University of Florida (UFDPT) must be capable of completing core educational requirements and achieving the competencies and professional activities essential for most physical therapist practice. Therefore, you are expected to meet the standards described below for both academic courses and clinical education experiences. An inability to carry out any of these requirements at any point in the program may result in dismissal from the program if or when peer or patient safety is, or may be, compromised. The essential functions/technical standards provided herein are not intended to serve or represent an exhaustive list and are representative of the most typical and frequently occurring in physical therapy practice; others may present.
Physical therapists typically do the following:
Review patients’ medical history information and referrals or notes from other healthcare workers
Diagnose patients’ functions and movements by observing movement, using tests of body structure and function, activity, and participation, and by listening to their concerns
Develop individualized plans of care for patients, outlining the patients’ goals and the expected outcomes of the plans
Use activity and movement interventions, hands-on therapy, and equipment to ease patients’ pain, increase their mobility, prevent further pain or injury, and facilitate health and wellness
Evaluate and record patients’ progress, modifying the plan of care and trying new interventions as needed
Educate patients, their families, and members of the healthcare team about what to expect from the recovery process and how to cope with challenges throughout the process
Observation
You must be able to acquire information from demonstrations in the classroom and participate in laboratory exercises and clinical education. You must be able to accurately monitor the client’s or patient’s activity and behavior during examinations and interventions as well as changes in status such as skin temperature and/or color, facial expression, breathing rate or pattern, changes in a patient’s position, posture, and movements. You must also be able to recognize potential safety hazards and accurately observe and interpret information displayed on medical equipment.
Communication
You must be able to communicate effectively for varied audiences (e.g., faculty, instructors, staff, peers, patients, clients, family members and members of the health care team and public) and purposes. You must have proficiency in the English language such that you can communicate in both oral and written form effectively, sensitively, and professionally, regardless of environment (classroom, clinical site, and other professional venues) and stressors. Communication is being able to observe patients to elicit information, describe changes in mood, activity, and posture, and perceive, appropriately respond to, and interpret nonverbal communications.
Motor
You must be able to attend and participate in classes and activities which are a part of the curriculum. Your motor and sensory functions must be sufficient to diagnose and deliver patient care consistently, quickly, and accurately. You must be able to safely and effectively manipulate or maneuver your body and another person’s body and/or body parts, and/or equipment to perform examination and intervention techniques and emergency procedures. This includes skilled coordination and fine motor skills to manipulate measurement tools and perform manual examination and intervention techniques. You must demonstrate sufficient balance and proficient locomotor ability to allow you to physically maneuver in both a timely and safe manner, to and from and within the classroom, and lab and clinical education settings, and with all patient care maneuvers. This includes the ability to respond in emergency situations quickly and appropriately, such as to prevent a patient’s fall or perform CPR.
You must be able to tolerate the physical demands required by most clinical education settings, for example, standing for prolonged periods of time during patient care, handling and/or safely transferring and mobilizing with patients, which may include pushing, pulling, lifting, and carrying.
Intellectual-Conceptual, Integrative and Quantitative Abilities
You must have sufficient cognitive abilities and effective learning strategies to assimilate the detailed and complex information presented in the curriculum. You must be able to learn through a variety of modalities, such as: class instruction, small group, team and collaborative activities, and independent study. You must have the ability to learn, memorize, measure, calculate, reason, organize, analyze, and synthesize complex information in a coherent manner. You must be able to comprehend three-dimensional relationships and understand the spatial relationships of structures. You must be able to formulate a hypothesis, investigate the potential answers and outcomes, and formulate appropriate and accurate conclusions and interventions in a timely manner. You must have the ability to accurately self-assess and reflect on your own performance and demonstrate a growth mind-set.
Behavioral and Social Attributes
You must demonstrate the maturity and emotional stability required for full use of your intellectual abilities, the exercise of good judgment, and the timely completion of all responsibilities related to academic work, teamwork, and patient care. You must demonstrate the ability to develop effective professional relationships with faculty, staff, peers, patients, clients, families, and all members of the healthcare team. You must be able to function effectively under stress and proactively make use of available resources to help maintain both physical and mental health. You must be able to adapt to changing environments, display flexibility, and function in the face of uncertainties inherent in the educational and patient care setting. Professionalism, compassion, integrity, concern for others, interpersonal skills, interest, and motivation are expected throughout the education process. You must be willing to interview, physically examine, and provide care to all patients regardless of their race/ethnicity, 15 gender, sexual orientation, religion, ability, and social and cultural backgrounds. You must be able to communicate effectively and clearly.