Outcomes & Objectives

The goals of the Physical Therapy program, with objectives listed below each respective goal, in keeping with the mission of New York Tech are as follows:

1. Recruit and support students of all cultures and backgrounds who wish to pursue a career in physical therapy and whose academic record and experiential hours indicate competency and a motivational commitment to learning.
   • Expand the number, quality, and diversity of the applicant pool through: (i) our website, (ii) dissemination of scholarship, (iii) involvement in community and professional organizations. and (iv) the reputation of our graduates.
   • Provide advisement to prospective students.
   • Establish and maintain admissions criteria at a level to optimize success in graduate education.
2. Create an academic environment that will prepare graduates to meet program outcomes.
   • Provide a curriculum that reflects current evidence-based physical therapy practice, research, and accreditation standards to optimize passing of the licensing exam and employment post-graduation.
   • Maintain a curriculum that will ensure all graduates are meeting the defined student learning outcomes.
   • Maintain policies and procedures that promote success and are applied equally to all students and faculty.
   • Provide adequate resources to meet student, faculty, programmatic, and research needs.
   • Provide clinical education experiences that expose the students to the breadth and depth of contemporary physical therapy practice.
   • Provide experiences (case studies, assignments, simulated patient care, field encounters) that facilitate the development of critical thought processes.
3. Develop a cadre of clinically and academically diverse core faculty who can meet the criteria of high-quality teaching, significant scholarly output, and valuable service to the college and professional community. Maintain a cadre of adjuncts with excellent clinical experience and proven teaching effectiveness.
   • Stay abreast of changes in physical therapy practice and education through faculty attendance at professional presentations, lectures, and conferences.
   • Monitor pedagogical innovations through professional literature.
   • Incorporate educational innovations through the department’s curriculum review committee, including implementing technology-based methods in the delivery of the curriculum.
   • Facilitate research through collaboration and mentorship using the expertise of the institution and scientific community.
   • Provide professional resources and mentorship to core and adjunct faculty for academic and professional growth.
4. Recognize the importance of our clinical partners and professional community in the delivery of the curriculum.
   • Provide educational opportunities for the greater physical therapy community.
   • Conduct continuing professional education courses.
   • Offer an annual seminar for clinical education faculty.
   • Provide graduate credit allowance for clinical education faculty.

By the completion of the program the graduate will be able to:

• Determine the physical therapy needs of any patient or client through examination and evaluation.
  • Recognize the normal structure and function of the health organism from conception to death.
  • Recognize areas in which structure and function are abnormal.
  • Select appropriate methods to assess the function, dysfunction, or abnormality.
  • Perform (modify if necessary) and record the results of necessary examination procedures to assess the function of appropriate systems including neurological, musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, pulmonary, and integumentary.
  • Interpret the results of examination procedures.
  • Determine initially and on a continuing basis the nature and extent of the patient’s need for intervention and the potential of the patient to respond to specific forms of intervention.
• Develop a plan of action to meet the individual’s physical therapy needs.
  • Utilize critical thinking and discriminating judgments to integrate scientific theory with the results of patient evaluation to establish realistic long- and short-term goals, and to consider economic and social influences (within the community, family, and patient) that may affect the outcome of the plan.
  • Select the most appropriate procedures available in terms of clinical outcomes, cost-effectiveness, and potential for achieving long- and short-term goals.
  • Reassess the plan of action in relation to the patient’s response and modify as necessary.
• Implement a physical therapy plan of action designed to: maintain and restore strength, endurance, coordination, and range of motion to improve or restore function, promote healing, and relieve pain.
  • Determine the type, time, and intensity of the procedure to be used.
  • Determine the personnel preferred for the administration of each aspect of treatment.
  • Effectively perform treatment procedures in a manner appropriate to the patient’s status.
  • Prepare patients, treatment area, and equipment in a manner that assures the patient’s dignity, safety, privacy, and treatment efficiency.
• Communicate appropriately and effectively with patients and families, colleagues, and the public.
  • Consistently use effective written, oral, and nonverbal communication skills.
  • Provide psycho-social support for patients and their families.
  • Function as an effective member of the healthcare team or other working group.
  • Recognize and respect individual, cultural, socioeconomic, and religious difference in people.
  • Recognize and understand one’s own personal reaction to illness and disability.
• Adhere to safe, ethical, and legal practices.
  • Recognize and understand the priority of safety in dealing with another individual’s physical and mental well-being.
  • Accept responsibility for one’s own actions and their consequences.
  • Make decisions within the scope of practice as a physical therapist.
  • Practice physical therapy in a variety of settings with the goal being to promote optimal health and maximize the highest level of function.
• Apply the administrative principles of planning, organization, supervision, control, and evaluation while working within or managing a physical therapy service.
  • Recognize the impact of external agencies or departments on the management of a physical therapy service and respond to those agencies or departments with appropriate actions.
  • Plan a physical therapy service in any setting.
  • Appreciate the importance of good management practice in the daily operation of a physical therapy service.
• Apply the basic educational concept of teaching within the clinical practice of physical therapy.
  • Develop clear, concise, and appropriate learning objectives for patient education, in-service, and continuing education activities.
  • Evaluate the effectiveness of learning experiences.
• Apply the basic principles of statistics and research methodology within the practice of physical therapy.
  • Critically analyze new concepts and findings provided by others.
  • Use the scientific method to resolve simple problems related to the practice of physical therapy.
  • Accept the value of research in physical therapy.
• Contribute to the quality of health of the community and the improvement of the effectiveness of the healthcare system of the community.
  • Effectively participate in the community in a manner that reflects an acceptance of the role of the physical therapist in the healthcare system.
  • Participate in and appreciate the function of appropriate national associations.
  • Demonstrate a sense of responsibility in regard to contemporary health issues as they impact physical therapy services.
• Accept that being a professional is a continuous process and assume responsibility for professional and personal growth and development.
  • Assume the responsibility for one’s own learning.
  • Perform in a manner that reflects an acceptance of the value of professional behavior.

• Determine the physical therapy needs of a patient or client through examination and evaluation.
• Develop and implement a plan of care to meet the individual’s physical therapy needs.
• Demonstrate understanding of the foundational sciences as they relate to physical therapy practice.
• Communicate appropriately and effectively with patients and families, colleagues, and the public.
• Adhere to safe, ethical, and legal practices.
• Apply sound administrative principles to the management of physical therapy practice.
• Apply basic educational strategies of teaching within the scope of physical therapy.
• Implement and integrate research methods adherent to the standards of evidence-based practice.
• Participate in health and wellness community-based initiatives across the lifespan.
• Accept that being a professional is a continuous process and assume responsibility for professional and personal growth and development.