This physical therapist assistant degree offers a hands on experience to students to prepare them for a career as an PTA.
Change Lives for the Better as a Physical Therapist Assistant
Physical Therapist Assistants (PTA) work closely under the supervision of Physical Therapists to help people improve their physical capabilities. As a PTA, you will learn to provide care specified by a Physical Therapist such as physical exercise, the use of special devices or technology and education. Your goals are to help patients manage pain, increase mobility and achieve a better quality of life. PTAs are employed in many different settings including hospitals, private practices, outpatient clinics, nursing homes, schools, sports and fitness facilities as well as home healthcare.
Physical Therapist Assistant Degree Info
- This is an accredited Associate of Science degree program that can be completed in 22 months.
- The program combines 710 hours of clinical components along with classroom instruction and hands-on experience. Clinicals are located in the Omaha, NE metro area.
- Utilizing state-of-the-art equipment, students learn how to teach movement, strength and coordination exercises; train patients to use crutches, canes or walkers; administer massage therapy and use ultrasound and electrical stimulation.
More PTA Program Information
Physical Therapist Assistant Salary & Job Outlook
How much does a physical therapist assistant make? The Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates the U.S. median physical therapist assistant salary in 2010 was $49,690 per year, with a much faster than average projected job growth until 2020 of 46 percent.
PTA Professional Organizations
Program Accreditation
The Physical Therapist Assistant program at Nebraska Methodist College is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE)
1111 North Fairfax Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
Phone: 703-706-3245
Email: accreditation@apta.org
Website: www.capteonline.org
Admissions
Application Deadline:
Please contact Admissions for application deadline information
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Program Start Date:
Fall 2013
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Prospective students may apply anytime and are accepted from deadlines throughout the year. Qualified applicants will meet with an admissions recruiter as part of the process. The meeting will be scheduled upon receipt of all application materials. Students will be notified of their admission by letter or phone.
Program Admissions Criteria
Applicants are evaluated on the basis of the following criteria:
- Minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5
- High school record
- ACT composite of 20 or above, or SAT critical reading and mathematics scores of 950, if within 2 years of high school graduation
- College record
- Math and science courses, minimum 2 years high school math and science required
- Recommended high school or college level physics
- 20-hour observation experience
- Fulfillment of program technical standards
Program Application Process
To be considered for admission the following items must be submitted to the Admissions Office:
For More Information Contact:
Melissa Siedlik
Admissions Coordinator
(402) 354-7206
Melissa.Siedlik@methodistcollege.edu
Tuition & Fees
Attending Nebraska Methodist College represents a major investment in your future. For most students, attending college takes planning and sacrifice. NMC recognizes that and is committed to helping you find every avenue to finance your education. View the Tuition by Program & Degree page for a comprehensive list of all fees.
| Tuition per credit hour: $528 |
First Time Freshmen:
Financial Assistance
At NMC we offer financial aid to our students, and help you understand what financial resources are available to you. View our Financial Assistance page to learn about the Financial Assistance process, policies and options.
Scholarships
Nebraska Methodist College scholarships consist of funds generously provided by the Methodist Hospital Foundation to assist our students. View our Scholarships page to learn more.
All students are required to complete specific coursework. This list should only be used as a curriculum guide. Course listings and required curriculum are subject to change.
Included within this list is the Educated Citizen Core Curriculum. All students seeking to complete an undergraduate degree at Nebraska Methodist College must complete this set of Arts & Sciences requirements. As an educated citizen, NMC graduates are competent practitioners and respond productively to the complex dynamics of the world, utilizing a diversity of disciplines and perspectives.
First Year - Fall Semester
This course will introduce students to terminology used in the health care professions. The origins of medical terms will be studied with an emphasis placed on understanding the suffixes, prefixes, combining forms and root words used in health care terminology. At the end of the course the student will be able to comfortably understand, translate and discuss issues related to their profession using appropriate terminology.
his survey course stresses structure and function of the cell; the integumentary, skeletal, muscle and nervous systems; special senses, endocrine, circulatory, lymphatic, respiratory, digestive, urinary, reproductive systems; as well as necessary aspects of medical terminology, chemistry, histology and embryology. Laboratory experience will include cadaver study.
There is a strong relationship between thinking clearly and expressing thoughts in formal writing and public speaking. Using the skills of logic and critical thinking, students will examine ideas, analyze and evaluate the arguments of others, and advocate for their own ideas. Students will be introduced to the NMC Portfolio process.
- Credits: 3.0
- Prerequisites: HUM 150 is to be taken in the first semester
The student explores the principles and practices of physical therapy including but not limited to: positioning and draping, body mechanics, transfers, infection control, wheelchair management, ambulation aids and self-care instruction.
- Credits: 2.0
- Prerequisites: Admission to the PTA Program.
Students learn about the history of the field of Physical Therapy, and the role of the PTA. Expectations for professional behavior and ethical practice within the field are made explicit. The role and scope of members of the physical therapy team are examined, and major areas of practice are explored. Roles of other members of the health care team are presented, along with team approaches that exist in health care. Communication and human relations, including individual and cultural differences, are discussed as they relate to the health care field. The course also introduces the topics of confidentiality, quality assurance, licensure, applied medical terminology, documentation, basic research procedures, evidence based practice and current issues affecting the field.
- Credits: 2.0
- Prerequisites: Admission to the PTA Program.
The student is introduced to the essentials of functional anatomy as related to the study of muscle origin, insertion, action and innervation. Basic terminology and concepts of applied kinesiology and physics are covered. Laboratory experiences include visualizing cadaver dissections and obtaining a working knowledge of applied surface anatomy.
- Credits: 3.0
- Prerequisites: Admission to the PTA Program.
First Year - Spring Semester
This survey course begins with a major focus on cellular function and pathology, including inflammation, infection, immune response, metabolism, and fluid disequilibria. These concepts serve as the foundation for the course as alterations in various bodily functions are examined. Alterations in body fluid and electrolyte homeostasis; fluid acid/base balance; gastrointestinal, urinary, respiratory, cardiac, endocrine and neurological functions are emphasized. The student will be introduced to pharmacological principles of commonly used classes of medications. The various drug classifications and general characteristics of drugs within a class are examined. These characteristics include the pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, side effects, adverse effects and drug interactions of common drugs within each class.
- Credits: 4.0
- Prerequisites: SCI 200
Students may choose a Humanities elective course.
This course provides instruction and practice in writing, with emphasis on the recursive processes of generating, drafting, revising and editing. Students develop skills in producing and evaluating written communications in private and public contexts.
The student is exposed to foundational principles and practices of physical therapy including but not limited to: posture awareness, manual muscle testing, range of motion measurement and exercise, stretching and strengthening techniques, joint integrity and mobility, soft tissue mobilization, pulmonary physical therapy techniques, PNF patterns and pain measurement.
- Credits: 3.0
- Prerequisites: PTA 100, PTA 105, PTA 115, SCI 200, SCI 116
Students examine the theory, principles and application of physical therapy modalities including but not limited to: therapeutic heat and cold, traction, biofeedback, ultrasound, electrical stimulation, hydrotherapy, iontophoresis, and laser. Theory and principles of diathermy, infrared, ultraviolet, and compression therapies are taught.
- Credits: 4.0
- Prerequisites: PTA 100, PTA 105, PTA 115, SCI 200, SCI 116
This clinical course entails observation and application of physical therapy procedures under the direction and supervision of the Clinical Instructor. Knowledge and skills learned in arts and sciences and PTA program courses are applied in the clinical setting.
- Credits: 1.0
- Prerequisites: PTA 120, PTA 130
First Year - Summer Semester
Access to healthcare is greatly affected by one's command of language. Students in this course engage in the exploration of language and culture then apply these concepts to the healthcare environment through service-learning and community engagement. Students develop practical communication skills that enable effective cross-cultural work with health professionals and clients with backgrounds different from their own.
Determined by major The Life-Span perspective involves several basic contentions: development is life-long, multidimensional, multi-directional, plastic, historically embedded, multi-disciplinary and contextual. Three imperative developmental issues are explored: maturation and experience, continuity and discontinuity and stability and change. Students study how humans develop and how they become who they are.
This course provides clinical observation, application and practice of physical therapy procedures under the direction and supervision of the Clinical Instructor. Students hone skills practiced in the first year of the Program, and take a more active role in patient treatment, education, and communication with members of the healthcare team in the clinic and with their peers through discussion board assignments. Tools used in the clinical setting for quality assurance are explored in a formal paper.
- Credits: 4.0
- Prerequisites: PTA 180, SCI 206
Second Year - Fall Semester
This course explores the ways in which human beings make and remake the meaning of their social world through the production of culture. It employs sociological methods to explore the construction of the dominant, white subculture in the United States. The same methodologies are employed to examine the construction of subcultures in the United States, including those based on race, ethnicity, gender and sexual orientation.
This course includes classroom and laboratory instruction on rehabilitation of patients with surgical and non-surgical orthopedic injuries. General surgical protocols, medical imaging techniques, taping techniques, orthotics, breathing exercises and other techniques for optimum physical performance are covered. Students apply and modify therapeutic exercise techniques for the orthopedic patient.
- Credits: 4.0
- Prerequisites: Satisfactory completion of all technical & clinical coursework to this point in the curriculum
Students learn about pediatric and neurologic dysfunction and interventions for patients across the life span. Concepts include: fundamentals of nervous system operation, motor development, motor control and motor learning, positioning and handling, components of sensory, motor and functional data collection, and application and progression of mobility training and therapeutic interventions for pediatric and neurologic patients.
- Credits: 4.0
- Prerequisites: Satisfactory completion of all technical & clinical coursework to this point in the curriculum
This course covers a variety of topics relevant to the practice of physical therapy. These topics include: rehabilitation for patients with burns, wounds, amputations and cancer; cardiopulmonary rehabilitation; rehabilitation for geriatric patients; alternative medicine; womenâs health; and rehabilitation for the athlete.
- Credits: 3.0
- Prerequisites: Satisfactory completion of all technical & clinical coursework to this point in the curriculum
his course covers a variety of topics relevant to the practice of physical therapy. These topics include: cardiopulmonary responses to exercise, aquatic therapy, ergonomic assessment, industrial rehabilitation, wellness, core strengthening, advanced stretching and strengthening techniques, gait analysis, goal setting, balance training, joint mobilization, and soft tissue injury, repair and remodeling.
- Credits: 3.0
- Prerequisites: Satisfactory completion of all technical & clinical coursework to this point in the curriculum
Second Year - Spring Semester
This course includes classroom instruction, group discussion and case studies in legal and ethical issues affecting the practice of physical therapy. In addition, various administrative topics, for example; patient confidentiality, proper documentation for demonstration of skilled services as well as how documentation drives compliance and reimbursement will also be covered. The importance of professionalism, professional communication, both written and verbal, will also be stressed throughout this course.
This course includes clinical observation, application, and practice of physical therapy procedures under the direction and supervision of the Clinical Instructor. Knowledge from coursework to date is applied in the clinical setting. Students explore evidence-based practice and produce a formal paper on treatment for a patient seen in the clinical setting.
- Credits: 5.0
- Prerequisites: Satisfactory completion of all technical & clinical coursework to this point in the curriculum.
This course follows PTA 240 and provides continued clinical application and practice of physical therapy procedures in a clinical setting different from PTA 240. Knowledge from previous arts and sciences and PTA courses is applied under the direction and supervision of the Clinical Instructor. Students apply communication skills learned throughout the program in the presentation of a formal in-service at the clinical site.
- Credits: 5.0
- Prerequisites: Satisfactory completion of all technical & clinical coursework to this point in the curriculum.
This course covers topics used to help the entry-level PTA pass the national exam, gain employment, increase knowledge of licensing requirements and develop within the field of Physical Therapy.
- Credits: 1.0
- Prerequisites: Satisfactory completion of all technical & clinical coursework to this point in the curriculum.
This course is designed to prepare associate degree students for the required portfolio presentation they deliver in their final semester. Students will apply the reflective process to the goals of the Educated Citizen Core Curriculum in online assignments and in an in-person presentation. A complete portfolio, successful completion of the course, and successful presentation are required as the culminating assignment before graduation.
Faculty
Our faculty is highly experienced and credentialed in their own fields, giving you constant real-world insight you can use. While any instructor can recite from a textbook, ours go a step further and draw from vast personal experience. Instructors here care as deeply about their students as they do the subject matter and it shows.
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