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Dr. Frank Bates, PT, DPT, GCS, MBA, CEEAA
Director of Clinical Education
Email: frankbates@scuhs.edu
Dr. David Hanna, PT, DPT, ATC, LAT
Assistant Director of Clinical Education
Email: davidhanna@scuhs.edu
DPT Program Administrative Offices
16200 Amber Valley Drive
Whittier, CA 90604
Our program mission is to develop competent, caring, and successful professional Doctors of Physical Therapy, who will thrive as part of an integrative whole-person healthcare team within a learning environment focused on inclusion and imbued with kindness, integrity, and determination. Together, with our stakeholders, we aim to create an educational program at the cutting edge of teaching and learning evidence, and provide this educational opportunity to value matched qualified, diverse applicants in an inclusive, kind environment with integrity and determination.
The program offers a full-time hybrid (online interactive and on-ground) curriculum consisting of 114 credits requiring 6 consecutive terms (2 years) to complete. Three full-time clinical experiences are offered in Terms 4, 5, and 6 for a requirement of 31 full-time weeks in total. These experiences provide students the opportunity to apply their knowledge and skills from the didactic curriculum to clinical situations where they may safely and effectively refine patient care management skills under the direct supervision of experienced physical therapists and in collaboration with interprofessional healthcare teams.
This Clinical Education Handbook serves as the program’s policy and procedure manual for the 3 full-time clinical experiences and supplements the DPT Program page in the SCU catalog and the SCU catalog academic policies. DPT students are responsible for familiarizing themselves with the information contained in this handbook and abiding by all policies and procedures herein.
The University reserves the right to make changes to the handbook as needed to comply with accreditation standards or changes in the healthcare or higher education environment. These updates may not be contained in the handbook; however, they will be posted on the designated university website/portal for student access.
Purpose
DPT clinical education experiences are offered through a network of clinical partners locally, regionally, and nationally. These experiential courses allow for student immersion and application of content learned to date in all aspects of physical therapy practice pertaining to patient/client management under the direct supervision of licensed Clinical Instructors.
Clinical education experience placements are designed to address the following:
- Management of patients/clients with diseases and conditions representative of those commonly seen in practice across the lifespan and the continuum of care.
- Practice in settings representative of those in which physical therapy is commonly practiced.
- Participation in interprofessional practice.
- Participation in practice consistent with the program’s philosophy of practice.
- Direction and supervision of the physical therapist assistant and other physical therapy personnel.
- Other experiences that lead to the achievement of the program’s defined expected student outcomes.
Students will be required to complete three distinct clinical experiences. The level of distinction will ultimately be decided by the Director of Clinical Education (DCE). Factors to determine distinctiveness will include and will not be limited to:
- Patient demographics (e.g., age, gender, occupation, health history, income level, primary language, insurance type)
- Patient diagnoses (e.g., orthopedic, neurologic, pelvic health, sports medicine, oncologic, wound care)
- Facility location (i.e., urban, suburban, rural)
- Facility type (e.g., outpatient hospital, freestanding outpatient, emergency department, urgent care, acute hospital, acute rehab facility, skilled-nursing facility, extended care facility, home health, school system)
Clinical experience placements must also include one experience with a focus on inpatient care and one with a focus on outpatient care. Inpatient experiences are those where patients are admitted to a facility overnight or for an extended period of time. They may include home health for patients where a “hospital at home” experience is arranged. Outpatient experiences are those where patients are not admitted to a facility.
- DPT 645 - Physical Therapy Practice I: This is the first of three full time clinical experiences within the curriculum. This 8-week integrative clinical experience (ICE) experiential course is offered in collaboration with affiliated clinical sites where Clinical Instructor (CI) faculty directly supervise students in all aspects of physical therapy practice pertaining to patient/client management. The course is designed to provide the student the opportunity to apply content learned to date by participating in the continuum of physical therapy care across the lifespan of patients as part of an evidence based interprofessional health care team.
- DPT 655 - Physical Therapy Practice II: This is the second of three full time clinical experiences within the curriculum. This 8-week experiential course is offered in collaboration with affiliated clinical sites where Clinical Instructor (CI) faculty directly supervise students in all aspects of physical therapy practice pertaining to patient/client management. The course is designed to provide the student the opportunity to apply content learned to date by participating in the continuum of physical therapy care across the lifespan of patients as part of an evidence based interprofessional health care team.
- DPT 665 - Physical Therapy Practice III: This is the terminal full time clinical experience within the curriculum. This 15-week experiential course is offered in collaboration with affiliated clinical sites where Clinical Instructor (CI) faculty directly supervise students in all aspects of physical therapy practice pertaining to patient/client management. The course is designed to provide the student the opportunity to apply all curricular content learned in the program by participating in the continuum of physical therapy care across the lifespan of patients as part of an evidence based interprofessional health care team and achieve the level of practice commensurate with a competent clinician.
Clinical Education Courses
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Course
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Term
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DPT 645 - Physical Therapy Practice I
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4
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DPT 655 - Physical Therapy Practice II
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5
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DPT 665 - Physical Therapy Practice III
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6
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It is the program’s goal to equitably optimize clinical learning experiences across the cohort throughout the program. While the Director of Clinical Education (DCE) aims to place students at clinical sites within a 60-mile commute of the student’s housing, feasibility of this depends on state authorization and availability of clinical slots that meet SCU DPT’s program requirements. A current list of state authorizations where SCU may partner with clinical sites is on the program website.
Students are financially responsible for their housing, living expenses, and transportation during clinical education experiences. Any additional costs associated with out-of-area or out-of-state experiences are the student’s responsibility.
Upon receipt of clinical placements or no later than eight weeks prior to the commencement of the clinical experience, students must contact their respective Site Coordinator of Clinical Education (SCCE) to introduce themselves, complete any site-specific and site onboarding requirements, and obtain necessary information to prepare for the first day (e.g., directions, dress code, schedule, assigned staff information).
Note: Any delay in this communication by the student can result in delayed start of the clinical experience or cancellation of the clinical experience which may result in delayed graduation.
Any correspondence from any SCU faculty member must be responded to within 48 hours of the send time. Clinical education can involve unforeseen or short notice changes, and all involved must communicate efficiently and effectively. The primary mode of communication will be university email. For urgent situations, the DCE may also be reached at (562) 247-3162.
Students sign an information release waiver (Appendix A: Consent for Release of Information) upon matriculation in the program. This allows SCU and its representatives to release student information pertinent to clinical partners to facilitate the student’s clinical experience. The following information may be released as needed:
- Name and Contact Information
- Emergency Contact Information
- “Site View” of the student’s Exxat profile
- Compliance documents for onboarding (i.e., health information, verification letter of background check and/or drug screen if applicable)
- HIPAA and OSHA training certification
- Basic Life Support certification
- Professional Liability Insurance information
- Accommodation letters
University and FERPA policies require protection of student information. Only information required to facilitate the placement and clinical experience will be shared. This is done through the secure clinical education management system, Exxat. Students often directly share their own information with the clinic’s SCCE during the onboarding process.
If a student has any physical and/or mental condition which may interfere with their ability to meet the technical standards and function as a student physical therapist, they are advised to contact the Office of Student Services as early in the professional curriculum as possible. Upon review of the student request for accommodation by the Office of Student Services and receipt of documented eligibility for accommodation, the student must inform the DCE. Coordination between the DCE, the clinical site’s Clinical Instructor (CI) and/or SCCE, and the student may occur thereafter. All student accommodation requests will be shared with the DCE and the clinical site’s faculty as appropriate. When warranted, students may be asked to provide a signed medical release to facilitate participation and safety while in clinical education experiences.
Clinical education experiences are offered through a network of clinical partners locally, regionally, and nationally. All logistics management pertaining to full-time clinical experiences will occur through the Exxat platform. Every student will gain account access prior to matriculation into the program and will be responsible for maintaining an updated profile along with all compliance documents.
Affiliation Agreements
Before any clinical placement, a fully executed affiliation agreement between the clinical site and SCU must be in place. Placements will only be initiated by the DCE or delegated administrative personnel once the DCE or Assistant DCE (ADCE) has completed the initial site verification to ensure the site meets the requirements of the program’s clinical experiences. All agreements are reviewed and signed by SCU’s Vice President of Business Affairs (or SCU authorized designees). Affiliation agreements will be stored in the Exxat database and a local copy kept on SCU’s network drive accessible to DPT administrators.
Clinical Site Selection
Clinical experiences will be provided to students only at sites deemed to meet SCU’s clinical education standards and criteria. The DCE or ADCE verifies qualifications of the personnel involved in supervising students and the site’s operations including the student program using a program assessment form and the Guidelines for Selection of New Clinical Education Facilities published by the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA). Evidence of currency in these qualifications and standards is obtained through facility and CI assessments by students (i.e., Appendix B: Physical Therapist Student Evaluations in Exxat) and scheduled site reassessments done by the DCE or ADCE.
As established by the Clinical Education Special Interest Group (CESIG) of the Academy of Education of the APTA, students are not permitted to contact clinical sites to establish their own placements. Clinical sites of student interest may be provided to the DCE for future assessment as a potential SCU affiliated clinical partner, but any future clinical slots gained are not guaranteed to the student who inquired with the DCE.
To be eligible to participate in clinical education experiences, students must meet the following criteria. Note: Any delay in completion of the prerequisites by the student can result in delayed start of the clinical experience or cancellation of the clinical experience which may result in delayed graduation.
- Achievement of academic good standing.
- Demonstrate competence on all practical skills examinations and skills checks with a minimum grade of 80% and no safety deficits (Appendix C: Skills Check List).
- Program essential functions (Appendix D: Program Essential Functions).
- Professional behavior standards with no concerns from core faculty.
- Core faculty approval that the student is competent and safe to progress to the clinical education curriculum.
- Upload and maintain currency of all required health documents in Exxat (Appendix E: Health Conditions and Exam; Appendix F: Screening and Immunization).
- Upload and maintain currency of required health insurance, professional liability insurance, and Basic Life Support (BLS) certification in Exxat.
- Satisfy any clinical site-specific requirements.
- Current/updated profile and contact information in Exxat.
The DCE requests feedback from the faculty on student preparedness prior to clinical experiences. The Student Success Committee (SSC) assesses each student based on the above criteria, including student progression throughout the curriculum, completion of all practical examination and skills checks, and any faculty concerns related to patient management skills, professionalism, and/or safety. The SSC concludes its assessment with recommendations to the DPT core faculty. Core faculty members discuss these concerns during dedicated faculty meetings and make a final determination regarding each student’s readiness for clinical education.
The final determination regarding student readiness is defined as one of the three options below:
Prepared - Student has met all academic progression standards, passed all practical exams and skills checks with no safety concerns on first attempts, and demonstrated appropriate professional behaviors in all activities.
Prepared with Concerns - Student has met all academic progression standards and passed all practical exams and skills checks following the appropriate remediation and re-testing of one or more assessments as outlined in the SCU Catalog and DPT program policy. The DCE and Student Affairs Coordinator will gather necessary information from the course instructor(s) involved in the course(s) requiring remediation to determine whether an individualized Academic Development Plan should be implemented. If an Academic Development Plan is deemed necessary, the DCE, Student Success Coordinator, and faculty mentor will meet with the student to review and implement the contract. The student will be expected to communicate the Academic Development Plan to the assigned clinical instructor (CI) and the DCE will monitor the student’s progress via direct communication with the student and CI during the first two weeks of the experience. The DCE and ADCE will continue to monitor the student throughout the experience. If at midterm, the student has not met expectations, the DCE will remove the student from the clinical experience and assign a No Pass grade for the course. Students not requiring an Academic Development Plan will be closely monitored by the clinical education team throughout the duration of clinical experience with specific attention by the DCE or ADCE to the midterm performance assessment.
Unprepared - Student does not meet academic progression standards; has not passed recent practical exams and skills checks following remediation and re-testing in the preceding academic semester; or has demonstrated consistent trends in unsafe, unprofessional, unethical, and/or illegal behaviors that are inappropriate for academic progression and entry into clinical education experiences. Students who are unprepared for clinical education do not meet academic progression standards and will be dismissed from the program in accordance with the dismissal policy in the SCU Catalog.
Courses
Students must successfully complete all prerequisite didactic courses and be in good academic standing before starting their clinical assignments. Courses within the DPT curriculum may not be taken out of sequence unless extenuating circumstances are approved by the faculty and Program Director. Eligibility to participate in any of the three full time clinical education experiences is contingent upon approval from the core faculty after review of academic progress and professionalism record through the term prior to the commencement of the experience. This review and approval occurs during a standing core faculty meeting scheduled by the Program Director in consultation with the DCE. Academic good standing and evaluation of professionalism within the didactic curriculum is defined in the academic policy page of the SCU Catalog.
Training
Students must successfully complete the following trainings prior to core faculty approval to enter the clinical education curriculum: HIPAA compliance, Title IX,/SB493, OSHA, WHO PPE, and Blood Borne Pathogens training. (These trainings are offered online through the student MySCU portal via the Campus Safety Department. OSHA, PPE, and Universal Precautions training will be completed in DPT 615 Physical Therapy Fundamentals in Term 1 of the curriculum.)
Certification
Students must maintain currency of the American Heart Association Basic Life Support certification and provide evidence of such in Exxat.
Clearance
Students must successfully demonstrate clearance in all required areas to participate in rotations and maintain evidence of the items below in Exxat. Note: Any delay in completing the clearance requirements can result in delayed start of the clinical experience or cancellation of the clinical experience which may result in delayed graduation.
Tuberculosis (TB)
Annual TB screening is required. The two-step test must be performed and read by a licensed healthcare provider. (See Appendix F: Screening and Immunization requirements for additional details.)
Immunization
Proof of adequate serologic immunity to Hepatitis B, Measles/Mumps/Rubella, and Varicella is required. A Tetanus/Diphtheria/Pertussis (Tdap) booster must have been received within the last 10 years. The current annual influenza vaccination must have been received.
While SCU highly encourages full COVID-19 vaccination, it is not required. If a clinical site requires this vaccination series and a student opts not to receive it, the clinical site may cancel the student placement if an exemption is not permitted, and graduation can be delayed as a result.
Not being immunized might prevent the student from being assigned to a facility. The program is not obligated to identify a clinical site that will accommodate the student, which means the student may be at risk of being administratively dismissed from the program. Students are required to keep all immunization records current.
(See Appendix F: Screening and Immunization requirements for additional details.)
Criminal Background Check and Drug Screening
Students must successfully complete a criminal background check through Universal Background Screening upon matriculation to the DPT program. This background check is integrated with Exxat for record keeping. Additional background checks and drug screens may be required by an assigned clinical site. These must be completed in accordance with the site-specific policies and prior to the deadline assigned. All costs associated with background checks and drug screens are the responsibility of the student.
Student Health Insurance
Students are required to maintain an active health insurance policy while enrolled in the program. Copies of insurance cards must be uploaded to Exxat and approved prior to matriculation. Health insurance must remain valid for the duration of the program. If a student changes to another health insurance policy during their time in the program, a new insurance card must be uploaded at that time. Students are responsible for the costs of any emergency services.
Personal Information
Student contact information must be current and on file in Exxat prior to the commencement of the clinical year. If there are any changes, the student must update this information in Exxat as it occurs. Students are responsible for maintaining a current address, cell phone number, email address, and emergency contact information in Exxat at all times.
Site-specific requirements
Certain clinical sites may have requirements that are site-specific, including additional vaccinations, drug screens, background checks, etc. Students must comply with any site-specific requirements as a prerequisite for participation.
In accordance with the Voluntary Uniform Mailing Date established by the Clinical Education Special Interest Group (CESIG) of the APTA Academy of Education, the DCE solicits availability of clinical slots for student placement annually on March 1. This correspondence with clinical sites is primarily managed through the Exxat platform and secondarily through means of email, fax, or telephone communication for which availability will ultimately be recorded in Exxat by the DCE or clinical education administrative support.
Upon matriculation to the program, students may submit location-based preferences for each full-time clinical experience through the Exxat Wishlist process. Once clinical experience slots are confirmed through the March 1 mailer, students may submit a second Wishlist in Exxat in which they rank preferences of available slots for the first clinical experience. The DCE provides a specified window of time for students to review the sites offering slots and their respective requirements, basic information, and prior student evaluations. The clinical slot ranking Wishlist process is repeated for the second and third clinical experiences. Consequently, students can make informed rankings as their primary mechanism of input to the placement process.
Final student placements are made by the DCE no later than the start of the term prior to the commencement of the clinical experience. The below considerations are made by the DCE in the context of the SCU clinical setting requirements and the Exxat placement assist process for final placements:
- Program goal to equitably optimize clinical learning experiences across the cohort throughout the program.
- Students’ preference lists (including notes regarding clinical interests).
- Students’ prior experience with a clinical site. (Students may NOT return to a site where they were previously employed, held long-term volunteer positions, or where they were previously placed for a clinical experience.)
- Hardship requests pertaining to a medical condition of the student or where the student is a primary caregiver.
- Clinical site interviews when applicable.
Students may be placed in clinical experiences outside of the local geographic region or out of state. While the DCE aims to place students within a 60-mile commute of their reported housing availability, this depends on factors external to the program such as clinic site availability. Students are responsible for all travel and associated expenses during clinical experiences.
Student/Site Placement Notifications
Both students and SCCEs will be notified of published clinical placements through an email disseminated from the Exxat platform. The DCE completes the placement process and sends notifications as early as possible prior to the start of the clinical experience and no later than the start of the term before the clinical experience. The email to the SCCEs includes but is not limited to all pertinent details of the student contact information, the student’s Exxat profile, and the link to SCU’s clinical education site which houses handbooks, syllabi, etc. The SCCEs are responsible for forwarding this information to the assigned Clinical Instructor (CI).
While the DCE performs due diligence in confirming slot availability, unforeseen circumstances (e.g., staffing changes, patient census fluctuation, etc.) can occur at the site necessitating a student placement cancellation or modification. If upon collaboration between the DCE and SCCE it is determined that the student placement can no longer be supported at the site, the DCE communicates with the student a contingency plan to secure a different site placement with considerations of the student’s preferences and site availability. This change of placement is documented and reviewed for consideration when future placements are made to ensure equity of student preferences throughout the program.
Evaluations and Assessments
Clinical Performance Evaluation Tool (CIET)
As identified in the course syllabi for Physical Therapy Practice I (DPT 645), II (DPT 655), and III (DPT 665), the Clinical Internship Evaluation Tool (CIET) (Appendix G: Clinical Internship Evaluation Tool) is used for student self-assessment as well as CI evaluation of the student’s performance throughout the clinical experience. This tool allows for evaluation of a student against the standard of a competent clinician who skillfully manages patients in an efficient manner while achieving an effective outcome. The CIET was developed and validated by the University of Pittsburgh School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (Department of Physical Therapy). The tool will be stored and utilized within Exxat thereby allowing students, CIs, and the DCE to have secure access to the assessment. Prior to first time use of the CIET, all students, CIs, and SCU faculty must watch the training video to establish familiarity with the operational definitions and ratings of the tool.
The program expects that students will be at or above the level of a competent clinician rating by the end of their final clinical experience (DPT 665).
Assessment of the Student
At the midpoint of each clinical experience, the DCE will formally assess the student’s progress toward the expected ratings to be achieved by the completion of the clinical experience. This assessment will occur through a (virtual) facility site visit, the midterm visit form, and review of the CIET documentation. Students who are identified as not meeting the expected progression standards within the clinical, may be placed on an individualized Academic Development Plan by the DCE or ADCE and in collaboration with the CI, develop strategies to assist with successful remediation for the remainder of the clinical experience. All records pertaining to the clinical experience are submitted and stored in Exxat.
A grade of Pass (P) or No Pass (NP) will be determined by the DCE upon review of the final CIET ratings, supporting documentation by the CI of the ratings, interviews conducted by the faculty with the CI/SCCE/student, the student’s self-assessment, and required assignments. If discrepancies in assessment amongst the stakeholders are present, additional considerations may include the clinical setting, progression of performance from midterm to final evaluation, and whether there were any safety concerns noted.
Procedures of a No Pass Grade
If the DCE determines a student earned an NP grade, they must retake the clinical experience in a similar setting and duration at a different facility than the original one before progressing in the program. Tuition will be charged accordingly.
A second NP, whether a retake clinical experience or separate one, will result in dismissal from the program.
Assessment of the CI, Clinical Facility, and SCCE
As a component of the clinical education program assessment, the DCE reviews the initial site assessment form (Appendix H: Initial Clinical Site Assessment Form) completed prior to initial student placement and updated as needed, communications with facility SCCE and staff, the physical therapist student evaluation evaluations, and site visits (on ground or virtual).
In evaluation of CIs specifically, the DCE reviews the following information sources:
- Initial Site Assessment Form: provides information related to experience, licensure, and certification(s)
- Physical Therapist Student Evaluation (General Information page and Section 2: Assessment of Clinical Instruction): provides information on communication and instruction style, learning experiences, evaluation of student performance, and potential CI development needs
- Midterm site visits (on ground or virtual) by DCE/SCU instructor of record: provides information on CI professional development needs, CI understanding of curricular objectives and requirements, communication and feedback styles, CI’s orientation of student to the environment
Feedback from these sources is utilized to identify areas of strength and deficiency which facilitate communication with the CI and SCCE regarding concerns and development needs. Information can also be collated to assess themes across SCU affiliated CIs.
Assessment of the DCE
The effectiveness of the DCE is assessed annually by the Program Director during the Faculty Performance Appraisal process. To ensure appropriate depth of evaluation of the DCE’s effectiveness in planning, developing, coordinating, and facilitating the clinical education program, feedback will be obtained from multiple stakeholders in the program and reviewed by the Program Director as part of the annual assessment. Active clinical education faculty (SCCEs and CIs) will be surveyed on a biennial basis regarding the DCE’s performance in communication, programmatic coordination, student development, clinical education faculty development, and general structure of clinical experiences (Appendix I: DCE Assessment Survey). Students will be surveyed following each full-time clinical experience regarding the DCE’s performance in the placement and preparation for the clinical experience, accessibility and communication during the clinical experience, and facilitation of learning (Appendix J: Post Clinical Experience Student Survey).
Termination of a Clinical Experience
If a CI or SCCE provides a written request that a student not continue a clinical experience at a site due to critical performance issues or unprofessional conduct, the student will be assigned a NP grade for the experience, after review by the DCE. Determination of a re-take of the clinical experience and/or additional remediation requirements will be determined by the DCE in consultation with the DPT Program Director.
Withdrawal from a Clinical Experience
As outlined in the SCU Academic Policies (catalog), a student may request to withdraw only from the final clinical education course (DPT 665) any time after the add/drop period. In these cases, the student must consult with the Program Director and the DCE and submit a written request for withdrawal from the course. Students who withdraw from the course after the add/drop period are not eligible for a refund and a notation will appear on the student’s transcript based upon the withdrawal date and circumstances (I.e. W, WF). Students may not request to withdraw from the course after the course has been completed. Course withdrawals may impact tuition, academic standing, and financial aid.
DPT students must take courses in sequence as outlined in the curriculum grid. Therefore, withdrawing from the final clinical experience course may result in delayed progression within the program and graduation. Withdrawal due to extenuating circumstances that fall outside the above required timeline will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis with the potential for the student to request a leave of absence.
Timesheets (via Exxat)
To ensure accurate record keeping of patient care related hours which meet accreditation standards, students will submit weekly timesheets within Exxat. Failure to submit and/or misrepresent patient care related hours may impact the student’s rating of professional behavior within the CIET and final course grade.
While engaged in the clinical education experience, students are not employees of any clinical affiliate and should not be a substitute for or take on any responsibilities of a regular staff member’s assignments or duties. Students are allowed to participate in the continuum of physical therapy care under the direct supervision of a licensed physical therapist and must abide by all facility, local, state, and federal laws and regulations pertaining to physical therapy practice. This includes compliance with HIPAA as students will have access to confidential information related to patients/clients in the facilities they are assigned. Violation of HIPAA or any other policy or law may result in sanctions including potential dismissal from the program.
Student:
A SCU physical therapist student is expected to engage in all clinical experiences as an active invested learner and future practitioner. The behaviors of the student shall be guided by SCU’s four values, the APTA Core Values of the Physical Therapist, and the APTA Code of Ethics. Each student is accountable for representing themselves in the highest standards as an individual student clinician, a member of SCU, and a member of the profession of Physical Therapy.
Responsibilities:
- Review and abide by the policies and procedures of the program, SCU, and the clinical facility.
- Initiate and maintain professional communication with the SCCE and CI regarding expectations, needs, and progression of the clinical experience.
- Actively engage in the clinical education process to strive for continual development of technical and professional knowledge, skills, and attitudes.
- Complete all assignments and assessments with integrity and self-reflection commensurate with the program standards.
- Seek feedback from all stakeholders and communicate concerns as needed.
Clinical Instructor (CI):
The physical therapist is directly responsible for instructing, guiding, supervising, and formally assessing the student during the clinical education experience. When engaged in full-time clinical education, the clinical instructor must be a licensed physical therapist with a minimum of one year of full-time (or equivalent) post-licensure clinical experience.
Responsibilities:
- Consistently model professional behavior in alignment with the APTA Code of Ethics and Core Values.
- Collaborate with stakeholders to ensure a safe learning environment in which student clinical experiences are structured for progression of administrative and clinical knowledge, skills, and attitudes.
- Supervise the student consistent with the law and in a manner that is safe for students and patients.
- Provide feedback (formal and informal) to students regarding their performance regularly, including completion of midterm and final evaluation using the SCU assessment tools provided.
- Utilize the course learning objectives to facilitate the student’s clinical experience, and communicate progress and concerns with the DCE and SCCE.
Site Coordinator of Clinical Education (SCCE):
A professional who administers, manages, and coordinates clinical assignments and learning activities for students during their clinical education experience. In addition, this person determines the readiness of people to serve as clinical instructors for students, supervises clinical instructors in the delivery of clinical education experiences, communicates with the academic program regarding student performance, and provides essential information to academic programs.
Responsibilities:
- Communicate and collaborate with the DCE as the primary facility contact to plan and support clinical education experiences.
- Maintain documentation pertinent to the site’s clinical education program.
- Facilitate affiliation agreements, March 1 mailing response for upcoming clinical slots, and student placements.
- Provide current information regarding student onboarding requirements and facilitates the onboarding process once students are assigned.
- Oversee CI selection based on SCU criteria and act as a liaison between the student and CI where necessary.
- In consultation with the DCE, evaluate the effectiveness of the site clinical education program including its CIs.
Director of Clinical Education (DCE):
Academic faculty member responsible for planning, directing, and evaluating the academic institution’s clinical education program, including facilitating clinical site and faculty development. The DCE is responsible for determining and reporting clinical education experience outcomes, including final grades. The DCE coordinates the administrative oversight of the clinical education program in collaboration with faculty and clinical partners while ensuring adherence to program and University policies in addition to professional and regional accreditation standards.
Responsibilities:
- Serve as the primary liaison between the program and clinical facilities.
- Develop and evaluate clinical partnerships which align with the program and University.
- Oversee the affiliation agreement process in consultation with the University Vice President of Business Affairs and legal counsel.
- Maintain clinical education program compliance with CAPTE, WSCUC, and University policies.
- Oversee clinical placements, student monitoring, and evaluation of student performance.
- Responsible for assessment of all aspects of the clinical education program and facilitating development or training of stakeholders where needed.
- Collaborate and guide CIs, SCCEs, and students when necessary to ensure optimization of student outcomes and patient safety.
SCU Instructor of Record:
Academic faculty member who represents the University in a capacity of indirect supervision of students in the clinic and collaborates with all stakeholders including the DCE as necessary.
Responsibilities:
- Serve as the primary contact between the program, CI, and student during a clinical experience.
- Monitor student progression within a clinical experience including formal review at midterm and final and all assignments in between for grade determination.
- Support both the CI and student throughout a clinical experience and intervene with strategies to address concerns that arise, promoting optimal clinical learning.
- Assist DCE in assessment of CI and clinical site.
Patient/Client:
A person receiving or registered to receive physical therapy care or services. This person has the risk-free right to refuse care or services by a physical therapist student.
Clinical Education Faculty (SCCEs and CIs) Rights and Privileges:
- Provide feedback on the SCU DPT curriculum and student performance.
- Request a meeting with the DCE or to have a student removed from a clinical experience at any time due to safety concerns or conduct unbecoming.
- Request additional training and/or information pertinent to clinical instruction.
- Attend selected continuing education programs at a reduced or free rate when sponsored by the program.
- Attend and/or deliver guest lectures within the program curriculum.
- Collaborate with program faculty in clinical research.
- Receive access to online SCU library resources.
General
During the program approved clinical experience course dates, students must work under the direct supervision of a licensed CI and are expected to become an integral part of the health care team or practice to which they are assigned. Students are expected to mirror the schedule of their assigned CI which may include weekends, nights, and holidays. If the assigned CI cannot supervise the student or must be away from the clinical rotation site, the student should notify the DCE immediately by phone or email and may not participate in patient care until the CI returns or a secondary CI is assigned.
Students are expected to attend all learning activities (e.g., grand rounds, lectures, observations, workshops) assigned by their CI.
Schedules (including conflicts and errors)
Clinical experiences are full-time, and students are expected to meet the time requirements set by the site and provided in advance to the students. Students should expect these site-specific hours to be a minimum average of 35 hours per week and approximately 40 hours of patient care-related activities per week. Students are expected to mirror the schedule of their assigned CI to include any holiday specified schedule which may differ from holiday closures observed by the University.
Attendance Requirements
Clinical experience courses require 100% physical attendance. Students are expected to always be prompt and follow the same schedule as their CI during clinical experiences. Absences for reasons other than illness, injury, or pre-approved attendance at an APTA sponsored conference are not permitted. Students are allowed a maximum of one sick day without make up of missed clinic time. Additional approved days of absence must be made up unless the clinical site cannot accommodate the additional days. If the site is unable to accommodate make-up days, the DCE and CI will identify an alternative option to satisfy the required hours, if needed.
If sick, the student must notify both the SCU Instructor of Record via email and the CI by the CI’s preferred contact method as soon as possible. Failure to do so does not meet the expected professional standards within the program and may result in an adverse rating of Professional Behaviors on evaluation and/or impact to the overall grade of the clinical experience.
Leave of Absence
For information about leave of absence, please refer to the “Leave of Absence” policy in the University Catalog. A leave of absence may result in deceleration and/or delayed graduation.
Required and Optional Experiences
Students may be provided opportunities to participate in learning experiences unique to the clinical site. Examples of these opportunities may include case presentations, grand rounds, surgery observation, staff in-services and meetings, interdisciplinary co-treatments, quality improvement projects, and more.
Although clinical sites typically supply students with essential examination equipment during clinical education experiences, students are encouraged to bring the SCU DPT Student Kit with them daily to ensure they may fully participate in patient examinations which their CIs deem appropriate.
The program adheres to all University policies as outlined in the University Catalog, including the SCU Clinical Handbook Part I. The policies below are either unique to the program, are in addition to University policy, and/or are more stringent than the University policies they reference.
Student Identification
Students must identify themselves as physical therapist students prior to engagement with a participant in a course or patient in the clinic. Furthermore, students in clinical experiences must wear a name tag with their name and “Physical Therapist Student” in at least 18-point type per the Physical Therapy Board of California.
Appearance and Attire
Students are expected to follow the Standards of Professional Appearance in the SCU Clinical Handbook, Section II, which is consistent with those of a physical therapist.
In addition to the Personal Hygiene/Cleanliness and Clinical Setting Attire (Professional Dress) standards within the Standards of Professional Appearance policy, which must be followed, cosmetics which could pose a threat to proper use of personal protective equipment which could risk injury to oneself or another person must not be worn. Safety is paramount for students and all those who interact with students in the clinical setting. Refer to the DPT program page in the SCU catalog for additional information.
As indicated in the Clinical Setting Attire (Professional Dress) standards within the Standards of Professional Appearance, clinical students may be required to comply with additional clinical site or program specific standards of professional appearance and/or dress code requirements. Students must clarify facility dress code and related policies prior to starting a clinical experience and adhere to the advised policies for the duration of the experience.
Professional Behavior
The DPT program is a professional doctoral program which assumes the responsibility of assuring the public, the profession, and the academic community that SCU DPT students adhere to the established ethical and professional standards of the profession. Consequently, the program has a duty to evaluate students continuously for their suitability to enter the profession. Students will be specifically graded on professional conduct during practical examinations via use of a program rubric and in clinical experiences via the CIET. All students are subject to SCU’s Student Code of Conduct and corresponding policies and procedures which can be found in the institutional catalog.
Appendix A: Consent for Release of Information
Appendix B: Physical Therapist Student Evaluation
Appendix C: Skills Check List
Appendix D: Program Essential Functions
Appendix E: Health Conditions and Exam
Appendix F: Screening and Immunization
Appendix G: Clinical Internship Evaluation Tool
Appendix H: Initial Clinical Site Assessment Form
Appendix I: DCE Assessment Survey
Appendix J: Post Clinical Experience Student Survey
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