Doctor of Physical Therapy Essential Functions Policy

• Students must be able to use visual, auditory and somatic sensations to elicit information required for patient examination and intervention (e.g. palpation, skin integrity, goniometry, movement screen, gait and balance).
• Students must be able to assimilate information from lecture and laboratory activities and demonstrations at any distance (close proximity, back of the room, or video conference).
• Students must be able to accurately observe patients during clinical experiences and must be able to read output and images from diagnostic instruments to determine a patient's condition.

• Students must be able to read, write, speak, and understand English at a level consistent with successful course completion and development of positive patient therapist relationships.
• Students must be able to clearly express ideas, elicit necessary responses and demonstrate a willingness to give and receive feedback.
• Students must be able to perceive and respond to non-verbal behaviors of self and others.
• Students must gather decision-making components of information during patient examination and intervention activities in class and in the clinical setting without the use of an intermediary such as a classmate, a physical therapist assistant, or an aide.
• Students must have interpersonal skills as needed for productive classroom discussion with classmates and faculty, and for respectful interactions with patients, caregivers, and all members of the health care team.
• Students must display sensitivity to the needs of others and be aware of the influence of culture, values and preferences in personal interactions.
• Students must develop rapport with patients and others through active listening, engendering confidence and adapting communication accordingly.
• Students must be able to communicate effectively and efficiently with members of the health care team both in person and through electronic medical records.

Students must adequately perform motor skills for safe and effective patient management, including but not limited to examination procedures, lifting, transferring and positioning patients of various sizes and abilities, guarding during gait and balance activities, performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation, performing mobilization techniques and non-surgical debridement, and utilizing therapeutic modalities. Students must be able to meet the demands of a physically taxing workload associated with extended periods of sitting, standing, moving, lifting, or physical exertion required within classroom and clinical settings.

Students frequently perform the following activities:

• Lift less than 10 pounds and occasionally lift weights between 10 and 100 pounds.
• Exert 75 pounds of push/pull forces to objects up to 50 feet and occasionally exert 150 pounds of push/pull forces for this distance.
• Twist, bend and stoop.
• Move from place to place and position to position and must do so at a speed that permits safe handling of classmates and patients.
• Stand and walk while providing support to a classmate simulating a disability or while supporting a patient with a disability.
• Use their hands repetitively with a simple grasp and frequently use a firm grasp and manual dexterity skills.
• Coordinate verbal, sensory and manual activities with gross and fine motor tasks during classroom activities and patient management.

Students occasionally perform the following activities:

• Carry up to 25 pounds while walking up to 50 feet.
• Squat, crawl, climb stools, reach above shoulder level, and kneel.
• Climb stairs or negotiate uneven terrain.

• Students must be able to develop and refine problem solving skills through conceptual, integrative and quantitative thinking strategies.
• Students must be able to organize, prioritize, analyze and synthesize complex information individually, in groups, in clinical environments, and in a timely manner.
• Students must be able to comprehend three-dimensional spatial and functional relationships of structures.
• Students must be able to incorporate new information from peers, teachers and contemporary healthcare evidence in formulating clinical decisions.
• Students must apply critical thinking processes to their work in the classroom and the clinic and exercise sound judgment to ensure safety, for delegation to assistive personnel, and for effective clinical decision making related to physical therapy examination, diagnosis, and intervention.

• Students will be expected to demonstrate behaviors concurrent with the American Physical Therapy Associations Code of Ethics for the Physical Therapist, the Standards of Practice for Physical Therapy and the Core Values for the PT. (See APTA website)
• Students must follow all policies specified in the KSPT Student Handbook and KSPT Clinical Education Handbook, including completion of all annual health and safety training and required documentation and online health records.
• Students must be able to function effectively under stress.
• Students must be able to adapt to changing tasks and environments and display flexibility due to inherent uncertainty that arises in patient/client management as a physical therapist.
• Students must have the emotional and behavioral health necessary to use full intellectual capacity, exercise good judgement, and complete all program requirements.
• Students must be able to evaluate self and others through a process of reflection, accept criticism without defensiveness, and respond with suitable actions.
• Students must demonstrate compassion, integrity and mature interpersonal skills in order to develop meaningful, empathetic relationships with patients/clients across the lifespan and from various backgrounds and cultures.
• Develop and maintain respectful professional relationships with peers, faculty, patients/clients, and the general public.