Advising Notes
Montgomery College, Takoma Park Campus
Date reviewed: October, 2004

Discipline:  Health Information Technology [PT212] 
Physical Therapist Assistant Advisor

Return to Physical Therapy Physical Therapy Department

PT212, Psychological Aspects of Therapy for the Physical Therapist Assistant
Sample syllabus submitted by Professor Cepeda, Fall 2004

Required Text:                       HEALTH PROFESSIONAL AND PATIENT INTERACTION BY PURTILO AND HADDAD  

Suggested Reading:               DEATH AND DYING BY KUBLER-ROSS                                          

 

COURSE DESCRIPTION 

This course focuses on the psychological reaction and behavioral changes in patients and their families. Techniques of effective interaction and intervention between medical health worker and the patient will be emphasized.  Prerequisites: Psychology 102 

COURSE OBJECTIVES 

Upon completion of this course, the student will: 

1.                  Be able to identify and understand how his/her own personal limitations, biases, and stressors can impact the PTA-Patient relationship.

2.                  Be knowledgeable of the Patient Bill of Rights.

3.                  Understand the Psychosocial Aspects of Loss and Disability.

4.                  Understand potential barriers to the patient’s acceptance of care, response to treatment, and progress.

5.                  Develop positive approaches to building a professional relationship with patients.

6.                  Be able to identify characteristics of psychological conditions that may affect/effect patient progress, response to treatment, or interaction with therapist.

7.                  Complete assignments that strengthen understanding, knowledge and empathic reasoning.

8.                  Be knowledgeable of how societal perceptions/ barriers affect/effect disabled.

9.                  Be knowledgeable of laws that positively and adversely affect/effect disabled.

10.              Develop a new law to strengthen rights of persons with disabilities. 

COURSE OUTLINE 

I.                    SELF

A.     Identify personal barriers, stressors, and limitations to provision of care.

B.     How to understand and cope with these aspects.

C.     Perseverance vs. Referral

 

II.                 PATIENT

A.      Patient Bill of Rights

B.       Identifying and understanding the psychosocial aspects of the loss, change, transitional aspects of disability

C.      Barriers to Care and Therapeutic Progress

 

III.               PTA-PATIENT RELATIONSHIP

A.      Approaches to the development of a healthy professional relationship

B.       Understanding and avoiding negative and unhealthy processes

C.      Understanding psychological barriers to patient progress              

 

IV.              DEATH AND DYING

A.        Identify, understand, and cope with personal views on death

B.         Empathy

 

V.                 COMMUNITY, SOCIETY, AGENCY

A.        Societal Perceptions of Disabled

B.         Societal Barriers

C.        Laws on Disability/Disabled

 

 

READING, DISCUSSION, AND ASSIGNMENT SCHEDULE 

DATE                                                 LECTURE AND ASSIGNMENT

 

August 31 & September 2                    Introduction

                                                            Review of Course Structure

                                                            Read Chapter 1 and 2

                                                            Respect – for Self and in a Diverse Society

 

September 7 & 9                                  Lectures/Discussion.

Read Chapters 3-6

                                                            Self:  Identifying Personal

                                                            Beliefs, Limitations, Biases

                                                            Perseverance vs. Referral

                                                           

September 14 & 16                              Project 1 Due:  Discuss how ones personal beliefs,

limitations, biases and stressors can negatively affect PTA-Patient relationship.  Define 3 of your personal biases, etc., and identify what you will do to address these biases in order to foster more healthy relationships with the patients that you treat.

 

September 23                                       Lectures/Discussion.  Read Chapters 7-9, 15-18

                                                            Patient:  Patient Bill of Rights,

                                                            Understanding the Psychosocial

                                                            Aspects of Disability and the Barriers

                                                            to Patient Progress

 

                                                            Project 2 Due: Group- Discuss and identify differences in cultures and how each deals with disability.  List the differences identified.

 

September 28 & 30                              Role Play Presentations

Project 3 DueRole Play Paper- Analysis and summary of dynamics between patient, therapist,family member, society member, friend. 

October 5 & 7                                     Project 4 Due:  Interviews with age groups on dealing with a sudden disability. 

                                                            Lectures:  Chapters 10-14 & 20

                                                            PTA-Patient Relationship

                                                            Healthy Approaches to Developing

                                                            Strong Professional Relationships with Patients

                                                            Relationship Barriers and Psychological Barriers           

                                                            to Patient Progress

 

                                                            Read Chapter 19

October 12 & 14                                 Role Play Difficult Patient Situation

                                                            Psychological Factors Affecting Treatment                                                                    

 

October 19 & 21                                 Midterm Exam 1 hour

Project 5 Due:  Summary of Observations in Urban Hospital Emergency/Waiting Room

 

October 26 & 28                                 Lectures/Discussion:  Chapter 18

Death and Dying 

                                                            Project 6 Due:  Write your own obituary and eulogy. Share it with friends and family.  Discuss emotions. Be prepared to share in class. 

                                                            Lecture/Discussion:  Chapters 1-3

Community, Society, Agency

Societal Perceptions of Disabled and vice versa

Societal Barriers for Disabled Laws

 

November 2 & 4                                  Project 7 Due:  Choose 3 of your favorite places to  visit.  Discuss accessibility or barriers to disabled. 

November 9 & 11                                Project 8 Due:  Feign disability in public and at  home for 24 hours.

Discuss experience, encounters, and difficulties encountered.

                                                            Recap of class objectives and how this class can                                                                       improve your patient interactions.

 

November 16 & 18                              Final Project Due:  Develop a new law to further

improve conditions for disabled.  Base paper on previous assignments, literature research, experiments, interviews, and findings.

TEACHING METHODS 

Teaching methods employed will include lectures, group discussions, role play, question and answer sessions, demonstrations, situational discussions, and the use of audio visual materials where needed.  Off Campus situations and assignments are integral parts of learning in this course.

 

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

On time attendance of all lectures is mandatory.  More than two unexcused absences will result in a decrease of the final grade by one letter.  (And “A” becomes a “B”, etc.)  When a student’s unexcused absences are about to equal or have equaled the number of class sessions per week, the instructor may issue a warning. If the sudden is absent again, the instructor may drop the student from the class.

GRADING DISTRIBUTION

Project:       

1 = 05%

2 = 10%

3 = 15%

4= 15%

5= 05%

6= 05%

7= 10%

8= 10%

Midterm 10%

Final Project 15%

Total 100%= final grade                          

                                                              SCALE                                                             

                                                              90-100 = A

                                                              80-89   =B

                                                              70-79  =C

                                                              75 Below= Failure

 

CRITERIA FOR PROJECT GRADING 

All projects will be graded as follows: 

60%- Content:  thoroughness and quality of research, documentation, support for answers, observations, interviews. 

20%- Format:  Follow APA writing guidelines, All papers must be typed and double spaced, appropriate paragraphing and footnotes when necessary. 

20%-Grammar: punctuation, subject-verb agreement

Papers that are not typed, will not be accepted.  If late, grades will be dropped 1 letter for each business day.  After 3 days late, papers will not be accepted and student will receive a Zero for that assignment. 

HOUSEKEEPING 

All students are responsible for putting equipment away, keeping equipment clean and in order at the end of each class session.  Students are expected to report unsafe and/or broken equipment to the instructor.  It is not necessary to report who is responsible for breaking the equipment.  Drinking or eating in the classroom and lab is not allowed at any time. 

CLASSROOM BEHAVIOR 

Each and every student is expected to behave in ways that promote a teaching and learning atmosphere.  Students have the right to learn; however, they do not have the right to interfere with the freedom of the faculty to teach or the rights of other students to learn.  Students will be treated respectfully as they are expected to treat others with respect. 

All in class discussions should be conducted in a manner that maintains a respectful environment and adheres to Roberts Rule of Order, Student Handbook, and the Student Code of Conduct.  This means that students should not interrupt someone who is speaking or monopolize class time by engaging in ways that hinder the learning process of others. 

The new Student Code of Conduct was approved as of July 1, 2003.  This document can be accessed through the College Home Page at www.montgomerycollege.org. A copy is also available in the faculty office. 

SPECIAL NOTE:

This course deals with a subject matter that involves encouraging students to become familiar with other cultures, beliefs, and ideologies.  It also encourages each to become acquainted with his/her own biases.  The purpose of this course is to bring forth understanding of psychological and psychosocial barriers to not only disability but to the provision of care.  Therefore, in order to maximize the outcome of this course, I encourage all students to bring to this course an open mind and a willingness to explore and understand themselves and others.

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