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APTA Clinical Instructor Education and Credentialing Program
This voluntary program is designed primarily for people interested in
or involved with clinical education (clinical instructors [CIs], center
coordinators of clinical education [CCCEs], academic coordinators of
clinical education [ACCEs]) and is recognized by the American Physical
Therapy Association (APTA) as a Clinical Instructor (CI) Education and
Credentialing Program.
The program was developed through a grant funded by APTA under the
direction of principal investigator Michael J Emery, PT, EdD, with
co-investigators Nancy Peatman, PT, MEd, and Lynn Foord, PT, MS, MEd,
and with materials used by the New England Consortium of Academic
Coordinators of Clinical Education.
The program addresses issues of:
- planning and preparing for physical therapy students during their
clinical education experiences
- developing learning experiences
- supporting ongoing learning through questioning and effective
feedback
- developing skills of performance evaluation
- identifying and managing students with exceptional situations
- identifying legal implications for clinical educators, including
issues presented by ADA legislation
The Assessment Center provides each physical therapist and physical
therapist assistant learner with the opportunity to apply information
from the education program in simulated situations. Successful
completion of each station in the Assessment Center results in the
awarding of APTA CI credentialing. The six stations of the Assessment
Center have been integrated into the program schedule. Therefore, it
is essential for each participant to attend all sessions of the Course
and Assessment Center in its entirety to be eligible for
credentialing. It takes a total of 15 hours to complete the entire
CI Education and Credentialing Program, which may be offered in several
different configurations depending on the accessibility and needs of
learners. Successful completion of this entire program (didactic and
Assessment Center) earn physical therapists and physical therapist
assistants APTA Clinical Instructor Credentialing.
The Course and Assessment Center will be useful for both new and
experienced physical therapist and physical therapist assistant
educators involved with clinical education. Although the information
presented covers the basic skills for CIs, the interactive tasks and
large- and small-group discussions will be of benefit even to
experienced educators.
To be eligible to attend this course, all participants must complete
and submit the participant dossier and accompanying documentation to the
credentialed trainer prior to taking the course. The credentialed
trainer reviews all documentation to determine the individual's
acceptance into the course based on specified criteria (eg, current
license as a PT or license/registration/certification as a PTA).
Included as part of the course registration fee are: the CI Education
Manual (APTA members-$70; available to nonmembers for $140 ), Assessment
Center, CI credential certificate, and registry on an APTA database.
APTA Credentialing for Experienced Clinical Instructors
Outcome Criteria
There are specific outcome criteria against which experienced CIs must
assess themselves to determine their readiness to complete the
Assessment Center without taking the CI Education Course. The
experienced CI must possess all of the criteria listed below to
successfully complete the six stations of the Assessment Center. People
who are to become credentialed through this alternative mechanism must
still complete and submit a participant dossier in advance of completing
the Assessment Center, and must notify the trainer and sponsoring
organization of the course of his/her intent is to complete only the
Assessment Center to receive APTA CI Credentialing. In addition, the
applicant is still required to pay fees associated with credentialing
(APTA members-$70, non-member-$140) to include a copy of the APTA
Physical Therapy Clinical Instructor Education Manual (same as the one
used for the course) for study purposes, the Assessment Center fee,
costs associated with printing and mailing the credential, and registry
on an APTA Database.
The experienced CI must possess the following:
- Understanding of and experience with the management of the
"exceptional" student
- Ability to communicate effectively in a variety of situations,
including those involving conflict
- Ability to define student readiness and plan and conduct relevant
learning experiences
- Ability to conduct and document formative and summative information
of student performance
- Ability to apply the principles of teaching and learning in the
instructional process
- Ability to adjust supervisory approach based on students' need
- Knowledge of legal issues and federal regulations related to
clinical education
Successful completion of the Assessment Center only earns experienced
physical therapists and physical therapist assistants APTA Clinical
Instructor Credentialing. If the experienced CI does not
successfully complete the Assessment Center, then he/she will be
encouraged by the course trainer to complete the CI Education Course in
preparation for successfully completing the Assessment Center and
receiving APTA CI credentialing.
| Training, Voluntary,Credentialing Program,Clinical, Educators |
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