Philosophy and Outcomes
Mission Statement
The School of Physical Therapy at Regis University is dedicated to providing value-centered education within the Jesuit Catholic tradition. The professional education experience is extensive in depth and breadth and supports current best practice in varied settings. The program is designed to prepare graduates as leaders in the profession of physical therapy who bridge theory and practice in a dynamic health care environment. Special attention is placed on developing an appreciation of the uniqueness of the individual and recognition of how this uniqueness influences health and wellness of diverse populations. Emphasis is placed on developing advocates for the public welfare and the common good. In this process, graduates are challenged to integrate Jesuit values with future personal and professional pursuits. Graduates practice independently, ethically, and legally as primary care providers. As professionals, physical therapy graduates are decision-makers and critical thinkers who have a clear understanding of the value of being lifelong learners and contributors to the body of knowledge of physical therapy.
Philosophy
The faculty of the School of Physical Therapy at Regis University believe that the physical therapy profession integrates knowledge from the sciences and humanities to develop, enhance, maintain, and restore movement function and prevent dysfunction. Key components in the initial study of physical therapy education include: 1) a thorough grounding in the sciences fundamental to physical therapy; 2) an appreciation of the means through which both theory and application are developed; 3) an ability to apply theoretical concepts in practical situations; 4) a development of the roles and responsibilities of the professional; 5) an understanding of the diversity of individuals in terms of development, cultural background, and present health care needs; 6) a responsibility to contribute to the common good and to the service of others.
A physical therapist is an applied scientist who manages patient care, advances knowledge within the profession, prepares future professionals, and interacts collegially with other health care providers. As an autonomous health care provider, the physical therapist acts as a primary entry point into the health care system for purposes of evaluation, diagnosis, intervention, referral, and development of physical therapy services. The physical therapist takes into consideration diversity of all members of society when planning service provision. The right of individuals, or their legal representatives, to participate to the full extent of their abilities in making health care decisions is upheld. The physical therapist has the responsibility to provide information to clients to facilitate their participation in health care planning.
As a professional, the physical therapist has an obligation to use unique skills and knowledge for the purpose that serves the community at large. The physical therapist has the responsibility to assess the profession critically, to challenge theories and concepts underlying physical therapy practice patterns, and to examine consequences of decisions and actions. Other responsibilities include fundamental fairness in all transactions, informing other health care practitioners and the public of the availability and potential value of physical therapy practice and providing learning opportunities for future members of the profession.
The professional learning environment incorporates 1) the student as a future professional; 2) human resources, particularly educators, health care clients, and other students; 3) environments in which the student applies professional skills and behaviors; 4) material resources such as space, equipment, and sources of information; and 5) the organizational structure through which all components interact. An optimal environment is one in which each of the components has identifiable characteristics but functions collaboratively.
All participants in the learning environment support the mission and values of the University, Rueckert-Hartman College for Health Professions, School and the profession of physical therapy. The goal of the School of Physical Therapy is to admit and develop students who are:
- Resourceful
- Sensitive to diversity
- Representative of the populations served
- Accepting of intellectual differences
- Intellectually curious
- Effective interpersonal communicators
- Challenged by ambiguity
- Willing to clarify impact of personal values
- Responsible for learning based on self direction
- Able to use self-assessment in the learning process
Physical therapy educators include all personnel who are directly involved in facilitating learning in academic, service, and other settings. As learners, educators must demonstrate the same characteristics as students. In addition, educators model or exemplify professional behavior and facilitate the development of these attributes in students. For these reasons, educators are involved in activities that support and facilitate teaching effectiveness, scholarship, clinical practice, and service.
Clients and patients participate in the learning environment through their willingness to allow their health care problems and needs to become an opportunity for learning. Students and educators respect the voluntary aspect of their involvement. As a whole, these individuals represent a sample of the range of health care needs and expectations that are addressed by the physical therapist.
Material resources are necessary to permit exploration and testing of theories and concepts, and their applications are readily accessible to learners, educators, and clients. Resources represent the range of technology available to and used by the physical therapist and clients.
The organizational structure supports and enhances the attributes and contributions of students and educators. The structure places emphasis on the development of rational judgment capabilities, the transition from knowledge to application, the performance of professional skills coupled with supervisory capability for technical skills, and an ability to generalize knowledge and skills from specific experiences to a variety of situations. Courses serve not only as separate fields of study but also as mechanisms for integrating information throughout the curriculum. The organizational structure also supports independent learning through the use of:
- Concept unifying problems
- Student-directed learning facilitated by faculty
- Development of individual plans for learning
- Multiple alternatives for the acquisition and demonstration of competence
The graduate is a physical therapist prepared to practice in primary care, communicate with a variety of audiences, and contribute to the advancement of the profession. The graduate will be prepared to serve as a leader while collaborating in a dynamic health care environment. The graduate will be expected to be a lifelong learner committed to community service and an advocate for the public welfare.
Goals
The School of Physical Therapy goals, as derived from our philosophy, are to:
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1. Provide an educational environment in which fundamental principles that are fundamental to Jesuit tradition are integrated with ethical professional practice.
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2. Admit and develop students who are willing to clarify impact of their personal values and be supporters of the mission and objectives of the University, the Rueckert-Hartman College for Health Professionals and the School of Physical Therapy.
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3. Attract and support educators who model professional behavior, excel in teaching, contribute to their profession, and support students in their reflection of "how ought we to live."
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4. Prepare graduates who achieve the educational outcomes of the Program.
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5. Develop graduates with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to act creatively in a constantly changing health care environment.
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6. Develop leaders who assume multiple roles that have a positive impact on society and the profession.
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7. Promote graduates who are committed to a life of service that contributes to the common good.
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8. Inspire life-long learners who integrate experience and knowledge in their appreciation of the individual within diverse cultures and societies.
Transition DPT Overview
In 2001, Regis University Board of Trustees approved a change of the MS in Physical Therapy degree to an entry-level professional doctoral degree, the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT). In addition to the approval of the entry degree, the Board approved a second program, the transition DPT, a program intended to augment practicing physical therapist education to the doctoral level with the goal to primarily support Regis MS graduates and Regis clinical faculty. These decisions were supported by the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education, North Central Association of Colleges and Schools later in 2001. At that time, they granted an institutional change in accreditation status allowing the University to offer the Doctor of Physical Therapy degree. Subsequently, the first students matriculated into the entry-level DPT program in the Fall of 2001.
Progressing physical therapy education to the doctoral level has been a goal of the both the American Physical Therapy Association and the Department of Physical Therapy at Regis. In 1994, Creighton University was the first program in the country to offer entry-level physical therapy education at the doctoral level, however, other programs have rapidly transformed their programs to the doctoral level. Currently, over 3/4 of the existing programs in the United States have already made or have formally announced plans to transition to the doctoral degree.
In conjunction with the move to an entry-level doctoral degree, physical therapy programs are currently developing transitional DPT programs for practicing physical therapists wishing to achieve a similar degree status. Whereas other health professions progressing to doctoral education “grandfathered-in” their existing practitioners (e.g., Doctor of Podiatric Medicine, Doctor of Optometry), the physical therapy profession has opted to instead encourage existing practitioners to transition to the new degree level by taking additional coursework to augment their previous academic preparation. Thus, the transition Doctor of Physical Therapy (tDPT) is an integral component in advancing physical therapy practice. Entry-level physical therapy education programs rely heavily on clinical instructors for a significant portion of student development. Providing these practitioners with a viable opportunity to advance to the DPT degree will not only result in personal development by them, but also provide the profession with doctorally prepared clinical instructors to foster the development of our entry-level DPT students.
By incorporating new educational paradigms, such as online distance-education, these busy practitioners can access the knowledge and skills inherent in the DPT degree without excessive disruption to their personal or professional lives. The tDPT curriculum will consist primarily of content that was incorporated into the entry-level DPT curriculum. By requiring students in the tDPT program to be actively involved in physical therapy practice while enrolled in the tDPT, the students will be able to immediately integrate course content into clinical practice, allowing graduates from the entry-level and tDPT to have similar skills and knowledge.