In 2011, I moved to Richmond to develop the physical therapist assistant (PTA) program at South University. Since the inception of this program, my faculty and I have received consistent feedback from clinicians and faculty from other programs regarding the importance of professionalism in PTA education. In response, we developed our program and curriculum with professional behavior as a cornerstone. This foundational principle is made apparent to students at each and every encounter they have with us in the program. One of the tools we utilize to help students self-assess professionalism is the APTA’s Values-Based Behaviors for the PTA (VBB). For those of you who are unfamiliar with this tool, the eight behaviors include: Altruism, Caring and Compassion, Continuing Competence, Duty, Integrity, PT/PTA Collaboration, Responsibility, and Social Responsibility.1 Students complete their initial self-assessment during the first quarter of the program utilizing past work experience or behaviors as a student for their ratings. Self-assessments are then repeated after clinical experiences to assist the students in refining their strengths and weaknesses and recognizing where growth has occurred.
Duty and Continuing Competence are two Values-Based Behaviors that our faculty intentionally model to students. Duty includes demonstrating conduct, behaviors, and values consistent with promoting and serving the profession. Continuing Competence is a lifelong process that involves self-assessment to seek out learning opportunities and feedback from others to continually improve one’s knowledge and skills.1 Virginia Physical Therapy Association (VPTA) Central District meetings provide an excellent opportunity to both faculty and students to exemplify both of these behaviors on a regular basis. The meetings provide formal continuing education, legislative updates and sharing of other information pertinent to attendees. Informally, district meetings allow for mentoring and sharing of ideas and concerns amongst colleagues. Consequently, our program encourages all of our students to attend and get involved in their local district.
To encourage attendance this year, the Central District organized a special promotion. Each time members brought a guest, his or her name was entered into a drawing to win free registration at either the VPTA Summit or the Combined Sections Meeting. I was beyond surprised when Brandon Smith, our District Director, contacted me to let me know that I was the lucky winner! I have never had the opportunity to attend the VPTA conference before and jumped at the chance. As a newly Board-Certified Clinical Specialist in Geriatric Physical Therapy (GCS), I was excited to attend Dr. Tamara Gravano’s course entitled Geriatrics – Nothing to be Afraid of: Evidence-Based Physical Therapy for Older Adults. Dr. Gravano did not disappoint. She delivered a comprehensive course packed full of assessment tools, interventions, and interdisciplinary strategies for working with this patient population. Despite her engaging, interactive style, I found myself frequently distracted by three classmates who were not shy in asking or answering questions. These colleagues were professional, insightful . . . and graduates of my program. I beamed with pride at the exceptional therapists they each had become. I suddenly wanted to wear a button with their picture, just like all of the proud parents at sporting events. I think that I can safely say that my graduates never thought they would be attending a continuing education course with their former professor. I, on the other hand, knew it was just a matter of time.
Each year, I end our graduation ceremony with the following quote: “Never stop learning, because life never stops teaching.” The three graduates at the conference reminded me that the core values and behaviors of our profession can and should be taught. Every therapist has a duty to model these behaviors and we must remember that someone is always watching. Whether it is a new therapist learning from a veteran on his or her team, a veteran learning from a new graduate, or a professor learning from her former students, we all have the power to shape our profession in a positive way. I am so grateful to the Central District and VPTA for providing me with this opportunity to come full circle.
References
1. American Physical Therapy Association. Values-Based Behaviors for the Physical Therapist Assistant. http://www.apta.org/uploadedFiles/APTAorg/PTAs/Careers/Values/ValuesBasedBehaviorsforPTA.pdf. Published January 2011. Accessed November 15, 2018.