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Background and Purpose. The purpose of this report is to present a professional physical therapist curricular model that integrates content and theory about wellness and prevention for adults and older adults with self contained clinical education experiences in a Teaching Laboratory Practice (TLP). Model A series of three TLP courses are incorporated into the curriculum to introduce students to wellness and prevention assessments and interventions of adults and older adults who have progressively more complex medical conditions and reside in a variety of environments. Results and Conclusion. The assessment of the TLP is divided into three areas: client demographics, client satisfaction, and effectiveness of the student experiential education. The mean client satisfaction rating is high. The objectives of each TLP course are rated as being met. The students become more skilled in providing wellness and prevention over the course of the three TLP courses and are rated as professional in wellness and prevention by clinical instructors during the students' terminal internship. INTRODUCTION A health promotion program consisting of wellness screenings and individualized prevention interventions to maintain strength, endurance, flexibility, and balance is theorized to provide a mechanism for individuals to maintain their independence.1 Traditionally, physical therapists have been involved with rehabilitation after injury and surgery or in response to functional declines associated with disease. Wellness and prevention strategies were rarely, if ever, a focus or even a component of physical therapy clinical practice or academic preparation. The role of the physical therapist in wellness and prevention is now being recognized and emphasized.2 However, because health promotion is a relatively recent arena for physical therapists, it is not a content area or skill that many experienced clinicians have mastered. This makes it difficult for academic programs and physical therapist students to find experienced mentors in this area. More importantly, as the nation's population ages, prevention and wellness interventions for older adults are thought to make a profound difference in their recovery of function and independence following acute morbidity episodes. Some researchers3,4 have suggested that exercise programs can have a positive impact on the physiological functioning of the older adult. Therefore, academic preparation in and clinical education exposure to wellness and prevention interventions for older adults should be important components of professional physical therapist education. However, recent physical therapy reimbursement and staffing issues in geriatric practice settings have limited the ability of clinical educators to expose physical therapist students to wellness and prevention experiences with older adults. The purpose of this article is to present a professional physical therapist curricular model that integrates content and theory about wellness and prevention with selfcontained clinical education experiences in a Teaching Laboratory Practice (TLP). The TLP provides experiential learning focused on wellness and prevention across the life span, with an emphasis on older adults. Like many educational models, this self-contained clinical education model was developed in response to a perceived need that was not being met with the traditional external clinical education model. The TLP has been evolving for the past 3 years and has been in effect in its entirety for the past five semesters. COLLEGE AND PROGRAM OVERVIEW Established in 1846, Carroll College is a private comprehensive college located in the city of Waukesha (population 60,000) in southeastern Wisconsin. With an annual enrollment of over 2,600 undergraduate and 220 graduate students, the institution has a strong liberal arts and science tradition but also offers a variety of professional preparation programs. … |
