Fall 2015 Perspectives

COLLEGE OF HEALTH CARE SCIENCES • 31 NSU, in partnership with Pinecrest Rehabilitation Hospital at Delray Medical Center, recently estab- lished a Neurologic Physical Therapy Clinical Residency Program. Physical therapists are licensed health care practi- tioners who examine, evaluate, and treat people with movement disorders. The purpose of clinical residency programs is to provide clinical mentorship and didactic information in a specialty area of clinical practice. Postprofessional residency programs are designed for licensed physical therapists. Consequently, successful completion of a postprofessional residency in a particu- lar specialty area makes the resident eligible to sit for the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialists (ABPTS) exam. The specialist certification program provides formal recognition of physical therapists’ advanced knowledge and skill in a particular specialty area. The ABPTS currently offers specialty certification in eight spe- cialty areas of practice: cardiovascular and pulmo- nary, clinical electrophysiology, geriatrics, neurology, orthopedics, pediatrics, sports, and women’s health. The NSU-Pinecrest Rehabilitation Hospital (NSU- PRH) Neurologic Physical Therapy Residency Program selected two residents for the program’s inaugural year—Jennifer Lombardi, D.P.T., PT, and Donna Tadena, D.P.T., PT. The NSU-PRH Neurologic PT Residency Program is one of only three neurologic PT residency programs in the state of Florida and is the only neuro- logic PT residency program located in South Florida. A clinical residency program in physical therapy is a postprofessional learning experience in a focused area of clinical practice. The program is designed to advance the physical therapist’s knowledge, skills, and attributes in neurologic clinical prac- tice. It also combines opportunities for one-on-one clinical mentoring and didactic coursework based on the American Physical Therapy Association’s Description of Specialty Practice in Neurology. Learning experiences include collaborative patient- care experiences, didactic courses focused on contem- porary management of people affected by neurological disorders, scientific inquiry, evidence-based projects, and integration of principles of teaching and learning in physical therapy. The curriculum is designed to prepare residents for the Neurologic Clinical Specialist certification exam through the ABPTS. The program is recognized as a developing program and is currently seeking accreditation through the American Board of Physical Therapy Residency and Fellowship Education. For more information, or to apply to the NSU-PRH Neurologic PT Residency Program, please visit www.nova.edu/chcs/pt/residency . n BY JENNIFER CANBEK, PH.D., PT, NCS, DIRECTOR OF POSTPROFESSIONAL CLINICAL ADVANCEMENT NSU Establishes Neurologic Physical Therapy Residency Program