Acute Care Physical Therapy

Areas of clinical practice where residents will receive training include:

• Orthopaedics (elective orthopaedics, ortho-trauma)
• Neurological conditions (traumatic brain injury, ischemic stroke, hemorrhagic stroke, spinal cord injury)
• Surgical and post-operative conditions
• Critical Care
• Oncology
• Cardiovascular conditions and cardiothoracic surgery
• Chronic illness and comorbidities (hemodialysis unit, heart failure management unit, etc.)
• Emergency department

Residents will enhance their clinical skills and knowledge by practicing under experienced physical therapists in an academic teaching environment with a multifaceted and multidisciplinary approach. Residents will directly contribute to patient care and the advancement of the rehabilitation department through residency development, research, student education, and hospital-wide involvement.

Upon completion of the program, residents will have advanced training in the evaluation, PT diagnosis, PT prognosis, plan of care development, and treatment strategies in the acute care patient. Residents will be able to function in the fast-paced, high acuity, variable, and ever-changing environment of the acute care hospital including the intensive care unit and emergency departments. Residents will be compliant with federal and state regulation as well as with Erlanger Health and UTC policies, values and standards of care. This residency was developed based on the APTA Core Competencies of a Physical Therapist Resident covering seven domains of practice performance.