DPT Portfolios

Brittany Stapleton

May 28, 2015

Professional Goal Statement:

My goal is to become a passionate and well-rounded acute care or outpatient physical therapist.

Career Plan:

My career plan is to graduate from UNC’s DPT program after completing my last clinical rotation then passing the boards for licensure. I plan to attain a position in the Charlotte, NC area in a facility where there is a great mix of experienced and less experienced therapists for mentorship. I am open-minded to the different areas of physical therapy and plan on having a more specific area of practice or setting after several years of practice. I plan to be certified in the area of practice that I choose in the future.

• July 2015 finish last clinical rotation
• August 2015 graduate from the DPT program
• Mid-August 2015 revise resume
• Fall 2015 obtain a full-time position in the acute care or outpatient setting
• After a few years of practice become a clinical instructor
• Participate in the NCPTA such as being a committee member

Self-Assessment:

Strengths:

• 24 weeks of clinical experience in the acute care and outpatient setting
• Quickly develop patient rapport
• Confident with evidence-based practice and implementation in the clinic
• 2 research assistantship
• Open-minded with clinical interests

Areas for Professional Development:

• Develop clinical skills with the geriatric population
• Need for more knowledge of PT in outpatient pediatric settings
• Further develop knowledge of early intervention for ICU patients
• Improve manual therapy skills
• Further expand knowledge of billing and reimbursement

Objectives:

My primary interests are in neurology, geriatrics, and pediatrics.

1. Prepare and sit for the licensure exam.
2. Observe and work with patients in an outpatient orthopedic clinic.
3. Develop manual therapy skills and learn new manual techniques.
4. Become more familiar with how to properly bill for physical therapy services.

Specific Strategies:

• Participate in at least two balance classes for seniors
• Complete manual therapy with patients who are appropriate at least once every two-three visits
• Practice putting in charges and other billing procedures for the evaluation, progress note, and re-assessment note
• Implement and follow study plan for licensure exam
• Review weaker areas of content in textbooks and licensure preparation books
• Participate in Integrated Clinical Experience elective
• Participate in Neurology elective
• Identify a mentor with the appropriate knowledge and skills that help progress my manual therapy skills and physical therapy skills with the geriatric population

Coursework and Capstone Project

Integrated Clinical Experience

I completed the 3 credit option to improve my clinical skills and worked with the geriatric population. I took this class to improve my knowledge of conditions in this patient population, intervention planning, and patient management.

Advanced Neuromuscular

I took the class to learn more about the different neurologic conditions, stroke rehab, cerebellar control, and neural plasticity. I assignments I chose focused on patients with stroke and alzheimer’s disease.

Advanced Patient Management I & II

Both of these classes helped me focus on different areas of physical therapy practice to improve my knowledge. Examples: differential diagnosis, cancer rehabilitation, stroke rehabilitation, wound care, and cardiopulmonary. I completed an assignment related to Acute Myelogenous Leukemia for Advanced Patient Management II (Brittany Stapleton Assignment 2).

Capstone Project

I wanted to evaluate the evidence that investigated interventions implemented during rehab for older adults post TKA. More importantly, I wanted to identify exercises that improved balance in older adults after a TKA. Through literature review, I identified interventions that were evidence-based for improving balance outcomes in older adults. I completed an evidence table to summarize the information that I found. I created a presentation to explore rehab post Total Knee Arthroplasty and a handout to serve as a quick reference for DPT students while in the clinic. In order to receive feedback from audience members an evaluation form is essential for reviewers to complete after reviewing the presentation or voicethread. Here is the link for review of my capstone products: http://dptcapstone.web.unc.edu/category/current-students-spring-of-2015/entry-level-students-current-students-spring-of-2015/stapleton-brittany/

Reflective Statement

I think that I have grown professionally over the past three years and I am confident that I will be a successful acute care or outpatient physical therapist. The electives in the third year added to my professional growth as a physical therapy student and I gained more information that influenced my clinical approach. I have had the opportunity to improve my clinical skills via the clinic as well for various conditions across the lifespan which is important since I am open-minded about my clinical interests.

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