Program Description
Program Mission
Through promotion and support of the missions of both WSSU Department of Physical Therapy and Novant Health, the WSSU-Novant Health Neurologic Clinical Residency program strives to:
“Prepare advanced clinicians in the field of neurologic physical therapy who are equipped to advocate for cultural competency and the amelioration of health care inequities, and who embody professional leadership."
Program Goals and Objectives
Guided by the motto “Enter to Learn, Depart to Serve,” Winston-Salem State University and their clinical partner, Novant Health, will develop leaders who advance the profession of physical therapy by serving their communities with compassion and commitment. The Program will:
Objectives:
- Deliver a curriculum that covers all areas of the Description of Residency Practice in Neurology and encourages problem solving, critical inquiry, and integration of foundational and clinical sciences
- Provide faculty and mentors who model expert clinical practice, professionalism, and the ability to educate in innovative and effective ways
- Provide a combination of clinical and didactic experiences that span the continuum of care in neurologic practice, including acute, in-patient rehabilitation, and out-patient rehabilitation settings, along with community experiences in health and wellness
- Design educational experiences that foster excellence in patient/caregiver education, peer education, entry-level DPT student education, and community engagement
- Provide a minimum of 150 hours of 1:1 patient–mentor-resident interaction including examination, evaluation, diagnosis, prognosis, interventions, outcome measurement, education, and reassessment while integrating the ICF model of patient function
Objectives:
- Require all residents to comply with WSSU’s institutionally required research ethics training (CITI) in the first semester of the program
- Require the resident to participate in ongoing clinical research related to neurologic physical therapy
- Develop the ability to investigate, analyze, and critically apply the literature related to neurologic specialty practice into patient care and education
- Require the resident to develop a publishable case report related to neurologic specialty practice and submit it to a peer-reviewed journal
Objectives:
- Require the resident to complete the self-assessment based on the ABPTS description of specialty practice and develop a plan to address areas of development
- Require the resident to develop and present at least one inservice to peers and/or DPT students on an area identified on their self-assessment in need of strengthening
- Provide mentoring and educational experiences that will lead to resident success on the specialty examination
Objectives:
- Provide educational and clinical experiences in collaboration with the WSSU Center of Excellence for the Elimination of Health Disparities
- Require all residents to identify and propose solutions to a health inequity in the local community and present their findings at a university, state, regional, or national level
- Lead a community engagement project that addresses an issue involving health inequity, population health, or an underserved area
Objectives:
- Provide leadership and service opportunities in underserved patient populations, including the Community Care Clinic, MSFit, Mobile Health Unit, and Novant community outreach programs
- Require all residents to be a member of the American Physical Therapy Association and submit an abstract for a state, regional, or national conference
- Require the resident to mentor and teach physical therapy students in selected neurologic topics
- Require all residents to lead at least one professional journal club/in-service per semester to peers on a neurologic practice area
Resident Goals and Objectives
Upon completion of the WSSU-Novant Health Neurologic Clinical Residency program, the Resident will:
Objectives:
- Demonstrate advanced skill in the clinical settings of acute care, in-patient rehabilitation, and out-patient rehabilitation for patient examination, evaluation, diagnosis, prognosis, and intervention
- Apply the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) model of measurement of health and disability in all clinical settings for all aspects of clinical neurologic practice
- Demonstrate accurate and ethical billing practices and knowledge of payer rules and regulations in all settings of neurologic practice
- Apply evidence-based practice consistently in all clinical settings
- Demonstrate excellent communication skills in both oral and written forms during all aspects of patient/caregiver education and treatment, healthcare team interaction, and education in the classroom and/or community
- Demonstrate excellent patient outcomes in all settings
Objectives:
- Complete the ABPTS “Assessment Tool for Physical Therapists: Description of Specialty Practice: Neurologic and assist in designing a plan to address areas in need
- Access resources independently that will assist in the examination preparation plan
- Demonstrate knowledge of the DSP in Neurologic Physical Therapy
Objectives:
- Prepare a case report for submission to a peer reviewed journal
- Lead at least one journal club per month related to research articles in the area of neurologic physical therapy
- Participate in an ongoing research project related to a research question in a neurologic patient population
Objectives:
- Present an evidence-based neurologic topic at a district NCPTA meeting
- Become a member of the neurology section of the APTA
- Organize and supervise student participation in a community health screening, such as fall risk and/or frailty screenings
Objectives:
- Design and implement one project aimed at ameliorating a health inequity in the community related to neurologic condition
- Provide excellent patient care and education in pro bono community clinics
- Present a health inequity project at the university, community, state, or national level
- Communicate health inequity issues as appropriate in team meetings such as Grand rounds, rehab team meetings, and/or the Center of Excellence in the Elimination of Health Disparities
