Physical Therapy
Program Overview
At Nemours Children’s Hospital, Delaware, our goal is to provide quality care to our patients while helping students gain skills to become a competent therapist. We promote education by modeling and hands-on experiences. We encourage students to take responsibility for their own learning and to take initiative in gaining knowledge and experience.
As a student, you’ll receive guidance and tools to enhance the learning process. You may have the opportunity to observe the following:
- Diagnostic observation (including ICU, NICU, developmental evaluations, gait lab and others)
- Hospital-sponsored seminars
- Vendor demonstrations
- Research/applied science
- Specialty clinics (including Down syndrome, AMC, seating, CP, prosthetics, cleft palate and others)
- Surgery observation
- Curriculum
- Requirements
- Location & Living
Details for Physical Therapy
Physical Therapy graduate students are required to have completed at least one full-time fieldwork placement prior to an affiliation at Nemours. Tests and measures you may be expected to participate in include:
- Peabody Developmental Motor Scales PDMS-2
- Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency BOT2
- Functional Independence Measure WeeFIM
- Gross Motor Function Measure GMFM
- Gross Motor Function Classification System GMFCS
- Range of Motion, Goniometry
- Manual Muscle Testing, MMT
- Modified Ashworth Scale
Student Requirements: Therapeutic Services
The Therapeutic Services Department of Nemours Children’s Hospital, Delaware accepts students for clinical rotations in:
- Occupational therapy
- Physical therapy
- Speech-language pathology
Before proceeding, please verify with your academic institution that that they are an affiliated program and then follow the instructions below carefully. You’ll need to gather a series of required screening and immunization documents and have your academic advisor certify that you have completed all steps outlined below.
Your fieldwork coordinator will receive a form to complete, sign and return to us to verify that you have obtained all required immunizations and clearances.
Gather Your Required Screening & Immunization Documents
We recommend starting to gather the required documents as early as possible — 4 to 6 months before your preferred affiliation start date.
You’ll need:
Delaware Child Abuse Screening Report
Instructions:
- Please download the following document: Delaware Child Protection Registry Request Form.
- Fill out Part I of this form, sign and date.
- Email your completed form to allyson.menard@nemours.org
Things to Note:
- Allow at least 15 working days for results to be processed.
- The form must be submitted within 90 days of signature date in order to be processed.
Criminal Background Check
Instructions:
- Contact the state police in each state you’ve lived in for the last 7 years. Results should go to your academic institution.
- This report must have been completed within 12 months of placement.
OIG Sanctions Screening Report
Instructions:
Nemours will enter your name into the exclusions database through: The Office of the Inspector General.
Delaware Adult Abuse Screening Report
Instructions:
- Nemours will enter your name into the Adult Abuse Registry Search through: The Division of Long Term Care Residents Protection.
10-Panel Drug Urine Screening
Insructions:
- Contact the health service department at your academic institution or the independent lab of your choice. Many students use Quest Diagnostics.
- Results must be sent to your academic coordinator, who should sign the certification form before submitting it to us.
Immunization
You must provide documentation of vaccination for:
- COVID-19
- Varicella
- Measles
- Mumps
- Rubeola
- Rubella
- PPD
- Influenza
Note: During flu season, students without proof of flu vaccination will be required to wear a mask when in patient areas.
Student Responsibilities
Identification
You will receive a photo ID taken the first day and are required to wear it at all times. You are required to return your badge to your supervisor on your last day.
Required Web-Based Training (WBT)
Students will receive an email from the clinical supervisor at Nemours approximately one week prior to affiliation. It will include a link for access to Nemours University, network login, temporary password, the courses required to complete and any additional information needed. The student should contact the clinical supervisor at Nemours via email if unable to access Nemours University.
Documentation Guidelines
The Nemours Children’s Hospital, Delaware clinical staff use an electronic medical charting system to document each patient encounter. Students will be expected to complete both computer-based learning and instructor-led training once on-site to be knowledgeable on the system. Your clinical instructor will review the expectation for timely documentation of evaluations and progress notes. The clinical instructor must co-sign all notes in the electronic medical records.
Internet & Social Media Use
Use of the internet during work hours is specifically for educationally relevant and work-related tasks. No form of social media should be used during the workday. This includes but is not limited to Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, YouTube, Instagram and Tumblr. Personal cell phone use, including text messaging, during the work day is discouraged. To maintain confidentiality, no written or photographic information concerning a student’s affiliation at this facility will be shared on any social media.
Student Presentation
Students will be required to complete one in-depth presentation. Your topic may relate to theory, an administrative need, creation of a piece of equipment or a research project.
The project could take a variety of forms, including a research proposal, developing a new form, a book critique or protocol. A written outline is required at midterm and must be discussed with the clinical supervisor and your clinical instructor.
The completed assignment (including handouts, video, reference/bibliography) must be submitted to the clinical instructor for review 1-2 weeks prior to your presentation to staff, which is usually scheduled during the last 2 weeks of the affiliation.
About Our Hospital in Delaware
The Nemours Children’s Hospital, Delaware is a multispecialty, tertiary care teaching institution located on a 300-acre estate in the scenic Brandywine Valley in Wilmington, Del.
Among the hospital’s amenities for all staff are:
- Free parking
- Park-like setting
- Gym/fitness center
- On-site child care center for children of staff
Living in Delaware Valley
Because of our location in the tri-state area of Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, we offer unique living/working opportunities. For example, you can choose to live in the downtown Philadelphia area and easily commute to our park-like hospital campus in Wilmington.
Apply Now
Michelle Feairheller, DPT, OCS, SCS, CSCS
Physical Therapy
michelle.feairheller@nemours.org