PA Program Competencies

Competencies & Student Learning Outcomes

The Wagner College PA Program has developed a sequential building-block curriculum designed to prepare its graduates for  entry level practice as competent PAs and providers of quality patient-centered care.  The curriculum is based on competencies recognized by the program as important components of a comprehensive curriculum and identified as required for entering clinical practice.  The foundation of the curriculum is based on four (4) domains, and their respective ten (10) subdomains. These domains represent the highest and broadest tiers of the hierarchical structure of the curriculum with each step below narrowing in scope.  Student learning outcomes (SLOs), courses, course learning outcomes (LOs), course instructional objectives (IOs), and respective assessments are categorized under the broader competencies.

 

1. Medical Knowledge:

Medical knowledge encompasses the medical knowledge required in preparation for clinical practice and encompasses the medical sciences, social & behavioral sciences, clinical medicine, and population health & healthcare systems. The applicability of that knowledge to the practice of medicine. (Medical Knowledge)

Domain: Medical Knowledge (MK)*

Subdomains:

MK – Medical Sciences

MK – Social & Behavioral Sciences

MK – Clinical Medicine

MK – Population Health & Healthcare Systems

  1. Incorporate the concepts and scientific principles of the medical sciences into the knowledge required for clinical practice.
  2. Incorporate the concepts of social & behavioral sciences into the knowledge required for clinical practice.
  3. Incorporate the concepts and principles of clinical medicine into the knowledge required for clinical practice.
  4. Acknowledge the roles of human sexuality, gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnicity, and race; and the importance of understanding those roles in clinical practice.
  5. Respond to patient needs, considering the impact of social determinants of health and their impact on clinical medicine.
  6. Counsel and educate patients and families regarding population health concerns, promoting health while advocating for disease prevention.
  7. Consider the needs of patients with disabilities, special needs, and religious/spiritual requirements.
  8. Coordinate patient follow up for assessment of compliance, response to treatment options, medication treatment, and need for modifications.
  9. Recognize the importance of public health systems, health promotion, and disease prevention.
  10. Understand the need for maintaining quality within the business of healthcare including economic considerations, appropriate documentation, and health policy.

 

2. Clinical Practice Skills: 

Clinical practice skills refer to the effective and safe performance of appropriate ‘clinical and technical skills’ and the provision of quality patient centered care. (Clinical Practice Skills)

Domain: Clinical Practice Skills (CPS)

Subdomains:

CPS – Clinical Skills*

CPS – Technical Skills

CPS – Patient Centered Care

  1. Elicit and interpret comprehensive histories from diverse patients across the lifespan in various settings, with conditions of varying acuity.
  2. Perform problem-oriented comprehensive physical examinations of diverse patients, in various settings, across the lifespan, with conditions of varying acuity.
  3. Demonstrate competency in patient care skills utilized in a variety of practice settings.
  4. Order and interpret diagnostic and laboratory studies to screen for medical conditions or formulate differential diagnoses.
  5. Perform diagnostic clinical skills associated with the care and management of patients’ medical presentations or conditions.
  6. Perform diagnostic and therapeutic technical skills associated with the care and management of patients’ medical presentations or conditions.
  7. Formulate differential diagnoses based on evaluation of patient history and physical examination.
  8. Develop appropriate management plans for preventative, acute, emergent, and chronic conditions based on standards of care.

 

3. Clinical Reasoning & Problem Solving:

Clinical reasoning is the analytical approach to improvements in reasoning. It utilizes ‘clinical reasoning and problem solving’ and investigative research skills to assess clinical practices and promote effective, high quality, and equitable patient care.

Domain: Clinical Reasoning (CR) & Problem Solving*

Subdomains:

CR – Clinical Reasoning for Clinical Practice

CR – Research & Clinical Reasoning

  1. Demonstrate clinical reasoning and problem-solving skills during clinical case scenarios, patient-centered care activities, and clinically relevant research.
  2. Demonstrate clinical reasoning and problem-solving skills during supervised clinical practice experiences.
  3. Search, analyze, and appraise medical evidence, including medical literature and its statistical results, and apply clinical reasoning to apply to clinical practice.
  4. Participate in research and scholarly activities that promote the profession and best clinical practices.

 

4. Professional Practice: 

Professional practice encompasses interpersonal and professional communication that is respectful, empathetic, and effective in the exchange of information with patients and families, as well as members of interprofessional collaborative teams.  It refers to professional behaviors that demonstrate integrity, responsibility, and compassion, while also maintaining adherence to professional standards, legal and regulatory requirements, and codes of ethics. (Professional Practice)

Domain: Professional Practice (PP)

Subdomains:

PP – Interpersonal Skills*

PP – Professional Behaviors*

4.1 Demonstrate appropriate and effective interpersonal skills with patients, family members, healthcare team members, and peers.

4.2 Demonstrate professional behaviors with patients, family members, healthcare team members, and peers to include areas such as intellectual honesty, academic integrity, and issues affecting professional practice.

4.3 Utilize interpersonal skills and professional behaviors as members of patient-centered healthcare teams.

4.4 Adhere to ethical standards and demonstrate sensitivity towards diverse populations.

4.5 Understand the importance of compliance with federal and state laws and regulations regarding clinical practice, informed consent, and other patients’ rights.

 

The curriculum has been structured to provide the knowledge and skills needed for achieving the above competencies.  The progress of students in meeting these competencies is monitored through various assessment tools, as they progress through the curriculum, therefore allowing the program to identify and address any student deficiencies in a timely manner.

*In addition, the formative and summative evaluations verify the meeting of program-defined competencies required to enter clinical practice.  The summative evaluation occurs within the final four (4) months of graduation and verifies preparedness for entering clinical practice.

 

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