ICE (Integrated clinical education) is hot: Empowering students to succeed and lead in the clinical setting through early introduction

INTRODUCTION: Clinical education in an ever changing healthcare environment is increasingly difficult. Productivity demands and decreasing reimbursement have resulted in decreased placement offers. Supplementing and enhancing preparation for real world practice has been used in the Ft. Lauderdale based physical therapy curriculum for over 15 years. While the practice was rare at its inception, the concept of ICE—Integrated Clinical Education, is now at the forefront of viable options for alternatives to traditional physical therapy clinical education facilitating the development of leaders in the clinic. PURPOSE: Through the skills obtained in the ICE program, students develop confidence in clinical encounters facilitating leadership in the clinic. METHODOLOGY: Early introduction (first semester) of real world clinical experiences facilitates integration of knowledge and skills from classroom to clinic as they are learned. The ICE experiences are integrated throughout the curriculum from the very first clinical course until full-time terminal internships. Under faculty supervision in a collaborative model, students are enculturated into the real world of patient care in an atmosphere providing constructive feedback beginning in the earliest clinical days. RESULTS: Students experiencing ICE have demonstrated readiness for terminal clinical internships. Their familiarities with changing conditions and expecting the unexpected have proven to be positive. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the results of site visits, clinical instructor assessments using the national standardized instrument, and anecdotal feedback, NSU students are known for their ability to exceed clinical performance expectations