
Navigating Ethical Dilemmas: Tailored Training for Faculty, Clinical Educators, Clinicians, and Students
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Register
- Non-Member - $25
- PT Member - $15
- PTA Member - $15
- Student - Free!
- Post-Professional Student - $15
- Staff - Free!
This is Course 3 of the Professionalism and Ethics in Physical Therapy: 4-Part Course Series.
Designed for:
Faculty - Directors of Clinical Education (DCEs) - Site Coordinators of Clinical Education (SCCEs) - Clinical Instructors - Clinicians
Key Features:
- Cost: Free for students, $15 for members, $25 for non-members.
- Earn CEUs: 0.4 CEUs (4 contact hours)
- Learning Format: Asynchronous, available now for on-demand access.
What You’ll Do
- Complete Modules 1 and 2 (Pre-requisites)
- Complete one module from the options below
(You're welcome to explore additional tracks if interested.)
Course Details:
- Modules 1 & 2 (Prerequisites)
- Covers foundational ethics and professionalism concepts
- Option 1 - Designed for Faculty
- Learn how to navigate moral distress in educational environments and integrate professionalism and ethics into your teaching.
- Option 2 - Designed for DCEs
- Explore the RIPS model and its application to ethical decision-making in clinical education and strategies for fostering professional behavior in students.
- Option 3 - Designed for SCCEs and CIs
- Manage professional and ethical challenges in clinical instruction, develop evidence-based strategies to address these issues, and understand the role of moral distress.
- Option 4 - Designed for Clinicians
- Apply the RIPS model to ethical decision-making, identify helpful resources, embrace the master adaptive learner framework, and navigate ethical challenges to promote clinical excellence.
Enhance your understanding of professionalism and ethics and register today!
For other purchase options, please click here.

Sarah Caston
PT, DPT
Dr. Sarah Caston is physical therapist who is board- certified neurologic and geriatric PT. She is an Associate Professor within Emory University’s Division of Physical Therapy. Dr. Caston received her BS in Rehabilitation Science from University of Pittsburgh in 2008 and her DPT in 2011 from Emory University. She recently completed a Master’s degree in Bioethics and Emory’s Center for Ethics. Dr. Caston’s passion for ethics in physical therapy was cultivated as a clinician where she witnessed both the gifts and limitations of the biomedical approach to care, and grew at the intersections of humanism justice and a desire for greater flourishing for patients and clinicians.

Becca Ditwiler
PT, DPT, PhD
Dr. Rebecca Edgeworth Ditwiler, an Associate Professor at the University of South Florida, is a board-certified orthopaedic specialist in physical therapy. With a PhD in Ethical Leadership, her research and teaching focus on ethics, professionalism, and leadership in the field. She also serves on the APTA Ethics and Judicial Committee.
Full Bio
Rebecca Edgeworth Ditwiler, PT, DPT, PhD is an Associate Professor and board-certified orthopaedic specialist in physical therapy. She is a practicing physical therapist and educator in the School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of South Florida in Tampa. Dr. Ditwiler is DPT Curriculum Coordinator and oversees interprofessional education in that role. Becca Ditwiler received her DPT from Washington University in St. Louis in 2011 and completed a BS in Movement Science from the University of Michigan. Becca also completed a PhD in Ethical Leadership with a focus in higher education. Her research focuses on ethics, professionalism, and leadership. Dr. Ditwiler has also participated in clinical research and clinical service throughout her career. She currently serves on the APTA Ethics and Judicial Committee and is an active member of the Florida Physical Therapy Association. She is part of USF’s Academy of Distinguished Educators.

Sarah Luna
PT, DPT, PhD
Dr. Sarah Luna is a physical therapist and an Associate Professor in the School of Rehabilitation Sciences at University of the Incarnate Word. Dr. Luna earned a bachelor’s degree in Exercise and Sports Science from Texas State University in 2001, a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from Regis University in 2004, and a PhD in Translational Science from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio in 2024. Dr. Luna has taught ethics and professionalism in physical therapy education since 2013, and she promoted humanities, ethics, and professionalism in physical therapy education through her leadership committee work within ACAPT’s former Consortium for Humanities, Ethics, and Professionalism. Dr. Luna has presented and published class activities that address difficult ethical and professional topics, such as academic dishonesty and communicating about sexuality and disability with patients and clients.

Seth Kress
PT, DPT, DHSc
Seth Kress, PT, DPT, DHSc, an Assistant Professor and Co-Director of Clinical Education at Midwestern University, brings over two decades of experience in clinical education and outpatient orthopaedic physical therapy. A credentialed clinical instructor and APTA Level 1 CCIP trainer, Dr. Kress is actively involved in advancing clinical education at both the state and national levels through his work with the APTA and the Illinois Physical Therapy Association.
Full Bio
Seth Kress, PT, DPT, DHSc, is an Assistant Professor and Co-Director of Clinical Education in the Physical Therapy Program at Midwestern University in Illinois. He earned his master’s degree in physical therapy from Northwestern University in 2001, his Doctor of Physical Therapy from Rosalind Franklin University in 2019, and his Doctor of Health Science in Leadership in Clinical Practice and Education from George Washington University in 2024.
Dr. Kress has more than 20 years of experience in outpatient hospital-based physical therapy, clinical management, and clinical education. He has served as a clinical instructor and Site Coordinator of Clinical Education (SCCE), and is currently a credentialed clinical instructor and trainer for the APTA Level 1 Credentialed Clinical Instructor Program (CCIP). He is a member of the APTA’s Orthopaedic and Education Academies and serves as chair of the Illinois Physical Therapy Association’s Clinical Education Special Interest Group (CESIG).
His research and academic interests include clinical education, professionalism among DPT students, and concussion rehabilitation. He recently published a systematic review on promoting professional behaviors in healthcare students in the Journal of Allied Health.

Tara Pearce
PT, DHS
Tara S. Pearce, PT, DHS an Associate Professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, is a leader in clinical education in physical therapy. With over 27 years of experience as a clinical instructor, SCCE, and DCE, she is a national trainer for the APTA Credentialed Clinical Instructor Program and serves on the Level 3 Workgroup. Her work focuses on clinical instruction, mentorship, and faculty development.
Full Bio
Tara S. Pearce, PT, DHS is an Associate Professor and Director of Clinical Education in the Department of Physical Therapy at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She has over 27 years of experience in clinical education as a clinical instructor, Site Coordinator of Clinical Education, and Director of Clinical Education. Her bachelor's degree in physical therapy is from Bradley University, and she earned her post-professional Doctor of Health Science degree at the University of Indianapolis. Her clinical background is as a neurologic physical therapist, and she currently practices in an outpatient setting. Academically, she teaches within the professional practice series and neurologic dysfunction and incorporates simulation-based learning experiences. She is a Trainer for the APTA's Level 1 and Level 2 Credentialed Clinical Instructor Program (CCIP) and serves on the Level 3 Workgroup. Tara has presented internationally, nationally, and at the state level on various topics, including simulation, personal leadership, clinical education, neurological, and professional practice.

Janet Readinger
PT, DPT
Janet L. Readinger, PT, DPT, an Associate Professor at Arcadia University, is a long-standing leader in clinical education with over two decades of experience directing hybrid clinical education. A trainer for APTA’s Level 1 and 2 CCIP and a contributor to the development of Level 3, she brings deep expertise in neurorehabilitation and clinical instruction to her teaching and presentations.
Full Bio
Janet L. Readinger, PT, DPT, is an Associate Professor and the Director of Progression and Professional Development in the physical therapy program at Arcadia University. Prior to this role, she served for 20 years as the Associate Director of Clinical Education and Director of Hybrid Clinical Education. Dr. Readinger received her master’s degree in physical therapy from Temple University and her post-professional DPT from Arcadia University.
Her clinical background includes inpatient acute rehabilitation, with more recent work focused on wellness for individuals with Parkinson disease and multiple sclerosis. She is an author of the Clinical Practice Guidelines for Parkinson disease and integrates her neurorehabilitation experience into clinical teaching and mentoring.
Dr. Readinger is a trainer for APTA’s Level 1 and Level 2 Credentialed Clinical Instructor Programs (CCIP) and serves on the national workgroup developing Level 3. She has presented extensively at local, state, and national conferences—including APTA’s CSM and ELC, as well as the Pennsylvania Physical Therapy Association's annual meeting—on topics related to clinical education and neurorehabilitation.
Course Instructions
- Click on the Contents tab to watch the course recording.
- Click the Take Quiz button to complete the assessment. Learners will have 3 attempts to pass and must answer at least 70% of questions correctly.
- Click Fill Out Survey under the Evaluation listing to provide valuable course feedback. Scroll down on all questions as there may be answer options that expand past the size of the window.
- Click the View/Print Your Certificate button under the Certificate listing. You can view/print your certificate at any time by visiting the APTA Learning Center and clicking the CEU Certificate/Transcript link on the left-hand side of the page.
Need Assistance?
For assistance logging in, accessing activities, claiming credit, or for other questions or concerns, please e-mail learningcenter@apta.org.
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