Department of Human Health and Physical Therapy

In order to ensure the proper level of future specialists in physical rehabilitation, the Department of Physical Rehabilitation was established in August 2001 as a structural unit of the Faculty of Health, Physical Education and Sports. The Head of the Physical Rehabilitation Department became Professor Potashniuk Raisa Zakharivna (2001-2012). She was a well-known scientist with many years of experience in scientific-medical work in high school. She is the author of 190 scientific works, including: 12 monographs and textbooks, 8 of them are recommended by the Ministry of Education of Ukraine. Under the guidance of R. Z. Potashniuk were defended 8 PhD Theses. She was the head of Research at the School of Health Promotion within the framework of the international project “European Network of Schools of Health Promotion”. R. Z. Potashniuk was a member of the Specialized Scientific Council for PhD Theses at Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University.

PhD, Associate Professor Potashniuk I. V. has been appointed for the position of the head of the department in September 2012.

In November 2012, she defended her doctoral thesis.

The Department of Physical Rehabilitation has been renamed as the Department of Human Health and Physical Therapy since September 2017.

The Department of Human Health and Physical Therapy holds a prominent position as a structural unit of the Faculty of Health, Physical Education and Sports.

The students acquire basic knowledge and skills in medical-biological and pedagogical issues, physical rehabilitation with the use of technical and biotechnical means and various methods of non-traditional types of healing, massage, self-massage, therapeutic physical training during the educational process.

Conducting lessons of professional-oriented courses and passing internship is carried out on the basis of medical institutions and rehabilitation centres, that have been concluded as necessary agreements (Rivne Central City Hospital, “Invasport”, Medical Centre “Reavita”, city children's hospital, educational rehabilitation centre complex for children with disabilities, centres for medical and social services for the disabled with musculoskeletal disorders).

The sports and recreation complex is used for the purpose of professional training of the specialists of physical rehabilitation. The sport and health complex includes: three swimming pools, gymnastic and sports halls and a rehabilitation centre. The services are provided by qualified specialists of physical rehabilitation, trainers, instructors, methodologists.

Effective provision of educational activity is carried out through the use of books, methodological materials, teaching aids, as well as electronic teachers’ publications of the department. Students have access to all educational and scientific publications through the Internet.

The teaching staff of the department is: 10 lecturers that work full-time at the department and 8 who work part-time. From them, there are 3 Doctors, 2 Professors; 8 PhD, Associate Professors; 3 Associate Professors; 2 Senior Lecturers.

Among the lecturers there are 6 doctors of higher qualification category who combine specialty work in rehabilitation centres, medical institutions with educational and scientific-methodical work at the department.

The educational process of students in the department covers more than 50 disciplines.

The professional training of students is carried out on the full-time and distance basis of study, which is conducted on the qualification level of Bachelor, Master in specialty “Physical Therapy”. Both specialties are accredited at the IV level of accreditation.

The educational process of training specialist in two specialties is carried out on the basis of educational and professional programs and qualification characteristics, curricula of specialties, working curricula and programs.

Once one have received the necessary education, the highly-qualified specialist will be able to use health-saving technologies in its practice; conduct examinations, determine functional and reserve capabilities of the organism; develop individual programs for recovery of psychophysical state of people of different ages with disorders of the musculoskeletal system, the consequences of neurological, surgical, cardiovascular, respiratory and other diseases; the functional state of the body after suffering traumas or diseases; carry out educational and preventive work among the population for prevention of diseases using healthy-rehabilitation measures; systematically carry out medical and pedagogical observation during training.

Cooperation of the Department

The department cooperates with leading universities of Ukraine: National University on Physical Education and Sports of Ukraine (Kyiv), Lviv State University of Physical Education, Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University (Ivano-Frankivsk), Human Development Institute of University “Ukraina” (Lutsk), Lesia Ukrainka Eastern European National University (Lutsk).

It should be noted that in 2009 an agreement on the cooperation of the Faculty of Health, Physical Education and Sport (in particular between the Department of Physical Rehabilitation) with the Artesis Higher School in Antwerp (Kingdom of Belgium) was concluded in the following areas: conducting scientific conferences, exchange of experience, analysis of the results of research and experimental work on topical problems of preserving, strengthening and recovery of human health, comparing the results. Some meetings were held in Antwerp and in Rivne.

A cooperation agreement was signed with the Andrzej Frycz Modrzewski Krakow University. The main directions of cooperation are conducting lectures and practical courses of physiotherapy. Students studying in Poland exchange experience.

Internships

The material and technical bases of external organizations are used during internship. Students of the Faculty conduct volunteer work in rehabilitation centres.

The Faculty has close relations with medical and prophylactic and sports institutions and organizations, in particular with the regional clinical and central city hospitals, the Educational and Rehabilitation Centre “A Special Child”, the Centre of Early Pedagogical Rehabilitation and Social Adaptation “Pahinets”, the Centre of Rehabilitation of Disabled Persons and Children-Invalids with Muscle-Skeleton Disorder “Krok”, the Regional Centre of Invalid Sports “Invasport”, the Rehabilitation Centre “Alibis”, the Medical Centre “Reavita”, the Centres of Social Service of Youth, Children and Youth Sports School, Special Preschool Institutions and Schools of the region. The sports and recreation complex is used for the purpose of professional training of specialists of physical rehabilitation.

The sport and health complex includes: a swimming pool, a gym and sports halls and a rehabilitation centre. The services are provided by the qualified specialists of physical rehabilitation, trainers, instructors, methodologists. The main directions of work of the rehabilitation centre are the following: conducting practical classes on health and sports disciplines, human health improvement, assistance to disabled persons of different age with muscle-skeleton disorder, propaganda of healthy lifestyle among students.