Certified Clinical Internships

Train under a Clinical Mentor. Earn the highest level in the tier.

An ICF Nexus Clinical Internship is 600 to 650 hours of supervised patient care, mentoring, and training at an approved clinical site. Completing one earns recognition as a Clinical Supervisor, the third and highest recognition level in the tier.

Internships are offered by facilities and practice networks that ICF Nexus has reviewed and approved. Interns are supervised by practitioners who hold ICF Nexus Clinical Practice Guideline certification and have extensive experience as clinical educators.

A clinical mentor guides an intern's hand placement while a patient performs a supported hip exercise

How it works

Four parts, one credential

Each internship combines supervised practice with the didactic and practical training the tier requires. The written and practical examinations are ICF Nexus examinations.

Clinical mentoring, 45 hours. 1-on-1 clinical supervision and instruction during clinical practice periods, including ICF Nexus Skill Proficiency Examinations while treating clients.

Supervised clinical practice, 450 hours. Patient care activities working near the Clinical Mentor in the same facility.

Independent study, 65 to 70 hours. The didactic seminar series for the tier, with the related written examinations, including the ICF Nexus Knowledge Competency Examination for the related tier.

In-person training, 40 to 85 hours. The skill proficiency seminar series, followed by the ICF Nexus Skill Proficiency Examinations, including standardized clinical performance measures.

Programs

Three internship programs

Each program is a complete path to Clinical Supervisor recognition in its tier.

Tier 1

Clinical Internship in Guidelines-based Education and Exercise for Prevention and Management of Common Musculoskeletal Conditions

Designed for individuals in, or graduated from, a physical therapist assistant program or a program for health and fitness practitioners, such as personal trainers, Pilates instructors, yoga instructors, and strength and conditioning coaches.

Clinical training

  • Clinical mentoring: 45 hours
  • Supervised clinical practice: 450 hours
  • Independent study: 65 hours. Foundations of Guidelines-based Education and Exercise, with standardized written examinations assessing knowledge competence.
  • In-person training: 40 hours. Skill proficiency seminar series, including standardized clinical performance assessments.

Total: 600 hours

Recognition on completion: Clinical Supervisor for Implementing Guidelines-based Education and Exercise for Prevention and Management of Common Musculoskeletal Conditions

Tier 2

Clinical Internship in Guidelines-based Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention of Common Musculoskeletal Conditions

Designed for practitioners in, or graduated from, a healthcare provider program, such as physical therapists, rehabilitation specialists, traditional Chinese medical doctors, and Western medical physicians, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners.

Clinical training

  • Clinical mentoring: 45 hours
  • Supervised clinical practice: 450 hours
  • Independent study: 70 hours. Guidelines-based Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention, with standardized written examinations assessing knowledge competence.
  • In-person training: 85 hours. Skill proficiency seminar series, including standardized clinical performance assessments.

Total: 650 hours

Recognition on completion: Clinical Supervisor for Implementing Guidelines-based Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention of Common Musculoskeletal Conditions

Tier 3

Clinical Internship in Guidelines-based Primary Care for Individuals with Musculoskeletal Conditions

Designed for practitioners in, or graduated from, a healthcare provider program, such as physical therapists, rehabilitation specialists, traditional Chinese medical doctors, and Western medical physicians, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners.

Clinical training

  • Clinical mentoring: 150 hours
  • Supervised clinical practice: 300 hours
  • Independent study: 80 hours. Guidelines-based Primary Musculoskeletal Care, with standardized written examinations assessing knowledge competence.
  • In-person training: 70 hours. Skill proficiency seminar series, including standardized clinical performance assessments.

Total: 600 hours

Recognition on completion: Clinical Supervisor for Implementing Guidelines-based Primary Care for Individuals with Musculoskeletal Conditions

Completion and recognition

To be recognized in the ICF Nexus Directory

To be recognized in the ICF Nexus Directory of Practitioners with Guidelines-based Knowledge Competency, Skill Proficiency, or Clinical Supervisor, the practitioner must:

  • Pass the ICF Nexus Knowledge Competency Examination and the ICF Nexus Skill Proficiency Examinations for the tier.
  • Perform satisfactorily on all of the tier's clinical skills and clinical performance evaluations while treating patients for Clinical Supervisor recognition.
  • Execute an agreement with ICF Nexus attesting that the practitioner will (1) comply with the regulatory requirements in the jurisdictions for which they practice, (2) provide ICF Nexus with the information required for listing in the Directory of Guidelines-based Practitioners, (3) consent to have their name and practice information listed in the Directory for public viewing or inform ICF Nexus to withhold that information from being viewed by the public, (4) pay the initial examination fee and the annual directory listing fee to ICF Nexus, (5) design a plan for continuous clinical education and skill acquisition training for themselves and others in evidence-based clinical practice, including taking a knowledge competency examination at least every three years and documenting sufficient skill proficiency training, that they received or that they instructed to others, to maintain their skill proficiency recognition in the Directory, and (6) attest that the practitioner understands the consequences for non-compliance with the five requirements listed in the agreement.

For clinical sites

Hosting an internship

Facilities and practice networks are approved by ICF Nexus to provide Clinical Internships in a tier. Approval follows a review of the site, its clinical supervisors, its curriculum, and its marketing materials against the ICF Nexus Standards for Clinical Internships.

The facility must

  • Employ or contract with Clinical Mentors in the tier, as represented by extensive clinical education and clinical practice experience as a Clinical Supervisor (1,000 hours for Tier 1 Clinical Supervisors, 2,000 hours for Tier 2 Clinical Supervisors, and 3,000 hours for Tier 3 Clinical Supervisors).
  • Provide, or contract with, an ICF Nexus approved curriculum for interns that is recognized to provide the independent study for knowledge competency and the in-person training for skill proficiency in the related tier.
  • Pass the ICF Nexus review of the facility, clinical supervisors, curriculum, and marketing materials.
  • Execute an agreement with ICF Nexus attesting that the facility will (1) comply with the regulatory requirements in the jurisdictions where it practices, (2) provide ICF Nexus with the information required for listing in the Directory of Guidelines-based Practitioners, (3) consent to have its name and practice information listed in the Directory for public viewing, or inform ICF Nexus to withhold that information from public view, (4) pay the initial facility evaluation fee and the annual directory listing fee to ICF Nexus, (5) design a plan for continuous monitoring of its outcomes as a quality review and clinical education site, and provide an annual report to ICF Nexus on its outcomes, review findings, and a plan for areas or items identified that could benefit from improvement, and (6) attest that the facility and related organizational leadership understand the consequences of non-compliance with the five requirements listed in the agreement.
An instructor demonstrates a squat cue to four clinicians in a skills seminar

Interested in hosting

Applications open soon

We are finalizing the site review process. If your facility or practice network wants to provide Clinical Internships, contact us now and we will tell you what the review covers and when applications open. Prospective interns are welcome to reach out as well.

Contact: eric@icfnexus.com