Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Respiratory Therapy Education'

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Although Problem-based learning (PBL) approach is a common teaching technique in medical education, its use in the field of respiratory therapy is somewhat controversial. With so many programs adopting PBL strategies, it is important to examine whether there are differences between PBL and traditional teaching approaches in regards to learning outcomes. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate if there are any significant differences between PBL and lecture-based program students in their cognitive abilities in mechanical ventilation. METHODS: Two universities with BS programs in respiratory therapy were chosen—one uses PBL (15 participants) and on uses lecture-based method (24 participants). All 39 participants were given10 multiple-choice questions related to mechanical ventilation derived from the NBRC RRT written exam forms (C & D) as a pre and a post test. RESULTS: The dependent t-test showed a significant difference between the pre and post test of the lecture-based and the PBL groups, resulting in a p value of 0.006 and 0.025 respectively. The independent t-test showed a significant difference in the pre-test favoring the lecture-based group (p = 0.039). However, the independent t-test showed no significant difference in the post-test (p=0.085) CONCLUSIONS: PBL is increasing in popularity despite the fact that studies of its efficacy have been thus far inconclusive. This study has shown PBL to be effective, but not significantly more effective than traditional lecture-based methods in regards to objective test scores.

The purpose of this study was to increase the understanding of the factors that contribute to or detract from the educational preparation of graduates between associate (AD) and baccalaureate degree (BD) respiratory therapy programs through the use of graduate and employer survey ratings, Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) credentialing success, and document analysis of various institutional and program mission, course content, and goals.

This study employed quantitative analyses to compare the perceptions of AD graduates and their employers with the perceptions of BD graduates and their employers regarding the educational program’s ability to prepare graduates for entry into the profession. Graduate and employer ratings of cognitive, psychomotor, and affective competencies obtained from the follow-up surveys from 16 BD and 88 AD respiratory therapy programs were analyzed to determine whether there were perceived differences in preparation of associate and baccalaureate degree graduates. Credentialing success data for graduates of 361 AD and 57 BD respiratory therapy programs were also analyzed to determine whether differences in program type had an effect on RRT credentialing success. Multivariate analyses of variance, Welch’s F tests and Mann-Whitney two-sample test were used to analyze the data. Additional information obtained from 22 AD and 22 BD institutions were also analyzed to explore similarities and differences in mission, vision, learning outcomes and coursework.

The three most significant findings in this study were that (1) Employers rated BD graduates higher than AD graduates in the cognitive (mean ratings 4.442 and 4.256 respectively) psychomotor (mean ratings 4.508 and 4.308 respectively) and affective domain (mean ratings 4.642 and 4.496 respectively); (2) BD employer survey ratings were also higher than AD employer ratings (mean ratings 4.49 and 4.21 respectively) on the mean rating for the single item that asked graduates to rate the overall quality of their preparation for entry into the profession and (3) Findings from the document analysis revealed that BD programs required courses beyond the minimum general education, prerequisite and RT course requirements. Thus, the results of this study support the “2015 and Beyond” recommendation that the BD be the minimum entry-level education required for entry into the profession.

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to determine the perceptions of practicing respiratory therapists (RT) and respiratory care educators regarding the role of RTs serving as physician extenders. Methods: The survey instrument was an electronic questionnaire that consisted of 17 questions. Participation was voluntary and participants were selected through random and convenience sampling techniques. Results: Of 506 respondents, 234 were respiratory care educators. Overwhelmingly, the respondents held the Registered Respiratory Therapist credential (92.7%). Respondents were about equally split among three education levels: 31.7% associate degree, 31.7% bachelor’s degree, and 27.3% master’s degree. Of the respondents 62.45% had considered pursing a degree in physician assistant (PA). Respondents expressed a preference for an Advanced Practice Respiratory Therapy (APRT) program (77.9%) rather than a PA program. Nearly two-thirds of the respondents reported they felt that a master’s degree should be the minimum level of education for an APRT. Conclusions: This study suggests that practitioners and educators alike are strongly supportive of advanced practice in the profession of respiratory therapy.

RESUMO: A fisioterapia caminha inevitavelmente para a especialização em determinadas áreas de intervenção (WCPT, 2007), nomeadamente na da fisioterapia respiratória. Este facto ocorre, por um lado, por se tratar de uma área de intervenção da fisioterapia com um papel específico e de carácter especializado e, por outro lado, devido à enorme procura deste tipo de serviços, causada também pelo aumento da prevalência de doenças respiratórias crónicas, que se tem vindo a verificar e que se prevê que se continue a verificar (OMS, 2005), e ainda à enorme transversalidade deste tipo de intervenção. A formação pós-graduada em fisioterapia respiratória, com o objectivo de fornecer aos formandos competências teórico-práticas que os apetreche para uma prática baseada na evidência, parece ser fundamental, mas a formação de adultos acarreta um compromisso com os princípios da aprendizagem específicos desta população. Os modelos de formação nesta área específica deverão incluir metodologias e conteúdos que cumpram objectivos reais, baseados não totalmente em curricula pré-estabelecidos, mas nas necessidades e expectativas de quem vive esta realidade, para além de se sustentarem nos referenciais teóricos. Assim, este estudo pretende avaliar a eficácia de um programa de formação pósgraduada em fisioterapia respiratória, baseado nas necessidades e expectativas dos sujeitos que estão envolvidos neste processo, e sustentado nos referenciais teóricos que se conhecem sob a forma de “standards”, “guidelines” ou recomendações. Os nossos objectivos específicos foram: a) Aferir quais as características que são importantes para garantir a eficácia de metodologia de um programa de formação pós-graduada na área da fisioterapia respiratória, ou seja, a “dinâmica” do processo. b) Aferir quais os conteúdos base que deverão fazer parte dessa formação e, c) Aferir se há vantagens distintas para formandos que já detenham experiência clínica e para recém-licenciados, e que frequentem o referido curso, ou seja, aferir o público-alvo. O desenho metodológico considerado para atingir os objectivos a que se propõe este estudo teve como base uma abordagem essencialmente qualitativa, mas recorreu a preciosas ferramentas quantitativas. Trata-se assim de uma abordagem de carácter misto. A nossa amostra, de conveniência, foi constituída pelos 22 formandos que se matricularam no único curso de pós-graduação em fisioterapia respiratória, que neste momento existe no nosso país. A recolha de dados obedeceu a uma estratégia comum nas abordagens qualitativas e que incluiu a “triangulação” de várias fontes e de vários métodos de recolha, a fim de permitir articular diferentes pontos de vista sobre um mesmo objecto. Assim, após a análise de referenciais teóricos considerados relevantes, recorreu-se à opinião de diferentes sujeitos, através de painéis, e de questionários, (questionários de opinião, questionários de caracterização, questionários de avaliação de conhecimentos e atitudes, à entrada e no final) bem como à avaliação de comportamentos, competências e atitudes, observados em ambiente simulado e real. A filosofia de formação que esteve subjacente ao nosso programa foi um constante compromisso entre a teoria, a prática e a clínica, em que o fenómeno de “transfert” foi potencializado por algumas características como o “fio condutor” entre os conteúdos, a presença de utentes reais nas aulas, os workshops temáticos e os estágios profissionais, a apresentação e discussão de estudos de caso com profissionais de referência, e os períodos de pausa entre seminários, em que estão facilitadas a reflexão, aplicação e experimentação de novas competências. Estas características estiveram na base dessa estreita relação entre a teoria, a prática e a clínica. Os critérios de selecção do corpo docente, capazes de funcionar como fontes de informação credível e actual e, sobretudo, capazes de funcionar como modelos profissionais, foram cruciais. Também o conhecimento das expectativas iniciais dos formandos e a monitorização facilitaram o processo de aprendizagem e o ajuste do programa ao longo do período de formação, assim como as avaliações formativas frequentes. Acreditamos que estas características do nosso programa foram fundamentais para a eficácia do mesmo, e que através delas obtivemos resultados positivos, em que se destacam a obtenção dos melhores resultados situados, sobretudo, nos níveis de complexidade relativos à resolução de problemas, e a valorização das competências ao do domínio afectivo. Corroborámos a teoria de que pessoas com formações e /ou experiências diferentes agem de maneiras diferentes, e aprendem de maneiras diferentes, e concluímos que os resultados nos estadios de aprendizagem e nas expectativas e necessidades colmatadas são generalizadamente positivos, o que torna qualquer dos grupos estudados, um público-alvo deste tipo de formação, embora possam ser apontadas algumas vantagens distintas conforme a experiência profissional de cada um, sendo os formandos com mais experiência, aqueles que mais evoluem em todos os domínios de aprendizagem. O aumento da empregabilidade dos formandos, directa ou indirectamente relacionado com a frequência do curso, parece ter sido um resultado positivo e inesperado. A possível caducidade do programa, o acompanhamento do grupo após o término do curso, o peso que os métodos de avaliação podem ter tido nos resultados, são algumas questões que ficam por esclarecer, e que merecem estudos futuros. Apesar disto, julgamos poder afirmar que este modelo de formação foi eficaz.

Bag-valve mask (BVM) ventilation maintains a patient's oxygenation and ventilation until a more definitive artificial airway can be established. In the prehospital setting of a traffic collision or medical aid scene this is performed by an Emerency Medical Technician or medical first responder. Few studies have looked at the effectiveness of Bag-valve masks (BVM) or the complication rate of ventilating an unprotected airway. The purpose and goal of this study is to educate both medical first responders and basic emergency medical technicians.

SURVEY OF THE KNOWLEDGE AND CONFIDENCE OF RESPIRATORY THERAPY STUDENTS REGARDING TOBACCO SMOKING AND RESPIRATORY DISEASES by Delano S. DuCasse INTRODUCTION: Tobacco abuse is the main cause of illness and avoidable death in the world (World Health Organization, 2010). Smoking-related diseases claim an estimated 443,000 American lives each year, including those affected indirectly, such as babies born prematurely due to prenatal maternal smoking and victims of "secondhand" exposure to tobacco’s carcinogens (American Lung Association, 2011). Of all healthcare providers, respiratory therapists are most often in contact with patients that are diagnosed with smoking related diseases. Therefore, students entering into the field should be well equipped with the knowledge, skills and attitude to educate patients about the importance of smoking prevention and cessation. The purpose of this study was to evaluate students’ knowledge and confidence regarding tobacco addiction and cessation following enrollment in a pulmonary disease course. METHODS: Students enrolled in a bachelor’s degree respiratory therapy program at a southeastern university were surveyed prior to and following a required pulmonary disease course. Participation was completely voluntary and no incentives to participate were offered. A total of 31 students participated in the pre-tobacco education survey on January 24, 2013 and 24 students participated in the post-tobacco survey on April 29, 2013. DATA ANALYSIS: The data was analyzed using SPSS 19.0. Descriptive statistics to include frequencies and percentages were used to evaluate the RT student’s responses to survey questions. RESULTS: Majority of the students only had 1 to 2 hours of lecture that focused on tobacco smoking. The actual tobacco education they received was not a clear cut topic within the pulmonary disease course itself; the topic tobacco smoking was only mentioned under diseases processes such as, COPD and Lung Cancer. The RT students’ confidence levels slightly improved after being enrolled in the pulmonary disease course. The pre surveyed RT students’ average was 55.5%, and the post surveyed average was 69.8%. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the results, the content of tobacco education within the school’s curriculum is inadequate. With respiratory therapists mostly coming in contact with patients suffering from smoking related diseases, topics that include tobacco smoking and cessation should be included more in respiratory therapy school’s curriculum.

Respiratory therapy graduate students are going to face a clinical environment that commands greater responsibility and culpability than in years past. Therefore, respiratory therapy educators must prepare graduates for the multidimensional demands of the workplace. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to explore the perception of the undergraduate respiratory therapy (BSRT) and integrated graduate respiratory therapy (MSRT) students in the implementation of simulation in the educational laboratory setting. METHODS: Data were collected through a descriptive survey. The survey was distributed to a convenience sample of first year BSRT and MSRT students attending an accredited respiratory therapy program at an urban public research university in the southeast United States. The survey consisted of 10 questions presented in a four-point Likert-type scale to obtain students’ perceptions regarding their simulation experience. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. RESULTS: Thirty-two students were surveyed, more than two-thirds of the participants were female. Approximately seventy-one percent of respondents were BSRT, females accounted for 87% and males 13%. Graduate MSRT were 28.1% of the total sample with 44.4% females and 55.6% males. More than two-thirds of MSRT students reported previous clinical experience while BSRT students reported less than one-quarter. Additionally, only two students from BSRT indicated that they have previous simulation experience, whereas more than half of MSRT students reported previous simulation experience. The study findings indicate BSRT and MSRT students’ overall perceptions are similar, however, both perceive the experience of nervousness differently. BSRT students indicated high agreement with the statement that they experienced nervousness during the simulation with mean = 3.52 (SD ± .51). MSRT students indicated high agreement with the statement that simulation was a valuable learning experience with mean = 3.33 (SD ± .70). Both of BSRT & MSRT students agreed that simulation should continue to be an integral part of the respiratory therapy program. MSRT students demonstrated higher agreement with mean = 3.55 (SD ± .72). Finally, the majority of responses to a debriefing session after simulation experience supported their understanding and reasoning were positive from both BSRT & MSRT students with means respectively = 3.39 (SD ± .65), and 3.55, (SD ± .52). CONCLUSION: Respiratory therapy educators continue to strive to enhance respiratory therapy students’ clinical reasoning, transference of theory to clinical practice, skills acquisition, and critical thinking. Use of simulation is essential to achieve these objectives. The results of this study support the implementation of simulation course in the curriculum as a mandatory requirement prior to clinical practice as evidenced by positive responses from students. Although students felt positively that simulation should be continued in the curriculum, they did not feel it should totally substitute for all clinical experiences.

Background: Patient simulations have become a basis of training for numerous health care professions. In the field of Respiratory Therapy (RT), it has been proven to influence and motivate the students in proactively participating in learning through the use of clinical demonstrations and technology. However, there remains a limited number of studies that investigate the impact of simulation in RT. PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to determine the perceptions of RT students at an urban university on what they have learned from their patient simulation sessions. METHODS: A self-reporting descriptive survey was used. It was a modification of the Student Satisfaction and Self-confidence in Learning NLN/Laerdal Research tool. The participants included 34 undergraduate and graduate RT students from the Georgia State University. RESULTS: With a response rate of 88.2%, the majority of the RT students were satisfied with their present learning and felt supportive of simulation experience, availability and access to various learning materials and activities, simulation as their motivation, and the way instructors taught the simulation. It also revealed that self-confidence and enthusiasm in learning increased with simulation activities. Majority of RT students perceive simulation education as a helpful and effective teaching method (x̅ 3.13 SD ± 0.73). RT students perceive developing the skills and obtaining the required knowledge from simulation to perform necessary tasks in the clinical setting as the most important clinical benefit they acquire from simulation education (x̅ 3.16, SD ± 0.74). The RT students also believe it is their responsibility to learn what is needed to know from simulation activity and they agree that they know how to get help when they do not understand the concepts covered in the simulation (x̅ 3.53, SD ± .50). CONCLUSION: RT students agree that patient simulations are beneficial and effective as a supportive learning method in their learning. They also agreed that simulation activities increase their self-confidence and enthusiasm in learning, but further research and studies about simulations should be encouraged in order to determine its future importance in preparing future RT professionals in real clinical settings and clinical exploration.

Clinical instructors may have a negative or positive effect on student’s clinical practice. The behavioral characteristics of respiratory therapy clinical instructors are vital to the success of student’s clinical learning experience. Therefore, respiratory therapy student’s perception of the effectiveness of the clinical instructor’s behavior is an important indicator to modify and facilitate effective clinical instruction. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the most effective clinical teaching behaviors (ECTB) perceived by undergraduate respiratory therapy (BSRT) and integrated graduate respiratory therapy (MSRT) students and to identify any similarities in their rankings. METHODS: The study used descriptive exploratory design with a self-reporting survey. The survey was administered to a convenience sample of first and second year BSRT and MSRT students attending an accredited respiratory therapy program at an urban university located in the southeastern United States. The survey consisted of 35 teaching behaviors presented on a five-point Likert scale according to importance. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. RESULTS: Seventy-two students were surveyed, more than two-thirds of the respondents were female. Seventy-five percent of respondents studied were BSRT, which females accounted for 78% and males 22%. Graduate MSRT studied were 25% of the total sample with females and males equally split at 50%. Two thirds of MSRT students reported previous education with BSRT students reporting less than one-quarter. The study findings indicate BSRT and MSRT students’ perceptions ranking of the most important behavioral characteristics hold similarities but both perceive the ordered rank of importance differently. Both BSRT and MSRT students ranked “be approachable” as the most important clinical behavioral characteristic with mean scores and S.D respectively (M 4.89, S.D ±0.37, and M 4.94, S.D ±0.24). Additionally, BSRT students rank the characteristic “respect student as an individual” (M 4.87, S.D ±0.34) next significant while MSRT students rank “demonstrate self-control & patience” (M 4.94, S.D ±0.23) the next highest. CONCLUSION: Although BSRT and MSRT students’ perceptions demonstrated similarities, mean scores data between first year and second year show a shift in ranking between characteristics. This may be because student’s perceptions could change as they advance in their clinical course work or their past educational experience. In addition, the results may assist respiratory therapy clinical instructors to appreciate students’ views and acknowledge areas of success as well as areas needing improvement.

This descriptive case study examines the use of medical simulation technology in the three-year Thompson Rivers University respiratory therapy training program. Qualitative analysis of data gathered from 78 participants through interviews, observations, and discussion groups reveal a wide variety of low- intermediate- and high-fidelity technologies used for education and evaluation. Deliberate practice is the predominant learning theory informing the use of simulation for safe and ethical training in competencies that would otherwise pose significant risk to patients. Recommendations include enhancements of the existing technology with psychological and environmental fidelity, and for optimal curriculum placement of high-fidelity simulators at hospital sites for student development of critical thinking and team training. Further research into learning with high-fidelity simulation specifically within the context of a student respiratory therapist as an embedded hospital team member is needed. Keywords: respiratory therapy, patient simulation, critical thinking, learning, critical care, deliberate practice

BACKGROUND: Rapid changes in healthcare and science have enhanced the need for international educational experiences (IEE). Despite the importance of IEE in healthcare, there is a lack of literature in this area of research specifically relating to respiratory therapy. Therefore, it is important to assess the perceived impact of IEE in the United States on RT students in order to evaluate the need for developing international educational opportunities in the field of respiratory therapy. PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to assess Saudi RT international students’ perception of the impact of IEE on their lives experiences. METHODS: Data were collected through a descriptive survey using a modified version of the international education survey (IES). The survey was emailed to all RT members of the Saudi Society for Respiratory Care (SSRC). Four main dimensions were assessed: Professional RT role, global understanding, personal development, and intellectual development. Excluded from the study were non-Saudi RTs and RTs with no IEE from the United States. RESULTS: Nineteen responses met the exclusion criteria of the study and were excluded. The total adjusted number of participants was sixty-two (n=62) out of (N=534) emailed surveys. The study response rate was 15.17%. Just over half of participants hold a graduate degree in RT while 48.4% hold an undergraduate degree in RT. Female participants accounted for 12.9% of all participants while male participants accounted for 87.1%. The study revealed that “professional RT role” was the most impacted area of IEE for RT undergraduate students (M 5.48, ± 1.4). The study showed that “global understanding” was the most impacted area of IEE for graduate RT students (M 5.4, SD of ± 0.84). The study findings showed that there is a moderately significant positive correlation between the duration of IEEs and the impact of RT professional role (r=0.426; p=0.001). Moreover, the study findings indicated that IEEs had a higher but insignificant influence on former international RT students’ perceptions of impact than current students. Conclusion: IEE had a large overall impact on participant’s lives experiences. The study findings support the value of promoting IEEs in the United States for RT students due to its perceived positive impact on internationalization of healthcare. Further studies with higher number of participants, different cultural backgrounds, and different IEE destinations is recommended.

Background: Clinical instructors are expected to be excellent practitioners with great teaching skills. They play a vital role in teaching the next generation of respiratory therapists (RTs). Because clinical instructors impact the learning process of teaching the next generation, it is important to identify the effective teaching characteristics that contribute to the clinical success of the student from the perspective of RT faculty. PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to identify effective behavioral teaching characteristics of clinical instructors that are deemed most and least important by RT faculty in the State of Georgia. METHODS: Data were collected through a descriptive survey. The survey was adapted and emailed to all RT faculty members listed on The Georgia Society for Respiratory Care (GSRC) website. The survey consisted of three main domains: professional competence, relationship with students, and personal attributes. Thirty-five behavioral teaching characteristics were presented on a five-point Likert scale according to importance. RESULTS: Nineteen responses were received out of forty emailed surveys, with a response rate of 47.5%. The majority of participants indicated a master degree as their highest degree. Almost 58% of the participants teach at programs that offer associate degree. The study findings indicated faculty members’ perceptions ranking of the most important behavioral teaching characteristics hold a lot of similarities and some differences. Among all provided teaching characteristics, “Facilitate critical thinking in clinical practice was perceived as the most important behavioral teaching characteristic with mean scores and S.D of (M 4.89, S.D ±0.31), respectively. In the domain of relationship with students, “Encourage students to feel free to ask questions or ask for help” was ranked the highest by the participants with a mean of 4.57 and S.D of ±0.50. In the personal attributes domain, “Able to collaborate with other disciplines” was ranked as the most important characteristic with mean scores and S.D respectively (M 4.68, S.D ±0.47). CONCULSION: Faculty from different program levels (associate, baccalaureate and master) agreed that “Facilitate critical thinking in clinical practice” was the most important characteristic. Based on these findings, it is highly recommend that clinical instructors strive to improve their attitudes toward students as the best way to achieve the goals of clinical teaching. They also showed the need for respiratory therapy programs to foster and to promote uniformly identified effective behavioral teaching characteristics.