91¶ÌÊÓƵ

• Mission Statement
  Consistent with the University mission, a Master of Science in Respiratory Therapy degree will address the rising complexity of skills and knowledge required to prepare students for advanced-practice career pathways in the profession and related services. The program aims to provide advance-practioners (APRT) as the community identifies scope and roles for expanded technology and widening need for practitioners with skills and knowledge in cardiopulmonary health. The American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC) recognizes a shortage of 1,200 - 22,000 cardiologists and pulmonology physicians by 2030. Against this backdrop, the MSRT program will:
  
  Provide learning opportunities for students through a variety of instructional methodologies and writing in multiple settings throughout the curriculum.
  
  Provide expanded knowledge and skills for graduate students for expanded clinical roles in:

  • health administration, supervisors, and department directors
  • pulmonary navigators
  • critical care specialists (supported with advanced-level credentialing at the national level)
  • clinical preceptors, team leaders, hospital and asthma educators
  • best-practice consultants and industry researchers

  
  Provide appropriate, accurate, and timely advisement for students within the program by:

  • assisting and encouraging faculty and graduate students to develop collaborative relationships with other professionals;
  • supporting and assist with developing scholarly writing;
  • promoting the recruitement and support of students from diverse backgrounds.

  
  Promote appropriate professional behavior, ethics, diversity, and respect for self and others by:

  • assisting and supporting graduate students in professional development and research to improve clinical best-practices and foundational professional research;
  • providing student orientation to community/campus support services.

  
  Providing access and opportunity for graduate students in the program by:

  • providing appropriate technologies in order for graduate students to access, gather, organize, and present information related to clinical, educational and professional research.
• Student Learning Outcomes
  • Graduate Degree
    Students completing the Master of Science in Respiratory Therapy will be able to demonstrate the following competencies:
    
    1. Professional writing & program synthesis
    2. Expanded pathophysiology & case medicine
    3. Stacked professional credentials in Respiratory Care
    4. Health administration & ethics
    5. Curriculum development & education
    6. Clinical research & course design
  • Associate Degree (Not Applicable)
     
  • Bachelor Degree (Not Applicable)
     
• Curriculum Grid
  The curriculum grid outlines the particular MSRT courses where content for learning outcomes are housed and discussed as objectives within the program. All courses utilize study questions, case studies, and clinical scenarios in the courses allow for participation in group chats, peer responses, and guided discussions to help meet the objectives of the course. Learning outcomes are followed based on the following:

  	Professional Writing & Program Synthesis	Expanded Pathophysiology & Case Study in Medicine	Stacked Professional Credentials	Health Administration & Ethics	Curriculum Development & Education	Clinical Research & Course Design
  MHA 6000				X
  MSRT 6010	X
  MSRT 6020		X
  MSRT 6030	X				X
  MSRT 6040	X				X
  MSRT 6050	X				X
  MHA 6100				X
  MSRT 6130	X					X
  MSRT 6140	X					X
  MSRT 6150	X					X
  MHA 6240				X
  MSRT 6410			X
  MSRT 6420			X
  MHA 6440				X
  MSRT 6460			X
  MSRT 6470			X
  MSRT 6480			X
  MSRT 6700	X
  MSRT 6800	X

  The curriculum grid above outlines the particular MSRT courses where content for learning outcomes are housed and discussed as objectives within the program. All courses utilize study questions, case studies, and clinical scenarios in the courses allow for participation in group chats, peer responses, and guided discussions to help meet the objectives of the course. Learning outcomes are followed based on the following:

• Program and Contact Information

  Respiratory Therapy can be characterized as a life-support specialty that routinely consults with a multi-disciplinary healthcare team in the assessment, diagnosis, treatment, evaluation, management, and education of patients with lung, heart and kidney dysfunction. They work across the life spectrum interfacing with pre-mature newborns, children, adults, and geriatric populations as a cardiopulmonary specialist with knowledge and skill to treat acute and chronic illnesses while preserving life e.g., CPR, ACLS, neonatal and pediatric resuscitation, intubation, and other livesaving therapeutic procedures. The 91¶ÌÊÓƵ Department of Respiratory Therapy offers an advanced degree at the Master of Science level for bachelor's degree graduates with a "registered respiratory therapist" [RRT] credential wishing to pursue careers as advanced-practitioners (APRT), or "mid-level providers" as pulmonary navigators, critical care specialists, consulatants, and/or clinical educators in hospitals, industry, or in higher education institutions. This is a critical departure from the entry-level practitioner programs (majority AAS/AS degree graduates) currently taught at most US institutions to more adequately address the rising complexity and widening spectrum of patient care required in cardiopulmonary health in this rapidly growing field. Professional associations in the field of respiratory therapy specifies that more graduate degree programs in respiratory care must be developed to meet the need for clinical specialists, researchers, faculty, and professional leaders (EAB, 2016). Additionally, there is growing physician support for advanced-practice providers for patients with cardiopulmonary disease (Strickland, et al, Nov. 2020, and Joyner, 2020). The program emphasizes specialized preparation for advanced-practice beyond the entry-level CRT credential to including the adult critical care specialty [ACCS], neonatal/pediatric specialty [NPS], certified or registered pulmonary function technologist [C/RPFT], sleep disorder specialty [SDS] or Registered Polysomnographic Technologist [RPsgT], and as asthma educators [AE-C], and to increase skill and knowledge required to function as an advanced-practitioner (APRT). This is carried out with programmatic emphasis in health administration, education (as clinical educators and for future faculty), and to direct research forwards "best-practice" opportunities for practitioners in the field of Respiratory Therapy.
  
  References

  • EAB. (2016). Market research brief, Market Demand for a Master's Degree in Respiratory Care: Analysis of National Employer Demand and Competitor Program Structure, The Advisory Board Company.
  • Strickland, S.L., Varekojis, S.M., Goodfellow, L.T., Wilgis, J., Hayashi, S.W., Nolan, L.M., and Burton, G.G. (Nov. 2020). Physician Support for Non-Physician Advanced Practice Providers for Persons With Cardiopulmonary Disease, Respiratory Care, v20, n11, p. 1702-1711.
  • Joyner, R.L., Strickland, S.L., Becker, E.A., Ginier, E., Keene, S., Rye, K., and Haas, C.F. (2020), Adequacy of the Provider Workforce for Persons with Cardiopulmonary Disease, Chest, v157, n5, p. 1055-57. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chest.2019.09.030

  
  The goals of the program are accomplished through predominately on-line courses, independent study, cooperative learning groups, individual and group assignments, and intensive writing projects that emphasize a practical application of theory in the practice of respiratory care. The 36-hour program of study consists of professional core requirements and a guided emphasis in health administration, education courses, and research content. A portion of the core requirement is the completion of a Master's capstone project, a practical application of knowledge and research gained while in the program.
  
  Contact Information
  
  Dr. Paul Eberle, Professor and Graduate Program Director
  Department of Respiratory Therapy
  
  3875 Stadium Way Dept. 3904
  Ogden, UT 84408
  (801) 626-6840

• Assessment Plan
  The MSRT program builds upon the professional knowledge and credential(s) that students acquire during undergraduate enducation. The MSRT program was developed to increase professional knowledge and skills. Additionally, the program is preparing students to assume leadership roles in healthcare facilities and educational programs. Evidence accumulated from each class listed is evaluated to assist the student with developing the necessary competencies and allow for further professional development to include increased responsibility and autonomy in practice.
  
  Goals of the program include successful completion of core courses in medical writing, medical pathophysiology (case study), and medical ethics and law. Students will complete one area of emphasis to include health administration, education, and/or research. Additionally, the student will successfully credential in two advanced-practice specialities prior to graduation. A graduate thesis will be evaluated by a student advisory committee as a capstone project. Students will be encouraged to publish their results in a peer-reviewed journal.
  
  Assessments of the program to the community of interest will include reporting to the graduate faculty, medical advisor, and program advisory board the following data:

  • Admission, attrition, and graduation reports to program advisory board
  • Student course evaluations
  • Number of graduates employed in the Respiratory Therapy field, clinical supervisory positions, or industry researchers/product managers
  • Graduate surveys of student experiences in the program
  • Employer surveys of student skills
  • National certification of specialty exams

  
  A program advisor will be responsible for advising and tracking progess toward degree completion. Expected Standards of Performance and competencies are currently under development by the national accreditation agency, the Commission of Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC). The program faculty is fully engaged in assessing standards and addressing the commission in written feedback of drafts sent out for review. The program participates in and advises the commission on proposed standards and will expect to be in full compliance when accepted by the CoARC Board of Directors. The program will meet or exceed the following benchmarks established by the development of graduate accreditation standards:

  • 70% of graduates employed (Commision for Accreditation for Respiratory Care [CoARC] standard)
  • 80% of students "satisfied" or "very satisfied" on Likert Scale on evalution of program (program graduate evaluation in CoARC accreditation survey)
  • 80% of employers "satisfied" or "very satisfied" on Likert Scale with perception of graduates' skill (program employer survey in CoARC accreditation survey)
• Assessment Report Submissions

• Program Review

  
   

This information is part of the cyclical program review process. Details such as mission statements, learning outcomes, etc., are updated as part of the biennial assessment reporting process, an integral component of program review.