Four faculty members from Boise State’s Department of Respiratory Care presented at the American Association for Respiratory Care Summer Forum in Fort Lauderdale, Florida in July 2023.
The American Association for Respiratory Care Summer Forum is one the largest gatherings that the association hosts each year where practitioners, educators, vendors and staff of the respiratory care field gather to share knowledge, ideas and network.
TJ Wing, associate professor and director of the Online Degree Advancement in Respiratory Care program, kicked off the conference with his session “Lions, Tigers, and Adjuncts, Oh My!” Wing’s talk focused on respiratory care programs which are increasingly reliant upon adjunct faculty as lower enrollments and decreasing state-appropriated funding make hiring full-time faculty difficult. This presentation discussed strategies for how to bridge this gap while at the same time growing the next generation of educators.
Megan Koster, department chair and director of the Master of Science in Respiratory Care, filled out the first day with an afternoon session titled, “Ditch the Points: Reimagining Assessment to Address Learner Growth” where she questioned the importance of assigning point values and instead emphasizing individual growth toward demonstration of skill mastery.
Koster wrapped up the conference as part of a panel on achieving Apex recognition. The American Association for Respiratory Care Apex Recognition Award is designation for respiratory care programs that exemplifies best practices in the professional education of respiratory therapists and demonstrates that the organization enhances the quality of care and elevates the respiratory therapy profession. Boise State’s Master of Science in Respiratory Care has been given the Apex award two years in a row.
Kristen McHenry, assistant professor in the Online Degree Advancement in Respiratory Care Program, and Joseph P. Coyle, clinical professor for the Master of Science in Respiratory Care, co-presented a spotlight on accreditation with their talk “Value of Degree Advancement Accreditation.” They discussed how accreditation benefits programs offering degree advancement options and the outcome value of these types of programs to both practicing Respiratory Therapists and employers.
Coyle also presented as part of a panel discussion on “Preparing for Your CoARC Site Visit: Tips and Pointers” highlighting the importance of ensuring compliance with CoARC standards and guidelines. The panel provided suggestions to address frequently cited problems that departments face during a site visit.