Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care
What Every New DCE
Needs to Know
Kathy J. Rye, EdD, RRT, FAARC
CoARC Commissioner
RyeKathyJ@uams.edu
Objectives
This presentation will cover issues relevant to the
position of Director of Clinical Education (DCE)
with an emphasis on meeting accreditation
requirements.
 Job Responsibilities;
 Management & Administration;
 Continuous Review & Analysis;
 Planning & Development;
 Questions & Answers.
www.coarc.com
www.coarc.com
Job Description
 Provide clinical direction of program fulfilling the
requirements for accreditation.
 Assist with program planning & curriculum
development.
 Provide didactic, laboratory, &/or clinical instruction.
 Develop cognitive, psychomotor, & behavioral
objectives for clinical practice performance.
 Communicate expectations to students / clinical
instructors about the clinical component of program.
www.coarc.com
Job Description
 Evaluate student performance.
 Develop / support program policies and procedures.
 Accept committee assignments.
 Assist with recruitment of qualified students/faculty.
 Serve as an academic advisor for students.
 Act as a professional role model.
 Maintain your own expertise and competency through
continuing education.
www.coarc.com
www.coarc.com
Familiarize Yourself With the Standards
 Definitions – the use of a definitions list
provides clarification of key terms.
 Evidence of Compliance- Below each Standard
to clarify the requirements for compliance with
each Standard.
www.coarc.com
Purpose of Standards
 Outlines the minimum requirements to which
an accredited respiratory care program is
accountable.
 Used for the development, evaluation, and selfanalysis of respiratory care programs.
www.coarc.com
Evidence of Compliance
 Facilitates the program’s response to progress
reports and accreditation actions by CoARC,
development of self-study reports, and site visit
preparation / review.
 Each item of evidence represents the minimal
information necessary to determine compliance.
 Each item must be addressed.
 Additional information that the program believes
supports compliance may also be provided.
www.coarc.com
Standard II – Institutional and Personnel
Resources
 Institutional Resources
 Personnel Resources
 Key Program Personnel
 Program Director
 Director of Clinical Education
 Medical Director
 Instructional Faculty
 Administrative and Support Staff
www.coarc.com
Standard II – Institutional and Personnel
Resources
 2.09 The DCE must be responsible for
organization, administration, continuous
review, planning, development, and general
effectiveness of clinical experiences for
students enrolled in the respiratory care
program.
 Teaching & administrative workload schedule;
 Institutional job description.
www.coarc.com
Standard II – Institutional and Personnel
Resources
 2.10 The DCE must hold a valid RRT credential
and hold such professional license or certificate
as is required by the state in which he or she is
employed.
 State license and RRT verification by the NBRC.
www.coarc.com
Standard II – Institutional and Personnel
Resources
 2.11 The DCE must have earned a least a
baccalaureate degree from an academic
institution accredited by a regional or national
accrediting agency that is recognized by the
USDE.
 Academic transcript denoting the degree earned.
www.coarc.com
Standard II – Institutional and Personnel
Resources
 2.12 The DCE must have a minimum of 4 years
of experience as a RRT; of which at least 2 years
must include clinical respiratory care. The DCE
must have a minimum of 2 years experience
teaching in an accredited RC program either as
an appointed faculty member or as a clinical
preceptor.
 Personnel records, including a curriculum vitae.
www.coarc.com
Standard II – Institutional and Personnel
Resources
 2.13 The DCE must have regular and consistent
contact with students, faculty, and clinical
affiliates regardless of program location.
 Results of student course evaluations.
www.coarc.com
Standard II – Institutional and Personnel
Resources
 2.15 …there must be sufficient faculty to provide
effective instruction in the didactic, laboratory,
and clinical setting. In clinical rotations, the
student to faculty ratio cannot exceed 6 : 1.
 Results of annual program resource assessment
as documented in the CoARC RAM;
 Institutional student surveys of instruction (e.g.,
course evaluation).
 Course class lists and faculty teaching schedules.
www.coarc.com
Standard III – Program Goals, Outcomes,
and Assessment
 Statement of Program Goals
 Assessment of Program Goals
 Assessment of Program Resources
 Student Evaluation
 Assessment of Program Outcomes
 Reporting Program Outcomes
 Clinical Site Evaluation
www.coarc.com
Standard III – Program Goals, Outcomes,
and Assessment
 3.11 The program must develop processes that
facilitate the development of inter-rater
reliability among those individuals who
perform student clinical evaluations.
 Records of training participation by clinical
evaluators;
 Results of a review of student evaluations for the
purpose of determining inter-rater reliability.
www.coarc.com
Standard III – Program Goals, Outcomes,
and Assessment
 3.16 The program must define and maintain consistent
processes for the initial and ongoing evaluation of all
sites and preceptors used for students’ clinical
practice experiences. The program must apply
comparable evaluation processes to all clinical sites
regardless of geographic location.
 Program evaluation plan with results for all clinical sites and
preceptors;
 Student evaluation of all clinical courses, sites and preceptors;
 Student and program personnel resource assessment surveys.
www.coarc.com
Standard IV– Curriculum
 Minimum Course Content
 Minimum Competencies
 Length of Study
 Equivalency
 Clinical Practice
www.coarc.com
Standard IV– Curriculum
Minimum Competencies
 4.09 Problem solving strategies in the patient
care setting.
 Develop clinical course mechanism to evaluate the
student’s ability to apply knowledge, perform
appropriate patient care, solve problems, and
demonstrate appropriate behavior.
www.coarc.com
Standard IV– Curriculum
Equivalency
 4.11 The program must ensure that…. learning
experiences (didactic, laboratory, and clinical),
and access to learning materials are substantially
equivalent for each student regardless of
location.
 Sufficient breadth and depth of clinical exposure
to ensure achievement of clinical competencies.
www.coarc.com
Standard IV– Curriculum
Clinical Practice
 4.12 The program must document that clinical
education experiences at each clinical site are of
sufficient quality and duration to enable students
to meet program goals and acquire the
competencies needed for clinical practice.
www.coarc.com
Standard IV– Curriculum
4.12 Clinical Practice (Evidence of Compliance)
 Clinical evaluation mechanisms that document the




progressive independence of the student in the clinical
setting;
Clinical syllabi detailing student competencies;
CoARC graduate and employer surveys;
Program evaluation plan and results for all clinical sites and
preceptors;
Results of student clinical course, site, and preceptor
evaluations;
www.coarc.com
Standard V– Fair Practices and
Recordkeeping
 Disclosure
 Non-discriminatory Practice
 Safeguards
 Academic Guidance
 Student Identification
 Student Records
 Program Records
www.coarc.com
Standard V– Fair Practices and
Recordkeeping
 5.09 Non-discriminatory Practice
 Students must NOT secure their own clinical
sites and preceptors.
 Keep detailed clinical schedules.
www.coarc.com
Standard V– Fair Practices and
Recordkeeping
 5.11, 5.12, 5.13 Safeguards
 Develop clinical policies with regard to the
health and safety of patients, students, & clinical
faculty / preceptors.
 Ensure that students not used for clinical,
instructional or administrative staff.
 Ensure that no clinical coursework completed
while an employee at a clinical site
www.coarc.com
Standard V– Fair Practices and
Recordkeeping
 5.15 Academic Guidance
 Clinical policies & procedures for students.
 Documented HIPAA training.
 5.17 Student Identification
 Policies governing clear identification in all clinical
settings (wearing badges, personal interaction, and
introduction).
www.coarc.com
Standard V– Fair Practices and
Recordkeeping
 Student Records & Program Records
 Maintain all records of clinical advisement,
counseling and evaluation;
 Maintain records of any clinical remediation
and/or disciplinary action.
 Maintain clinical syllabi, clinical affiliation
agreements, and clinical schedules.
 Must maintain records on file for 5 years
(electronic or hard copy).
www.coarc.com
www.coarc.com
What they shared with me:
“The first thing a new DCE needs is a mentor, followed
by a box of Kleenex and a big stick (for postural
support of course)!”
www.coarc.com
A new DCE’s advice:
“Buckle your seat belt and keep your arms inside the
yellow lines at all times. Get organized. You won’t
survive if you don’t.”
“Don’t reinvent the wheel, use a program like DataARC
or develop your own. You don’t have to drown in paper
work. But, you are going swimming.”
www.coarc.com
Additional responsibilities – what a
shocking realization…..
“Patients first then everything else
(profession, students, school, department,
hospital, etc..) but I didn’t realize I was
about to become an educator for my affiliate
preceptors. ”
www.coarc.com
Additional responsibilities – what a
shocking realization…..
 “I guess I was naïve – thinking that all
preceptors are created equal and that all RTs
are capable of effective communication.”
 “I discovered preceptors’ needs are really the
same as students. They need feedback,
reassurance, instructions, help and
understanding.”
www.coarc.com
Additional responsibilities – what a
shocking realization…..
 “The responsibility of maintaining a team of
educators at over 10-15 active clinical sites at
a time is a challenge I didn’t expect.”
 “I think I was naïve – how hard could
managing some contracts, laying down a
few rules, documenting and making a
schedule really be?”
www.coarc.com
Additional responsibilities – what a
shocking realization…..
 “Document everything
just as you did when
you were in the
hospital…”
 “Follow your policy and
procedures to the
letter….”
 “DocumentDocumentDocument.”
www.coarc.com
Review and analysis suggestions…..
“This is a confusing nightmare without some
kind of organization.”
 “Eliminate mundane number crunching and
focus on preceptor training, student
preparation, retooling clinical assignments,
etc.”
 “Pay attention to the surveys and talk to
employers.”
www.coarc.com
Planning and development suggestions…..
“Develop a culture…..Allow everyone affected
by your program to be/feel invested.”
 “Set the example.”
 “Set a high standard and don’t keep it a secret.”
 “Hold people accountable to that standard.”
 “Outline clear expectations.”
 “Give and ask for feedback to/from all involved
parties.”
www.coarc.com
I should have asked for…..
 “….a detailed job description – the real one.”
 “more money”
 “complimentary mental health services”
 “IV infusion of caffeine”
 “personal barista”
 “secretary”
 “bigger office”
 “unlimited supply of tissues”
 “massage therapist”
www.coarc.com
I should have asked…..
What is the community support
for this program?
How many other educational
programs are competing for the
same clinical slots?
www.coarc.com
The BEST thing about being a DCE….
“Giving back to the profession that has given
so much to me and ensuring that it will
continue.”
“Knowing in some small way I helped to
change a person’s life and that they will have
the potential to change so many others.”
www.coarc.com
The WORST thing about being a DCE….
“Whining!!!!! Please somebody make a
vaccine for whining!!!!!!”
www.coarc.com
In Conclusion
 Know the Standards!
 Get Organized!
 Document! Document! Document!
 You are not alone!
 “Your clinical program is as delicate as an
orchid and just as beautiful if you nurture it
right.”
www.coarc.com
www.coarc.com
CoARC Executive Office
Questions and Answers
1248 Harwood Road
Bedford, TX 76021
(817) 283-2835 ext 101
tom@coarc.com
ryekathyj@uams.edu
www.coarc.com