Commission on Accreditation for
Respiratory Care
Update on Post-Professional Education
(Degree Completion and Advanced
Practice Respiratory Therapist (APRT)
Kathy Rye, EdD, RRT, FAARC
President
Presentation Overview
 The presenter will:
 Describe CoARC activities regarding development of
standards for Degree Completion Programs and
Advanced Practice for Respiratory Therapists (APRTs);
 Describe advantages for seeking voluntary accreditation
for APRT and Degree Completion Programs;
 Discuss the implications of advanced practice on national
credentialing and state licensure.
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CoARC Post-Professional Education
Committee Update
 The Committee charges are:
 Develop Accreditation Standards for degree completion (DC)
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and Advanced Practice Respiratory Therapist (APRT )programs;
Develop and maintain post-professional competencies for DC
and APRT programs;
Review DC and APRT program Standards at least every five
years and recommend revisions, if any, to the Commission;
Review/evaluate/advise Commission on developments
regarding DC and APRT programs;
Work with Accreditation Policies/Standards/Bylaws Committee
to develop and review accreditation policy and processes for DC
and APRT programs.
www.coarc.com
CoARC-NBRC-AARC
APRT Workgroup Update
 Workgroup addressing the following:
 Interest in developing APRT programs;
 Revisions to draft CoARC APRT Standards;
 Meeting with other key stakeholders;
 Credentialing examination/certification of competency
issues;
 Reimbursement issues:

Who will pay?
 Licensure issues:
 Respiratory Care/Medical Practice Act modification
 Physician support
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Proposed Definition of an APRT
 Advanced practice respiratory therapists (APRTs)
function as mid-level providers, who assess
patients, develop care plans, order and provide
care and evaluate and modify care based on the
patient's needs and response to therapy. The
APRT will provide and direct care under the
guidance of a supervising physician, often
directed by clinical protocols.
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Proposed Roles of an APRT
 Serve as a physician extender in both pulmonary medicine and
critical care;
 Provide access to cost effective, quality care by:
 Facilitating implementation of clinical respiratory treatment protocols
 Facilitating management and weaning of patients from mechanical
ventilation
 Improving timeliness, coverage and efficiency of respiratory patient
care
 Reducing length of stay and hospital readmission
 Ensure delivery of best practice of respiratory care which will:
 Improve patient clinical outcomes
 Improve patient safety
 Optimize allocation of respiratory care
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Proposed Description of an APRT
 APRTs are formally trained to provide diagnostic, therapeutic,
critical care and preventive care services, as delegated by a
physician.
 APRTs work in multiple settings across the health care
spectrum including acute (ED or urgent care) and critical care,
sub-acute, preventative care, and chronic care and
ambulatory care.
 Working as members of the health care team, they take
medical histories, examine and treat patients, order and
interpret laboratory tests and imaging studies, order
respiratory care diagnostics and provide acute, critical and
chronic care to patients.
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Eligibility
 Programs with a strong focus on advanced clinical education
are eligible for accreditation.
 Sponsors must apply for program accreditation as outlined in
CoARC’s Accreditation Policies and Procedures Manual;
 All APRT students must be graduates of a CoARC-accredited
Entry into Respiratory Care Professional Practice degree
program and hold the Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT)
credential prior to entry into the program. All APRT students
must be geographically located within the United States for
their education.
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Purpose of Standards
 Outlines the minimum requirements to which an
accredited program is accountable.
 Used for the development, evaluation, and selfanalysis of programs.
 Provides the basis on which the CoARC confers
or denies program accreditation.
www.coarc.com
Standard A – Program Administration
and Sponsorship
 Institutional Accreditation
 Consortium
 Sponsor Responsibilities
 Substantive Changes
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Standard B – Institutional and Personnel
Resources
 Institutional Resources
 Key Program Personnel
 Program Director
 Director of Clinical Education
 Medical Director
 Instructional Faculty
 Administrative and Support Staff
 Assessment of Program Resources
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Standard C – Program Goals,
Outcomes, and Assessment
 Statement of Program Goals
 Advisory Committee
 Student Learning Outcomes
 Student Evaluation
 Inter-Rater Reliability
 Assessment of Program Outcomes
 Reporting Program Outcomes
 Clinical Site Evaluation
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Standard D – Curriculum
 Minimum Course Content
 Curriculum Review & Revision to Meet Goals
 APRT Core Competencies
 APRT Professional Practice Competencies
 Length of Study
 Equivalency
 Advanced Clinical Practice
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Competency Domains for the APRT
 Patient Assessment
 Perform history and physical
 Order and evaluate laboratory testing (includes cardiopulmonary testing)
 Order and evaluate imaging studies
 Develop and carry out patient management plans (care plans)
 Treat patients in the acute care setting (pneumonia, respiratory failure)
 Treat patients in the ambulatory care setting (asthma, COPD)
 Provide chronic disease management (cystic fibrosis, asthma, CHF,
COPD)
 Perform specific tasks and procedures (lines, airway, tests, consults)
 Professional characteristics
 Professionalism
 Communication skills
 Inter-professional practice
 Practice management (calls, billing, office functions)
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Standard E– Fair Practices and
Recordkeeping
 Disclosure
 Public Information on Program Outcomes
 Non-discriminatory Practice
 Safeguards
 Academic Guidance
 Student and Program Records
www.coarc.com
2015 APRT Standards Timeline
 Following March 2014 CoARC Board meeting:
 Disseminated a call for comment (with June 10, 2014 deadline) to
all communities of interest and outline the procedure for those
wishing to provide input on the second draft of the Standards;
 Reviewed the data collected from all evaluation sources;
 Revised Standards, Evidence of Compliance, and Interpretive
Guidelines (incorporated into document);
 Recommended revisions to the second draft will be reviewed by
Full Board at July 2014 meeting;
 Anticipate third draft release for public comment after July
2014;
 Anticipate final draft approval of APRT Standards by mid 2015.
www.coarc.com
Definition of Degree Completion
 A degree completion program is an educational program
designed specifically to meet the needs of the practicing
respiratory therapist with an RRT who, having already
completed an accredited respiratory care program with an
earned entry into respiratory care professional practice
degree is returning to school to obtain a higher degree.
 The Degree Completion Standards are designed to
recognize the competencies and value-added above and
beyond the entry into respiratory care professional
practice degree.
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Degree Completion vs Entry Into Profession
 Degree completion programs are different from entry into
respiratory care professional practice programs in
purpose, design and content.
 Entry into Professional Practice programs prepare
individuals with no respiratory care professional
background or experience with the competencies needed
to enter the profession, whereas degree completion
programs expand the depth and breadth of the applied,
experiential, and propositional knowledge and skills
beyond that of an RRT entering the profession.
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Degree Completion Program Development
 Development of an effective degree completion program
depends on a thorough assessment of those education
experiences typically offered at the entry into respiratory
care professional practice degree level.
 Degree completion programs include new and advanced,
in-depth educational experiences designed to enhance the
respiratory therapist's professional practice.
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Degree Completion Program Eligibility
 Entry into respiratory care professional practice degree
programs offering advanced standing to individuals who
already have an ASRT or BSRT can apply for optional
accreditation of their degree completion program.
 Sponsoring institutions offering a free-standing degree
completion program can also seek accreditation review.
 All degree completion students must be graduates of a
CoARC-accredited entry into respiratory care professional
practice degree program and hold the RRT credential prior
to entry into the program.
www.coarc.com
Standard 1 – Program Administration
and Sponsorship
 Institutional Accreditation
 Consortium
 Sponsor Responsibilities
 Substantive Changes
www.coarc.com
Standard 2 – Institutional and Personnel
Resources
 Institutional Resources
 Key Program Personnel
 Program Director
 Director of Clinical Education*
 Medical Advisor
 Instructional Faculty
 Administrative Support Staff
 Assessment of Program Resources
www.coarc.com
Standard 3 – Program Goals,
Outcomes, and Assessment
 Statement of Program Goals
 Advisory Committee
 Student Learning Outcomes
 Assessment of Program Goals
 Student Evaluation
 Inter-Rater Reliability
 Assessment of Program Outcomes
 Reporting Program Outcomes
 Clinical Site Evaluation
Standard 4 – Curriculum
 Curriculum Consistent with Program Goals
 Curriculum Review & Revision to Meet Goals
 Core Competencies
 Continued Professional Practice
Competencies
 Length of Study
 Equivalency
 Clinical Practice
www.coarc.com
Standard 5– Fair Practices and
Recordkeeping
 Disclosure
 Public Information on Program Outcomes
 Non-discriminatory Practice
 Safeguards
 Academic Guidance
 Student and Program Records
www.coarc.com
2015 DA Standards Timeline
 Following March 2014 CoARC Board meeting:
 Disseminated a call for comment (with June 1, 2014 deadline) to
all communities of interest and outline the procedure for those
wishing to provide input on the first draft of the Standards;
 Revised Standards, Evidence of Compliance, and Interpretive
Guidelines (incorporated into document);
 Recommended revisions to the first draft will be reviewed by Full
Board at July 2014 meeting;
 Anticipate second draft release for public comment after July
2014;
 Anticipate final draft approval of Standards by mid 2015;
 Anticipate accepting applications by mid 2015.
Questions and Answers
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