Date

7-31-2023

Department

School of Education

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Education (PhD)

Chair

Treg Hopkins

Keywords

Respiratory Therapy, Education, Recruitment, Self-efficacy, Persistence

Disciplines

Education | Medicine and Health Sciences

Abstract

A recent trend in health care education, especially in respiratory therapy (RT), is the decline of applications to undergraduate programs. With the aging population and projected increase in health care costs, the future RT workforce will need to be strong and increase by 23% in the next 10 years. With applications to RT programs down 42%, recruitment has become an issue of utmost importance. The purpose of this research is to determine the relationship between first time Therapist Multiple Choice (TMC) exam high cut and Clinical Simulation Exam (CSE) pass rates of recent respiratory therapy graduates from an Ohio university and their self-efficacy and persistence. Additionally, this study seeks to identify current recruitment strategies in higher education, health science and RT education and develop a framework for future recruitment to the field. Results show that with 85% accuracy, high levels of persistence will predict credentialing exam success on the first attempt. There is a statistically significant positive predictive relationship between level of persistence and TMC high cut and CSE first time pass rates (p=0.17). Current strategies noted were exploration courses, involvement fairs, reputation, and personal faculty representation. A future RT framework should include positive experiences with faculty and alumni and digital platforms and courses highlighting RT program achievements.

Download

Share

COinS