Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care Resources to Assist Students in Preparing for Credentialing Success Monday, November 12, 2012 Bradley A. Leidich, MSEd, RRT, FAARC

Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care Resources to Assist Programs in Improving Pass Rates on the NBRC Credentialing Exams Monday, November 12, 2012 Bradley A. Leidich, MSEd, RRT, FAARC

Is your program struggling with pass rates on credentialing exams? Are you insistent that your curriculum adequately prepares students for the rigors and critical thinking that come with a credentialing exam? Do you have a growing repeater pool?

This presentation will identify and compare resources available during and after program completion for improving success on credentialing examinations.

Credentialing Success I am going to focus on CRT credentialing success since this is what accreditation actions are based on. However, your program is an advanced level program with a goal of producing a competent RRT, therefore, if you are having CRT credentialing success issues, RRT credentialing success is probably an issue that also needs to be addressed.

What is (CRT) Credentialing Success Percentage of graduates earning the NBRCs CRT credential compared to the number of graduates for that cohort 80% of total number of graduates obtaining NBRC CRT credential (3-year average) Calculation: Number of graduates earning the CRT credential (numerator) ÷ Number of graduates (denominator)

What Causes Low Credentialing Success? Low participation on the NBRC examination Low participation may be a result of poor performance by prior graduates This typically only effects RRT credentialing success since most states require the CRT to practice. Less of an issue with state licensure/legal credentialing

What Causes Low Credentialing Success? Poor graduate results on the exam Major focus of presentation Do graduate and employer surveys provide any information that may be helpful? Does your RAM provide any information that may be helpful?

NBRC School Score Report Your NBRC CRT and WRRT School Score Reports: What Are They and How Do I Interpret Them? April 27, 2012 Bradley A. Leidich, MSEd, RRT, FAARC

NBRC School Score Report Webinar Objectives: Describe the purpose of the NBRC School Score Reports and how they differ from other NBRC reports (e.g., Annual School Summary); Interpret the results of the school score reports for use in revising curriculum to improve exam scores; Interpret the results in order to complete required CoARC Standardized Progress Reports for credentialing success.

School Score Report

Repeaters What are you doing to assist repeaters? Tutoring (faculty, graduates, advisory committee) Professional review courses Periodically offered prior to graduation In-service sessions Computer assisted instruction

Curriculum Review Do you have: Sufficient didactic hours with in-depth curriculum? Sufficient lab hours to prepare students to transition into the clinical phase of the program? Sufficient clinical hours to develop critical thinking skills?

Resolving Deficiencies Have faculty sit for the NBRC exams to see firsthand what is expected Meaningful analysis and action plan (RCS) to resolve deficiencies Frequently poor with lack of depth Programs with 100% credentialing success with poor first time pass rates and poor results on the NBRC School Score Report

Resolving Deficiencies Include the secure NBRC CRT, WRRT, and CSE as part of your summative evaluation prior to graduation Require passing exams to successfully complete the program and graduate Get your advisory committee involved

Menu for Success Cohort of qualified applicants Selective/competitive admission versus an open door policy Is your admission criteria reasonable? Size of your applicant pool Large applicant pool frequently weeds out less qualified applicants

Menu for Success Qualified faculty Well defined curriculum (didactic, lab, and clinical) Well defined outcomes/expectations

Menu for Success Perform a detailed analysis and action plan following exam results Increasing repeater pool is indication that you havent resolved your issues Consider that maybe your curriculum isnt up to par or faculty arent teaching to your expectations

Menu for Success Have an open mind…

Assessment Required by regional accreditation Curricular assessment Program assessment

Senior Professor Emeritus Harrisburg Area Community College Harrisburg, PA

Thank you!