Student Achievement Assessment Committee

Learning Outcomes:

Graduates from the program will possess the following knowledge and skills:

1. The ability to comprehend that body of technical information defined according to nationally accepted standards as being related to the role and scope of practice for the advanced respiratory care practitioner, and to utilize and apply that knowledge appropriately in the diagnostic evaluation, treatment and management of patients.

2. The ability to perform all of the clinical procedural skills associated with the role and scope of practice of the advanced respiratory care practitioner.

3. The set of personal behaviors expected of the advanced respiratory care professional.

Reference: Committee on Accreditation for Respiratory Care Report (CoARC) for time period ending Dec. 31, 2003).

Annual Report

1. Learning (or Service) Outcomes assessed this year:

{Describe the specific goal or goals of the program’s assessment activity this year—WHAT learning outcome(s) did we measure? No one is obligated to assess all outcomes each year}

All stated learning outcomes are measured each year.

2. Assessment Methods and Procedures:

{Describe the methods and procedures used to gather the assessment information—HOW did we measure the outcomes? What kinds of measures [portfolios, capstone experiences, juries, videos, course-embedded methods, surveys, senior projects, etc.] were used to determine if we achieved the intended outcomes?}

Assessment methods/instruments used for RC:

1. Standardized Examinations: National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC) examinations to include:

A. NBRC Entry Level Exam – Self Assessment Version (Student).
B. NBRC Written Registry Exam – Self Assessment Version (Student).
C. NBRC Clinical Simulation Exam – Self Assessment Version (Student)
D. NBRC Entry Level Exam (Graduate)
E. NBRC Written Registry Exam (Graduate)
F. NBRC Clinical Simulation Exam (Graduate)

3. Survey Data (Outcome and Resource Data) (Surveys standardized by the Committee on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC).

A. Student Program Resource Survey
B. Program Personnel Program Resource Survey
C. Graduate Survey
D. Employer Survey
E. Attrition Survey
F. Enrollment Survey

4. Capstone Course Requirements:

RC 254 requires students to meet “cut scores” as established by the NBRC for 1 A – C above.

Random skills evaluation is also a part of RC 254 as well as all Directed Practice (Clinical) coursework.

Outcomes are measured against set threshold levels for success as determined by CoARC for each evaluation system. Validity and reliability has either already been established or is in process of being established for each evaluation systems. Accreditation is primarily outcome oriented. Resource assessment is also performed.

3. Inferences from Assessments:

{Describe the findings and conclusions resulting from the assessment—WHAT did we find out from the assessments? What inferences can we make, and what conclusions can we draw from our data? Did students/clients/customers learn what we had hoped, or did things turn out differently than we had hoped?}

Summary of Inferences - Strengths:

Assessment indicates that the RC program exceeds all but one threshold level for success as established by the Committee on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC). Attrition continues to be a problem averaging around 30% for a 5 year period. Data continues to be gathered for the year ending Dec. 31, 2004 (Report due date is September, 2005) but we continue to be around 30%. Allied health programs in Ohio also have similar attrition findings. Employers are satisfied with our students. Students are satisfied with our program. Placement is 100% for graduates. The program enjoys strong advisory committee and administrative support. All program faculty are very experienced. There is a low faculty to student ratio. Graduate success on all standardized examinations exceeds the threshold set for the nation. Our assessment plan enables faculty to monitor program effectiveness, identifies weaknesses in a timely manner, improves correction of weaknesses and has strengthened the program as evidenced by student and graduate performance across evaluation instruments. The program has gained the respect of our communities of interest by providing well trained and competent respiratory care professionals. Neonatal & pediatric content and mechanical ventilation content has improved . (Cited previously as a weakness) Several other content areas previously identified as weak have also improved. The program has added basic anti-terrorism skills to RC 105 and improved patient education aspects of the program throughout all principles coursework (RC 120, 121, 221, 222). Curriculum modifications approved for Fall 2005 now require a full year of prerequisites prior to admission. We believe that this change along with an increase in GPA requirements will strengthen the quality of student entering and completing the program.

One of the greatest strengths our program has is our excellent clinical affiliations. Our students participate in clinical experiences at some of the best hospitals/medical centers in the world. (E.g. The Cleveland Clinic and St. Vincent’s Mercy Medical Center (Toledo, Ohio) provides outstanding neonatal and pediatric experiences). BGSU FC now places students in an enormous array of experiences in hospitals, medical centers, home care companies from Toledo to Cleveland and as far south as Fisher Titus Medical Center in Norwalk, Ohio. With two cohorts of students/graduates annually and our extension into Lorain County for providing competent graduates our reputation is growing. We now enjoy tremendous support and respect across a large geographical area. Recruiting efforts have expanded the size of our LCCC cohort having recently admitted a full class of 12.

Medical Direction remains strong with two Pulmonologists: Dr. Anthony Linz, and Dr. Kamal Chaban.

Summary of Inferences - Weaknesses:

Although improvement is noted across several content areas more effort is needed in the following content areas: modifying therapeutic plan, trouble shooting equipment and educating patients. More work is needed to improve retention for the Firelands cohort. More jobs exist than graduates can fill. Increasing class size to capacity is needed. Other minor content weakness is identified by standardized exam reports (individual and group reports). Evaluation instruments that correlate findings for a perceived content weakness are reviewed very carefully. Emphasis from assessment is primarily directed at correcting any identified program weakness. A comprehensive review of program strengths and weaknesses is available in our annual CoARC Report of Current Status. (Due to a change in electronic reporting system to a web based system, reports ordinarily due April 15th are now due Sept. 15). Complete data for the year ending Dec. 31, 2004 will be available in September.

4. Actions Taken/Program Improvements:

{Describe the program changes that have been or are being taken—WHAT actions were taken to improve our program based on what we found out? Should we continue what we have been doing, or should we make changes to the program in order to accomplish the intended outcomes?}

Three RC Principles courses (RC 120, 121, 221) has improved laboratory experiences to strengthen troubleshooting and critical thinking skills. Problem based experiences have been expanded (E.g. Mechanical Ventilation cases are presented and students are ask to make appropriate recommendations and changes to improve ventilator support and patient status. These experiences require extensive analysis and application to solve). Laboratory experiences are also more directed at developing and modifying the therapeutic plan which was a previously identified program weakness. Random skill requirements are also required at mid term and during finals week. These skills are also cumulative and may require students to demonstrate competence of a skill acquired in a previous RC lab.

Three state of the art ventilators have been requested to bolster laboratory experiences so that students can gain competence and confidence in a safe lab setting prior to actual clinical experiences. All perceived (identified) content deficiency is shared with RC faculty for development of action plans to correct the deficiency e.g. More emphasis on modifying the therapeutic plan will occur across the program especially in principles coursework and directed practice coursework and in RC 260 Cases and Reviews in RC. Action plans are referenced to one or more courses as required to correct the deficiency. The proposal to modify the Firelands sequence to require a full year of prerequisites was approved and now in place. Program faculty are confident that changing the sequence will not only improve attrition rates for the Firelands cohort but will also improve the quality of student entering RC prefixed coursework as stated earlier. Aggressive marketing via a number of avenues has led to an increase in applicants. Our LCCC cohort now has a full class for Fall 2005. Program faculty will continue to attend conferences to improve content delivery. Program faculty need to continue to increase our collective presence in the community.

Laboratory facilities are dated and need to be upgraded. A concept proposal was submitted in 1997 and partially addressed. Lighting, countertops, marking boards and access instructional tools indigenous to the classroom lab are needed (e.g. computer projection). This request remains outstanding.

Note: Detailed action plans based on assessment will be available in the program’s annual Report of Current Status that is submitted to CoARC in September, 2005. This committee reports to the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). Reports are submitted by September 15th for the calendar year ending Dec. 31, 2004.