Standardizing the Development Approach for Respiratory Therapy Residency Programs

Background: Over the past decade there has been increasing interest in development of a residency program (RP) for new respiratory therapists (RTs). These specialized training programs for new RT graduates have been prevalent in children’s hospitals due to the limited exposure to neonatal and pediatric populations during RT school or in general. Nurse RPs have shown potential to improve retention rates, staff well-being, and patient outcomes.1 The observed success with these programs has gained the attention of hospital RT departments as a viable option to support new graduates and experienced RTs. The National Respiratory Therapy Residency Collaborative (NRTC) emerged comprised of respiratory hospital educators and leaders. The NRTC’s mission is to connect RT departments nationally to develop a standardized approach in sustainable RT RPs. Currently no formal guidelines are in place and standardized approaches do not currently exist nationally for RT RPs. Recommendations on the standardization of RT RPs help support the success of established and future programs. Methods: A modified Delphi study took place in a three-stage consensus-building approach: (1) identified a list of RP processes required based on literature review, participant surveys, and study team’s experience; (2) a two-round exercise with a panel of experts to establish consensus on the order of these processes; and (3) a small consensus group meeting to finalize the process map. Results: Monthly meetings to conduct literature review, surveys, sharing of expertise, and panel discussions led to the identification of common themes and processes among RT RPs. A stepwise approach and process map was developed (Fig. 1). Each key step was broken down into detailed components to guide execution. Conclusions: We provide the first process map that could be leveraged to provide a baseline of support to help guide RT departments when considering or developing RPs. This process was developed from a collaborative group of novice and experienced RT RP leaders.