Attributes of Socio-Academic Culture in Successful Entry-to-Practice Respiratory Therapy Programs

Area of Science:

• Health Professions Education
• Respiratory Therapy
• Socio-Academic Culture

Background:

• Defined competencies for respiratory therapy (RT) graduates exist.
• Nonacademic factors, such as academic culture, impact student success in health professions.
• Limited research exists on the socio-academic culture of health professions programs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify attributes of socio-academic culture in successful entry-to-practice respiratory therapy programs.
• To understand faculty perceptions of these attributes.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative, multiple-site, case-based inquiry of 6 successful RT programs.
• Data collection via public sources and semi-structured interviews with faculty.
• Inductive analysis of interview transcripts to identify themes.

Main Results:

• Identified 19 characteristics and 8 themes of socio-academic culture.
• Successful programs build community, create supportive environments, and establish expectations of excellence.
• Other key themes include cultivating professionalism, ensuring meaningful clinical experiences, emphasizing reflection, promoting critical thinking, and pursuing continuous improvement.

Conclusions:

• The identified themes define the learning culture in successful RT programs.
• Socio-academic culture attributes align with essential professional competencies for RTs.
• These attributes support the development of desired professional characteristics in entry-level respiratory therapists.