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Evaluating the Work Experience of Respiratory Therapy Practitioners for the NBRC NBRC RRT

Author(s):
Nettles, Steven S.
Publication Year:
1984
Report Number:
RR-84-02
Source:
ETS Research Report
Document Type:
Report
Page Count:
75
Subject/Key Words:
National Board of Respiratory Care, Biographical Inventories, Job Analysis, Occupational Tests, Physical Therapists, Work Experience Inventory

Abstract

The purpose of this study was twofold: (1) to develop a standardized self-report instrument that would allow respiratory therapy practitioners applying for registration by the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC) to describe their relevant work experience in a manner useful to the NBRC, and (2) to determine if this information was accurate. With the help of an NBRC advisory committee, ETS staff developed an instrument for objectively quantifying the work experience of respiratory therapy practitioners. The instrument, a Work Experience Inventory, provided data on many job characteristics, including level of responsibility on the job, exposure to different work situations, to different job tasks, and to a variety of respiratory knowledges, skills, and abilities. To determine if the instrument was sensitive to differences between Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) and nonRegistered Respiratory Therapist (nonRRT) practitioners, two geographically representative random samples (N = 84 and N = 54, respectively) from the above two populations of practitioners were asked to complete the inventory. Because of the encouraging results of this demonstration project, project staff recommend that the NBRC use the instrument in a pilot study with substantially larger samples of registry applicants, to determine definitively the feasibility of integrating the Work Experience Inventory into the NBRC credentialing program. (75pp.)

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