From Vision to Vital Role – The APRT Journey

Summer forum is approaching, and with that comes our annual Jimmy A. Young Memorial Lecture! This year’s subject will revolve around how and where an RT can be educated and trained as an APRT, the purpose of the APRT outcome assessment and the typical responsibilities of an APRT role.

Last year, 42 volunteers participated in the APRT outcomes assessment survey, and their efforts have given the NBRC invaluable data to assess the probability of success for those within an education program who would be ready to perform as an APRT. Tune into this year’s Jimmy A. Young Memorial Lecture at AARC Summer Forum in Bonita Springs, FL to hear expert discussions on the implementation of the new role in clinical environments and establish methodologies for respiratory therapy programs educating candidates for APRT.

This session provides a comprehensive overview of the APRT profession, from identifying a healthcare workforce need, creating educational standards and accreditation pathways, establishing licensure and credentialing mechanisms, to demonstrate the real-world impact of APRTs in patient care.

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN

Accreditation standards and the first APRT program.

• How CoARC developed accreditation standards for advanced practice programs.
• Key highlights from the standards of accreditation.
• Curriculum sharing with other mid-level provider programs.
• Post-graduation careers.
• Key findings from two CHEST publications:

• • Varekojis et al, August 2021 epub, Introducing the advanced practice respiratory therapist, CHEST, e157-e159.
  • Varekojis et al, 2025, Creation of an advanced practice respiratory therapy education program, CHEST, Vol 167, Iss 3, pp. 818-824.

Workforce needs and the expectations of the APRT role.

• Evidence that physicians support non-physician advanced practice providers.
• The process of starting the APRT program.
• Faculty expectations: degrees, medical direction and shared curriculum options.
• History of committee composition and activities.

Developing the APRT Outcome Assessment.

• Assessment features: case scenarios, ethics, pretesting and cut scores.
• Survey development: task list, rating scale and background questions.
• Survey results: respondent backgrounds, task endorsements and assessment design decisions.
• Pilot testing, item revision and cut score methodology.

Experiences of an APRT.

• The classroom, laboratory and clinical experience inside the education program.
• Applying, interviewing and onboarding into a first APRT position.
• Writing, revising and approving assessment items, taking the assessment independently and evaluating pilot results.

Hope to see you there! Check out the daily schedule for AARC Summer Forum.