Early Career Respiratory Therapist Perceptions of Their Readiness to Work Independently After Completing Clinical Simulation Practices in a Respiratory Care Program
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Authors
Brown, Dan
Issue Date
2025-10
Type
Dissertation
Language
en
Keywords
Transition to workforce , Early-career , Respiratory therapist
Alternative Title
Abstract
Early-career respiratory therapists face significant challenges when transitioning from an academic setting to professional practice, particularly regarding their perceived readiness to work independently within interdisciplinary healthcare teams. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine the experiences and perspectives of early-career respiratory therapists regarding their transition from an academic setting to the early years of practice, as reflected in written and clinical simulation examinations. The theoretical framework that guided the study was Miller’s information processing theory. Convenience sampling was used to recruit 11 early-career respiratory therapists who transitioned into clinical practice within the last three years. Data collection combined the use of a criterion questionnaire, semi-structured interviews, and an interview guide. The research questions included: (a) What are early-career respiratory therapists' perspectives regarding their skills in working with interdisciplinary preparedness to transition into the workforce after completing the clinical simulation examinations? (b) What do early career respiratory therapists perceive as factors of the simulation practices that facilitated or interfered with preparedness to work independently when entering the workforce, particularly within interdisciplinary teams? (c) What are early-career respiratory therapists' perspectives regarding preparedness to approach the credentialing examinations? A reflexive thematic analysis method was used to analyze the data. The results demonstrated that clinical simulation practices are crucial for training early-career respiratory therapists to work effectively in teams. However, there are still areas that need improvement to better prepare graduates for professional practice. Based on the findings, a more systematic approach is needed when training respiratory therapists for clinical practice, as technical skills alone are insufficient; interpersonal and emotional skills are also needed.