| Due to increasing demand for program accountability, program outcomes have become important for quality assessment in higher education. This is a critical issue for Respiratory Care Education (RCE) programs; therefore, RCE programs must assure their constituents that programs have the resources necessary to provide quality preparation for program graduates. This study investigated the following research questions as they relate to the organizational effectiveness of RCE programs: (1) What are the characteristics of BS degree RCE programs in terms of students, program structure, resources, and program outcome? (2) What is the relationship between respiratory therapy program resources and graduate performance on the WRRTE administered by the NBRC? (3) To what extent can the components of program resources predict program performance on the WRRTE?;Utilizing a mailed survey, the response rate was 70.5 percent. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlations, and multiple regression analyses were used for data analysis. As for research question 1, this study revealed that RCE program characteristics vary in terms of student component, program structure, resources and outcomes. For research question 2, Pearson correlation did not show any relationships between clinical resources and the WRRTE score, but it indicated that financial and personnel resources had a statistically significant positive relationship with program performance on the WRRTE. Regarding research question 3, multiple regression analysis identified that financial resource to student ratio was the only predictor of program success on the WRRTE. In the regression model, financial resource spent per student accounted for 40 percent of the variation in program performance on the WRRTE.;In conclusion, this study indicated that a relationship existed between program resources and program performance on the WRRTE. By the application of the findings of this study, increases in organizational effectiveness of RCE programs will be observable as storage of energy and organizational growth. Then, the outcome of RCE programs will be students who have acquired the appropriate skills and knowledge that will enable them to contribute to members of the health care profession. |
