About NRTC (National Respiratory Training Center)
The National Respiratory Training Center (NRTC) is an independent, 501(c)3 nonprofit educational organization. Our mission is to improve the health of patients with respiratory and allergic disease. We fulfill our mission through education of the health professionals who care for these patients.
Founded in the United Kingdom in 1986, the NRTC has trained more than 40,000 health professionals from over 45 countries around the world. In 2002, the organization established national headquarters in the USA offering accredited training programs and educational resources to health professionals throughout the United States.
In the United Kingdom, the NRTC is now known as Education for Health. Education for Health is a nonprofit organization that fosters a consistent, comprehensive, and innovative approach to professional health training across the fields of cardiovascular disease and respiratory health. This umbrella organization was formed in 2005 to broaden its educational focus to additional areas of chronic disease management.
Our Vision
The NRTC's vision is the development of a healthcare team in which allied health professionals have the skills and confidence to support the day-to-day management of patients with chronic illness, including asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).
In this scenario, everone wins:
- Patients develop improved self-management skills and increased satisfaction with care.
- Allied health professionals assume additional responsibility for the management of chronic illness, increasing competence and job satisfaction.
- Physicians can depend on skilled team members to support delivery of best care.
Who We Serve
The NRTC provides accredited continuing medical education for: nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, registered respiratory therapists, and case managers. Often pharmacists and physicians do our program too.
Our Team
Monica Fletcher, MSc, is Chief Executive of the NRTC worldwide and US Board Chair. Judith Taylor-Fishwick, MSc, Director, directs business development and operations in the United States and leads the development of the NRTC’s training programs and resources. Judith is supported by our course leaders who provide clinical expertise for program development within each training topic and a multidisciplinary review committee that critiques our curricula.
The NRTC team includes our staff based in Virginia, our 9-member Board of Directors, and our network of trainers and educational consultants across the country.
Our Trainers
With over 120 trainers internationally, the NRTC is building a network of trainers across the United States.
Our trainers are active licensed clinicians in respiratory care with intensive preparation in their fields. Graduates of NRTC courses, they are selected to train because they are leaders who enjoy sharing their knowledge and experience with other clinicians.
Trainers have a responsibility to stay abreast of advancements in respiratory care. To ensure ongoing development, the NRTC hosts quarterly teleconferences to reinforce the evidence base of the NRTC’s courses and workshops, discuss clinical updates, and review training techniques.
Our Philosophy
Our training is designed to produce change in practice and empower all members of the healthcare team. The NRTC develops curricula that integrate hands-on practice with interactive discussion in small-group settings. Training reinforces national/international guidelines and best practice to promote consistency of care across the health care team. Through better understanding of respiratory and allergic disease, and new skills to assess and manage patients and engage in patient education, allied health professionals are encouraged to expand their practice and take an active role in the care of their patients.
Our Capabilities
Our expertise is in respiratory and allergic disease and training of health care professionals.
The NRTC offers 12-week assessment and management courses and 1-day workshops in asthma, COPD, allergy, and spirometry to health professionals. Training programs are offered in various locations across the county; students can enroll individually, or an organization can bring a course or workshop onsite for their staff. Asthma Study Partners is a new program designed specifically for NRTC Asthma Course graduates to review for the National Asthma Educator Certification Board Exam.
We are eager to collaborate with other organizations who seek to improve the care of patients with respiratory and allergic disease. With a growing network of trainers, the NRTC provides a range of services from delivery of single training programs to support for large-scale initiatives designed to build capacity within a health system or geographic area. We will partner with other organization to develop new training programs and educational resources to address the needs of our health professionals.
Our Training Outcomes
With the support of independent researchers and our own Research Directorate, the NRTC actively evaluates the impact of our training programs. We look for changes in graduates' clinical practice, confidence in implementation of best practice, and leadership in the practice and the community. Training studies have reported positive outcomes in both the United States and United Kingdom.
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