Needs assessment for the establishment of master's degree programs in respiratory care in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
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Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Background:
Despite recent advancements in the respiratory care (RC) profession, no single institution in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) offers a master's degree program in RC.
Methods:
A nationwide and validated survey was used to explore the current needs and interests in establishing RC master’s degree programs in the KSA. The process included representatives from the healthcare industry, universities, and professional societies.
Results:
A total of 1250 stakeholders across the KSA completed the survey. The sample includes 722 (58%) males, 504 (40%) respiratory therapists, 547 (44%) students, 138 (11%) leaders, and 61 (5%) were academic respondents. Most respondents were from Central 491 (39%) and Eastern 307 (25%) regions, with 1003 (80%) of the total sample worked or studied in governmental sectors. 574 (82%) of the leaders and RTs had Bachelor degree and 430 (61%) of them had 1-5 years working experience. According to 80% of the employers and employees, only 0-5% of the RTs in their organization had a master's degree. The calculated mean % of the agreement (agree/strongly agree) on the needs was 83% in all needs’ assessment items, which shows a great support for establishing a master’s in RC to meet the personal, professional and society needs. The mean % of the agreement for the level of interests among all participants was 86%, indicating a great level of interests in establishing a master degree in RC. The agreement % on the needs assessment and level of interests in establishing a master degree in RC in KSA were ≥80% in each stakeholder group.
Conclusion:
There are obvious needs and interests in establishing master’s degree programs in RC in the KSA. A master's degree in RC should be established to address the growing needs for advanced RC services throughout the nation and enhance RC research.
Despite recent advancements in the respiratory care (RC) profession, no single institution in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) offers a master's degree program in RC.
Methods:
A nationwide and validated survey was used to explore the current needs and interests in establishing RC master’s degree programs in the KSA. The process included representatives from the healthcare industry, universities, and professional societies.
Results:
A total of 1250 stakeholders across the KSA completed the survey. The sample includes 722 (58%) males, 504 (40%) respiratory therapists, 547 (44%) students, 138 (11%) leaders, and 61 (5%) were academic respondents. Most respondents were from Central 491 (39%) and Eastern 307 (25%) regions, with 1003 (80%) of the total sample worked or studied in governmental sectors. 574 (82%) of the leaders and RTs had Bachelor degree and 430 (61%) of them had 1-5 years working experience. According to 80% of the employers and employees, only 0-5% of the RTs in their organization had a master's degree. The calculated mean % of the agreement (agree/strongly agree) on the needs was 83% in all needs’ assessment items, which shows a great support for establishing a master’s in RC to meet the personal, professional and society needs. The mean % of the agreement for the level of interests among all participants was 86%, indicating a great level of interests in establishing a master degree in RC. The agreement % on the needs assessment and level of interests in establishing a master degree in RC in KSA were ≥80% in each stakeholder group.
Conclusion:
There are obvious needs and interests in establishing master’s degree programs in RC in the KSA. A master's degree in RC should be established to address the growing needs for advanced RC services throughout the nation and enhance RC research.
Date Issued
2022-09-22
Date Acceptance
2022-09-08
Citation
Advances in Medical Education and Practice, 2022, 2022 (13), pp.1113-1121
ISSN
1179-7258
Publisher
Dove Medical Press
Start Page
1113
End Page
1121
Journal / Book Title
Advances in Medical Education and Practice
Volume
2022
Issue
13
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terms.php and incorporate the Creative Commons Attribution – Non Commercial (unported, v3.0) License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/). By accessing
the work you hereby accept the Terms. Non-commercial uses of the work are permitted without any further permission from Dove Medical Press Limited, provided the work is properly attributed.
For permission for commercial use of this work, please see paragraphs 4.2 and 5 of our Terms (https://www.dovepress.com/terms.php)
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https://www.dovepress.com/needs-assessment-for-the-establishment-of-masters-degree-programs-in-r-peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-AMEP
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2022-09-22