Recognition Guidelines for Quality International Respiratory Care Education

Welcome to the site for quality international Respiratory Care education programs.

The American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC) recognizes quality Respiratory Care education that meets or exceeds these guidelines approved by the International Council for Respiratory Care.

The Guidelines will be used to recognize quality education designed to produce respiratory care practitioners who provide respiratory care to patients all over the world. The recognition Guidelines reflect contemporary education accreditation best practices and are used to determine if an education experience warrants one of the three levels of recognition granted by the International Education Recognition System (IERS) of the AARC.

IERS Recognized education programs will be authorized to promote and market their program using the AARC, ICRC, and IERS combined logo pictured below. The logo may be used on program brochures, marketing materials and web sites.

Prior to use of the logo program sponsors must submit materials for approval showing how the logo will be placed on brochures, marketing materials & web sites.

Application for IERS RECOGNITION must be submitted not less than sixty (60) days prior to program start date. Timely submission is required and may occur as early as one (1) year in advance of the program.

Levels Of Recognition

The three levels of recognition granted to educational experiences intended to improve the education provided to health care professionals who deliver respiratory/pulmonary care around the world are as follows:

Seminar Recognition (Level I)—US$200.00

Granted to educational non-repeating (content) RC seminars of any length. Recognized RC Seminars have met or exceeded the guidelines for quality seminars that teach different content each time they are offered, as set forth in these Recognition System Guidelines.

Program Recognition (Level II)—US$250.00

Granted to educational repeating(content/skills) RC programs that are designed to teach the same content/skill set each time the program is delivered. Recognized RC programs have met or exceeded the guidelines for quality programs that teach similar RC skills each time they are offered, as set forth in the Recognition System Guidelines.

School Recognition (Level III)—US$500.00

Granted to educational programs that meet level II (Recognized Program) recognition guidelines and also meet these level III additional requirements. In addition to level II recognition, RC schools must set local evidence-based outcome measures for (graduate) outcome performance. Recognized Schools have met or exceeded the guidelines for a quality educational experience that graduates RC practitioners who will be providing RC at the bedside anywhere in the world, as set forth in the these Recognition System Guidelines. Graduation from these schools may then be approved by the country’s credentialing and/or licensure system for RC practice in the hospital, ICUs, and other settings where patients receive respiratory care.

These Guidelines were developed in cooperation with international educators and clinicians and were approved by the INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL FOR RESPIRATORY CARE.