No one loves uncomfortable conversations—but avoiding them can cost you trust, clarity, and progress. “Tough Talks, Real Results” is your guide to having conversations that matter, whether you’re coaching a struggling student or addressing an issue with a team member. Learn how to deliver feedback with confidence, compassion, and purpose. Walk away with practical tools to turn tension into transformation — and silence into growth.

Survey research is deceptive in the complexity required up front to validate questions. Novice authors often miss these difficult steps, and the resulting research is suspect. A number of investigators have used AARConnect to conduct surveys. This is particularly problematic as it is difficult to know the denominator and therefore the response rate.

This presentation will explore effective strategies for building high-impact learning experiences to enhance student engagement in service learning, research, and interprofessional education. These experiences can foster a mutually beneficial environment where students gain valuable real-world experience while clinicians contribute to community health initiatives. Participants will learn how to create impactful, sustainable collaborations that support student development, improve outcomes, and strengthen community ties. The session will provide practical tools, best practices, and case studies to inspire and guide respiratory therapy professionals in creating win-win opportunities for all involved.

Keeping up with the changing world of technology can seem like a hurdle when it comes to the classroom. Student expectations are evolving as well. With the generation of technology, students have new ways of learning. This lecture will focus on the use of virtual reality (VR) in clinical education in both undergraduate and graduate students. Using real-life clinical scenarios, assessing VR patients with realistic symptoms, and expanding the clinical practice time of our students is something we have needed to enhance and have the opportunity to do so. This lecture will highlight some examples that students have encountered and showcase the expansion of clinical practice for our RT students.

Understanding CPGs can be challenging for clinical practice. This presentation will provide an overview of introducing evidence-based CPGs in the classroom. Students should be informed of evidence-based practice in their programs before beginning clinical rotations. Without an introduction and exposure, newly hired entry-to-practice graduates are disadvantaged. Therefore, respiratory therapy program faculty must include CPGs in their curricula.