Respiratory Therapy

Clinical Education

Prior to completing internships or other clinical activities involving direct patient care, students enrolled in the School of Medicine must comply with certain insurance, health, and immunization requirements. These vary by program; current information for Respiratory Therapy BSRT students is provided below. 

Questions? Contact Kayla Poling, Assistant Director of Clinical Education. 

General Requirements

At least thirty (30) days prior to the start of the professional phase of the program, students must submit documentation of a physical examination and proof of health insurance. Students should be up-to-date on all immunizations and must have submitted all required titers (see below). Students must also submit the indicated clearances, and all clearances, certifications, and immunizations must be good through the end of the semester in which each clinical experience takes place.

Students who are out of compliance with these policies are subject to the WVU BSRT Program Progression, Probation, and Dismissal Policy.

Health Insurance

Health insurance is required of all full-time students at WVU, including respiratory therapy students. Students must provide proof of health insurance (e.g., copy of insurance card) by the deadline specified in the offer of admission and yearly thereafter to the Clinical Director. Information on insurance for students at WVU is available at: https://talentandculture.wvu.edu/student-insurance.

Physical Examination

All students must provide documentation of a history and physical examination at least 30 days prior to the beginning of the scheduled professional phase of the program. Students must utilize the WVU Division of Respiratory Therapy Health Information Form, which can be obtained from Program Director Michael Mehall via email at michael.mehall@hsc.wvu.edu.  

The physical examination must be completed within the 12 months prior to matriculation into the professional phase and must be signed by a licensed healthcare professional.

Immunizations and Titers

The WVU BSRT program follows programmatic policies on immunization of students based on current CDC recommendations for healthcare professionals. As such, all students must submit the following immunizations prior to beginning any clinical coursework or experiences. Students must utilize the WVU BSRT Immunization Form, which must be completed by a physician, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant and which can be obtained from Program Director Michael Mehall via email at michael.mehall@hsc.wvu.edu.  

  1. Per affiliation agreements which require adherence to all West Virginia University Hospital policies, students with educational experiences in the clinical setting must provide proof of full vaccination against COVID-19. For vaccines which require two doses to induce full immunity, a student must have received both doses prior to the applicable deadline. This requirement may be met by immunization with any vaccine which has been fully approved by the FDA or authorized by the FDA under its Emergency Use Authorization.
  2. Students must complete the Hepatitis B series of 3 vaccinations (0, 1, and 6 months) and titer (IgG anti-HBs 1-2 months after dose #3). Students must have had at least the first vaccination in the series prior to beginning any clinical coursework or experiences. The second and third vaccinations, as well as the Hepatitis B titer, must be completed and documented before the 2nd semester of the professional phase of the program.
  3. Students must required to have one dose of influenza vaccine annually during flu season (September - December). 
  4. Students are required to have two (2) documented measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccinations (2 doses, 4 weeks apart if born later than 1957), as well as the MMR titer (IgG titer 1-2 months after dose #2)
  5. Students are required to have documented immunity to Varicella in the form of either a positive antibody titer or two (2) documented Varicella vaccinations.
  6. Students must have a diphtheria/tetanus/pertussis (Tdap) booster within the past 10 years and it must be kept current for the duration of the program.
  7. All students must have a two-step Mantoux Tuberculin Skin Test (TST). Thereafter, the student must have a one-step test done annually for the duration of the program. Students with a past history of a positive PPD or similar test should speak with their healthcare provider regarding appropriate ongoing risk assessment and further evaluation, which may include a T-SPOT or QuantiFERON test. Students with a positive TST must receive a letter of clearance on physician’s official letterhead prior to any educational experiences in the clinical setting. 
  8. Students must have completed the primary series (three doses) and booster (given between 4 - 6 years of age) for polio.
  9. The University requires ALL students to have the meningococcal vaccine. At least one dose of meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MenACWY) is required for respiratory therapy students. Serogroup B meningococcal vaccine may be indicated for some students (students should consult their healthcare provider for recommendations).

Students with negative or equivocal titers must meet the following requirements, as applicable.

  1. Hepatitis B: restart the three-dose series of hepatitis B vaccine and repeat hepatitis B antibody titer 1 month after completion of the three-dose series (vaccine doses given at 0 months, 1 month and 6 months; repeat IgG antibody titer at 7 months)
  2. MMR: receive a third dose of MMR vaccine.
  3. Varicella: receive a third dose of varicella vaccine.

Declinations

Any student who declines immunizations for religious or other reasons must be aware of potential personal dangers and will be required to sign a waiver. Clinical education sites may refuse to accept students who have declined to receive the required immunizations and/or titers. Therefore, no guarantee can be made that a student who declines immunization/titers can be placed for clinical education. Should a student decline to complete the necessary elements required within this policy they may result in the student being unable to complete the clinical aspects of the program and thus not satisfying all required graduation components.  

Students who wish to decline immunization should use the BSRT Declination Immunization Form, which can be obtained from Program Director Michael Mehall via email at michael.mehall@hsc.wvu.edu.  

Drug Screening and Background Checks

The WVU BSRT program follows the drug screen and background check policies of the WVU School of Medicine, Division of Professional and Undergraduate Programs.

HIPAA Training

All students are required to complete training for awareness and compliance with the patient privacy regulations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). This training must be completed prior to the semester in which they begin their clinical experience and must be renewed annually. This training is located on SOLE.

OSHA Training

All students must be trained in standards for preventing transmission of blood borne and other infectious agents. This training must be completed prior to the semester in which they begin their clinical experience and must be renewed annually. This training is located on SOLE.

Expectations for Clinical Travel

The WVU BSRT program is comprehensive and includes education in laboratory, didactic, and clinical arenas. The program has organized a diverse network of clinical partners that will provide students with exceptional educational forums to complete their clinical training and maximize their skills as a developing respiratory therapist. Students should be aware that clinical training will occur at various affiliated clinical partners which will require students to travel up to 2 hours to and from the clinical site. Students are responsible for any related fees (e.g., parking fees, fuel, turnpike fees) incurred to complete clinical rotations.   

The WVU BSRT Clinical Director will make every effort to take into consideration distance and will attempt (but not guarantee) to pair students together to try and alleviate any incurred costs. If students have any questions, they may contact the WVU BSRT Program Director (Michael Mehall) at michael.mehall@hsc.wvu.edu or the WVU BSRT Clinical Director (Keleigh Pershina) at Keleigh.pershina@hsc.wvu.edu.

Remuneration Policy

The WVU BSRT Program states that students must be appropriately supervised at all times during their clinical education coursework and experiences. Students must not be used to substitute for clinical, instructional, or administrative staff. Students must not receive any form of remuneration in exchange for patient care they provide during programmatic clinical coursework. In addition, WVU BSRT Program students must not be substituted for paid staff while they are on clinical rotations, and they cannot complete clinical coursework or be evaluated on their clinical competencies while functioning as part-time or full-time employees at any healthcare site/facility. Additional details of this policy are as follows:

  • Students will not receive any form of payment for hours completed in the WVU BSRT clinical practicums or any courses within the BSRT course curriculum.
  • Students will be provided a clinical schedule at the beginning of each semester that reflects the student’s clinical assignment.
  • Students will be assigned a clinical preceptor to oversee and provide guidance each day of their assigned clinical training in the clinical practicum.
  • Students will not receive any form of payment for any actions, completed clinical time/hours, or completion of RT coursework.
  • Students are permitted and may seek employment outside of the program curriculum.
  • This policy does not prohibit a paid/unpaid ‘internship’ in states where this is allowed including the state of West Virginia but is intended to ensure that students are not used as ‘back-ups’ in the absence of paid staff during clinical rotations.