Spirometry

Become a Course Faculty Member

Course Lecturer

Each course lecturer must meet one the following criteria:

1. A faculty-level member of the institution (MD or PhD) with at least 1 year of teaching experience at the collegiate level or equivalent (basic anatomy and physiology or some course related to spirometry),
2. An instructor-level member of the institution (RN, RRT, MS) with greater than 50% of workload dedicated to teaching or with at least 3 years teaching experience,
3. A health professional with licensure or professional certification in the pulmonary function testing field with at least three years documented teaching experience under the supervision of individuals described in 1. or 2. above.

The course lecturer is responsible for teaching the course content as defined by the requirements in the OSHA Cotton Dust Standard. The lecturer must have intimate knowledge of spirometry testing guidelines and techniques. The greatest strength of the lecturer is to present the information by whatever method necessary so that each student can understand the material and apply it to the practice of collecting spirometry data.

Practicum Instructor

The practicum instructor shall have at least three years experience in background, training, and the practical aspects of collecting spirometry data (e.g., occupational health nurses or pulmonary function technicians). This instructor should also have successfully completed a NIOSH-approved spirometry course.

The practicum instructors are responsible for the small break-out groups whereby students gain hands-on-knowledge in correctly administering spirometry tests, including coaching subjects and operating a spirometer. Students will also practice identifying spirometry curves with errors and gain knowledge in how to prevent the error in subsequent trials.