9 Ways Attending an In-person Conference Can Boost Your RT Career

As a respiratory therapist — and especially as an AARC member — you have multiple opportunities every year to attend in-person respiratory conferences that can help you advance your career.

The AARC State Societies offer a range of local and statewide sessions, and the national office of AARC hosts an annual Summer Forum for managers and educators, along with the premier conference of the year for everyone in the profession — the AARC International Respiratory Congress.

What are some of the specifics you can expect to get by attending these meetings? Here are 9 takeaways to consider:

• Networking opportunities: Whether you attend a state meeting or the AARC Congress, you will be in the room with other therapists who can help you find your next opportunity in the profession. Everyone at these meetings is ready to share experiences and make new contacts, so you are virtually guaranteed to come home with a long list of folks you can reach out to if and/or when the need arises.

• Skill development: The main goal of all respiratory-related conferences is to provide the continuing education credits therapists need to maintain their licenses to practice, and that means they all offer a wealth of opportunities to learn new skills and hone old ones.

• Industry trends: Most state society meetings and both national meetings feature state-of-the-art exhibit halls showcasing the latest equipment and services available in respiratory care. Company representatives are on hand to explain their newest technology and often demonstrate it too. It’s one-stop shopping for RTs who want to remain on the cutting edge.

• Original research: Health care is driven by research, and attendees at the AARC Congress in particular will get an insider’s look at a plethora of studies conducted by and for RTs. The AARC OPEN FORUM typically features more than 200 abstracts and poster presentations spread across the four days of the meeting. An Editor’s Choice session features the top 10 abstracts presented that year.

• Inspiration: Many of the sessions at respiratory-related meetings will be designed to share innovative practices and evidence-based care. By attending these sessions, you’ll be equipping yourself with novel solutions that you can take back to your facility and share with your superiors.

• Meeting industry leaders: Respiratory conferences are a great place to meet and greet the movers and shakers in the profession, from state society officials to AARC officers and directors to prominent physicians and other thought leaders who present during the general sessions. All speakers at the AARC Congress are available to talk with attendees after their sessions end.

• Future research or presentation potential: If you are thinking about adding value to your career by presenting at a conference or submitting an abstract to the OPEN FORUM, conference attendance will provide you with a firsthand look at how it all works. You’ll also get the chance to speak directly with people who have already done it.

• Developing leadership skills: Conferences always feature presentations focused on leadership, so if your goal is to improve your leadership skills or develop the leadership skills you know you’ll need to move forward in your career, you’ll find plenty of information to draw from.

• Building your personal brand: Your attendance at these conferences alone lets your peers know you are the type of RT who values lifelong learning. But the more you engage in conversations and discussions with those peers, the more they learn about you, your current goals and objectives, and your aspirations for the future. You can also tout your conference attendance on your social media platforms to spread the word about your dedication to the field.

Another benefit of attending a conference is that it helps boost your confidence and can renew your love of the profession. RTs who attend a respiratory conference invariably leave with a new sense of their own importance to the health care system and a revitalized view of the profession. Being around so many like-minded people does wonders for the spirit, and that will carry over to the patients you treat when you get back home, too.