Academy | Western Respiratory

Building the next generation of respiratory diagnostics professionals

The WRS Respiratory Diagnostics Academy is Western Respiratory & Sleep’s internal training and credentialing program for respiratory diagnostics staff.

It has been developed to ensure every member of our respiratory diagnostics team is trained to a clear clinical standard, assessed through practical competency, and supported to deliver high-quality patient care.

This is not informal workplace shadowing.It is a structured pathway designed to build confident, capable, and clinically aware respiratory diagnostics professionals.

Why we created the Academy

Respiratory diagnostics is a critical part of modern respiratory medicine.

Accurate testing does not happen by accident. It requires:

technical skill
patient communication
understanding of respiratory physiology
quality control
clinical judgement
consistency across sites

As Western Respiratory & Sleep continues to grow, we need a scalable system that protects quality while developing our people.

The Academy allows us to train staff the WRS way — consistently, deliberately, and to a high standard.

Respiratory Diagnostics Certification Program

At the centre of the Academy is the Respiratory Diagnostics Certification Program.

This program provides structured training in core respiratory diagnostic testing, patient preparation, test quality, reporting standards, and practical competency.

Participants progress through supervised learning, observed practice, and formal competency assessment before certification.

What the program covers

The program includes training across:

Spirometry
Bronchodilator responsiveness testing
Respiratory physiology fundamentals
Patient coaching and test technique
Test acceptability and repeatability
Quality control and troubleshooting
Lung volumes measurement
Forced oscillation technique
FeNO
Small airway assessment concepts
Clinical workflow and patient safety
Documentation and professional standards

Advanced modules are added as the Academy expands.

Our training philosophy

We believe respiratory diagnostics staff should understand more than which button to press.

They should understand why the test matters, what good-quality data looks like, and how their work contributes to diagnosis, treatment decisions, and patient outcomes.

Our philosophy is simple:

Better training. Better diagnostics. Better care.

Certification

Completion of the program requires demonstrated competency, not just attendance.

Participants must show that they can perform respiratory diagnostic testing safely, accurately, and professionally.

Successful participants receive a Certificate of Completion from the WRS Respiratory Diagnostics Academy.

Who the Academy is for

The Academy is designed for:

new respiratory technicians
existing staff developing into respiratory diagnostics roles
staff expanding into advanced testing
future WRS team members joining our diagnostics platform

It also supports WRS’s broader goal of building a strong, multi-site respiratory diagnostics team.

Why this matters to patients and referrers

For patients, high-quality testing means a smoother experience and more reliable results

For referrers, it means confidence that respiratory investigations are performed with consistency, care, and clinical oversight.

For WRS, it means we can continue expanding services without compromising standards.

A centre of excellence in respiratory diagnostics

The WRS Respiratory Diagnostics Academy is part of our long-term commitment to building Western Respiratory & Sleep as a centre of excellence in respiratory and sleep medicine.

As our services expand across multiple locations, the Academy will help ensure that our people, systems, and clinical standards grow together