The daily work of respiratory therapists presumes competence in reading, writing, and thinking. To be clear and accurate is as much a matter of proficiency in the English language as proficiency in health care; this becomes increasingly obvious with the growing use of problem-oriented medical records. Freshman English is the foundation upon which respiratory therapy instructors can build in order to produce therapists who are critical readers of the literature in the field, safe practitioners who produce safe and useful records, critical clinicians with the scholarly habit of mind. If instructors understand the purpose and content of freshman English, they can follow up this instruction in respiratory therapy courses, using professional journals as texts and giving writing assignments that reinforce reading comprehension, clear reasoning, and critical use of materials in print. Practitioners are reminded of the benefits of literacy in a field in which procedures and technology are ever-changing.
