Health Professions AAS – Respiratory Care Program

Code: AAS.HP.RESP

The Respiratory Care Program prepares graduates to perform competently in providing all phases of respiratory care therapies and modalities. The respiratory care curriculum is a challenging one that provides a “hands-on” approach and incorporates a variety of educational experiences and environments from the traditional classroom to the laboratory and clinical settings. The program is a competency-based education and provides a curriculum sequence in order for the students to correlate didactic, lab and clinical skills sufficiently. After graduation, students take the national certification and registry exams administered by the NBRC National Board for Respiratory Care and obtain a license to work in the desired state.

Program Length: 24 months; GPA for admissions eligibility: 2.50; High School prerequisite courses: Chemistry with lab; Biology with lab; Algebra. College substitutions: BIO-109; CHM-112; MAT-040.

Application Deadline: February 1; Program Admits: Fall semester

Pre-admission Test: Respiratory Care Admissions Examination

Note: High school Biology is waived if college Biology, preferably BIO-109, is completed successfully.

The Respiratory Care Program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care.

Program Learning Outcomes

• Apply scientific principles for the identification, prevention, remediation, research, and rehabilitation of acute or chronic cardiopulmonary dysfunction thereby producing optimum health and function.
• Review existing data, collect additional data, and recommend obtaining data to evaluate the respiratory status of patients.
• Develop the respiratory care plan, and determine the appropriateness of the prescribed therapy.
• Initiate, conduct, and modify prescribed therapeutic and diagnostic procedures such as: administering medical gases, resuscitation; providing support services to mechanically ventilated patients; maintaining artificial and natural airways; performing pulmonary function testing, hemodynamic monitoring and other physiologic monitoring.
• Collect specimens of blood and other materials.
• Document necessary information in the patient's medical record and on other forms, and communicate that information to members of the health care team.
• Obtain, assemble, calibrate, and check necessary equipment.
• Use problem solving to identify and correct malfunctions of respiratory care equipment.
• Demonstrate appropriate interpersonal skills to work productively with patients, families, staff, and co-workers.

Total Credit Hours: 65

Specific Program Notes

Students are encouraged to take their courses in semester sequence order.

Please note that required courses may have prerequisites. Click on each course to view details.

*General Education Course List.

Students enrolled in this program ARE REQUIRED to successfully complete a course in basic algebra if indicated by Placement Testing.

Successful completion of program and exit examinations are required for graduation.