Purpose: The degree program in Respiratory Therapy is designed to prepare students for roles as contributing members of the modern health care team concerned with treatment, management, and care of patients with breathing abnormalities. Occupational Objectives: Occupational objectives include employment opportunities as respiratory therapy practitioners in hospitals, clinics, research facilities, home care agencies, and alternate care sites. The respiratory therapy practitioner will be able to administer gas therapy, humidity therapy, aerosol therapy, and hyperinflation therapy; assist with mechanical ventilation, special therapeutic and diagnostic procedures, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and airway management techniques. The respiratory therapy practitioner works under the supervision of a physician. Admission Requirements: General college curricular admission Program Notes:
All applicants to the Respiratory Therapy AAS Degree program must declare their curriculum
plan as the Pre-Nursing and Allied Health Career Studies Certificate
program. (Please see
http://www.jsr.vccs.edu/curriculum/plan_info.htm for information on
this career studies certificate.) In order to be
officially accepted into the Respiratory Therapy AAS degree program, applicants
will need to fulfill certain pre-requisites included in the career
studies certificate and meet
with the program head to review their records. The program head will
then notify students as space becomes available.
Students admitted into Respiratory Therapy program must complete the requirements
listed below before entry into major/clinical courses (RTH 110
or higher). As an exception, students can take RTH 102 and RTH121 while completing the Pre-Nursing and Allied Health
Career Studies Certificate.
1. |
Completed the HOBET (Health
Occupations Basic Entrance Test) available
in the Downtown and Parham Road Campus testing centers. |
2. |
Completed the
mathematics placement test and completed through MTH 03 if
developmental mathematics is required based on placement test
results. Students with transferable college algebra with a
grade of “C” or better will be exempt from the mathematics placement
test.
If developmental math is required, the student needs to successfully
complete through Math 3. |
3. | Completed one unit of high school biology and one unit of high school chemistry with a grade of "C" or better or their equivalent (JSRCC BIO
1 and CHM
1). |
4. |
Completed the
following courses in the curriculum:
ENG 111 and 112, Social/Behavioral Science Elective (3 credits), Humanities/Fine Arts Elective (3
credits), Personal Wellness
elective (2 credits),
NAS 161 and 162, and
SDV 100. |
5. | A minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.00 in all JSRCC courses. |
6. | Grade of "C" or better in
NAS 161 and 162. |
7. |
Completed an interview with the Respiratory Therapy program head or clinical coordinator primarily to discuss the requirements and qualifications for a career in respiratory therapy. |
Students will be placed in clinical courses (RTH 190 and higher) when
they have also 1. | Submitted completed physical and dental examination forms provided by the program. | 2. | Completed initial CPR certification (American Heart
or American Red Cross), with bi-annual recertification. | |
3. |
Completed certified background check. |
A special physical and dental examination is required for students entering the program; this includes an immunization schedule. Applicants must be free of any physical or mental condition which might adversely affect their performance.
Drug testing and criminal background checks
are required by clinical affiliates at the student's expense.
A student must obtain permission from the program head to continue the major in Respiratory Therapy under the following conditions: (l) receipt of a grade below a "C" in any major course
or (2) overall GPA falls below a 2.0 average in any one semester. A student must obtain permission from the program head to take courses out of the sequence in the catalog.
Students are responsible for transportation to and from facilities used for clinical experiences.
*There is a mentorship in
association with clinical courses for qualifying students on a space
available basis.
Progression
through the Program: The college offers this
program in affiliation with the healthcare agencies and practitioners in
the communities the college serves. The college relies on its community
affiliates to provide clinical education opportunities for its students,
expert clinical preceptors, and course instructors for many courses.
The often rapid changes in healthcare law, standards of practice,
technology, and content of credentialing examinations increasingly
necessitate sudden changes in the program’s course content, policies,
procedures and course scheduling. As a result, the college cannot
guarantee every student continuous and uninterrupted clinical and course
instruction as outlined in the printed catalog curriculum for this
program. Circumstances beyond the control of the college may
necessitate the postponement of course offerings or changes in the
sequencing and/or location of scheduled courses or clinical
assignments. Additionally, the college may have to change the instructor
for courses after instruction has started.
Financial Requirements: Books and Supplies | $500 1st Semester $100 per Subsequent Semester | |
Miscellaneous
Fees (HOBET, Exit exam & Seminar) |
$225 for program | Identification Badge | $10 | Uniform (approximately) | $50 | Physical and Dental Examination | Varies | |
Note: The above costs are approximate and subject to change. |
Computer Competency Requirement:
All applicants must complete the college’s computer competency exam,
administered in the testing centers at each campus, prior to acceptance
in the Respiratory Therapy program. Students not passing the computer
competency exam will be given one additional opportunity to successfully
pass the exam. Those students who do not pass the exam will be required
to complete
ITE 115 (Introduction to Computer Applications and Concepts) or
CSC 155 (Computer Concepts and Applications) or equivalent courses
prior to entering clinical.
Program Exit Exam: Every
student is required to pass a comprehensive exit exam before being added
to the National Board for Respiratory Care’s electronic eligibility data
base. The cost of the exam is to be paid by the student.
Program Accreditation and Practitioner Certification: The Respiratory Therapy program is accredited through the Committee on Accreditation for Respiratory Care, 1248 Harwood Road, Bedford, TX 76021-4244, (817) 283-2835 and by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs. Graduates of this program are eligible to take the entry-level examination administered by the National Board for Respiratory Care Inc. Successful completion of the entry level exam will award the student with the CRT (Certified Respiratory Therapist) credential which is required before state licensure can be applied for. Graduates are also eligible for entry into the Career Studies Certificate option in Respiratory Therapy Advanced Practice. | 
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