Program Information
Program Name:
Respiratory Care
Non-Occupational Program
No
Program Development
Standard
Program Version
201412
Program Award Level
Associate of Applied Science
Program Credit Hours
78 Credit Hours
Program Length
6 Terms
PAS Program Group
1040 Respiratory Therapy Technology
CIP Code
510908 Respiratory Care Therapy
SOC Code
291126 Respiratory Therapists
Program Justification
Description
The respiratory care associate degree is a sequence of courses that prepares students for careers in the field of respiratory care. Learning opportunities develop academic and professional knowledge and skills required for job acquisition, retention, and advancement. The program emphasizes specialized training in areas such as pulmonary and cardiac pharmacology, medical gases, humidity/aerosol therapy, positive pressure ventilation, incentive spirometry, patient assessment, postural drainage, percussion/vibration, assessment of diseases and conditions, critical respiratory care, advanced critical care monitoring, pulmonary function testing, and pediatric and neonatal respiratory care. Program graduates receive a respiratory care associate degree, qualifying them to take the examinations to become a Registered Respiratory Therapist. Students may become certified by taking the Entry Level Certification Examination administered by the National Board for Respiratory Care. Upon successfully completing the Certification (CRT) Exam, the graduate is eligible to take both parts of the Registry (RRT) Exams. To work in Georgia, all respiratory care practitioners must apply and be granted a license. The only way to obtain a license is to pass at least the Entry Level Certification Exam.
Occupational Trends
Job opportunities are expected to be very good, especially for those with a degree and certification and those with cardiopulmonary care skills or experience working with infants. The vast majority of job openings will continue to be in hospitals. However, a growing number of job openings are expected to be outside of hospitals, especially within in-home healthcare services, offices of physicians or other health practitioners, consumer-goods rental firms, or in the employment services industry as temporary workers in various settings.
Education Programs
An associate degree is required to become a respiratory therapist. Colleges and universities, medical schools, vocational-technical institutes, and the Armed Forces offer training at the postsecondary level. Most programs award associate or bachelor's degrees and prepare graduates for jobs as advanced respiratory therapists. A license is required to practice as a respiratory therapist, except in Alaska and Hawaii. Also, most employers require respiratory therapists to maintain a cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) certification. Licensure is usually based, in large part, on meeting the requirements for certification from the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC). The board offers the Certified Respiratory Therapists (CRT) credential to those who graduate from entry-level or advanced programs accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC) and who also pass an exam. The board also awards the Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) to CRTs who have graduated from advanced programs and passed two separate examinations. Supervisory positions and intensive-care specialties usually require the RRT.
Job/Career Description
Respiratory Therapists evaluate, treat, and care for patients with breathing or other cardiopulmonary disorders. Practicing under the direction of a physician, respiratory therapists assume primary responsibility for all respiratory care treatments and diagnostic procedures. They consult physicians and other healthcare staff to help develop and modify patient care plans. Therapists also provide complex therapy requiring considerable independent judgment, such as caring for patients on life support in intensive-care units of hospitals. Respiratory Therapists evaluate and treat all types of patients, ranging from premature infants whose lungs are not fully developed to elderly people whose lungs are diseased. They provide temporary relief to patients with chronic asthma or emphysema and give emergency care to patients who are victims of a heart attack, stroke, drowning, or shock.
Salary Trends
Hourly Salary
$30.20
Annual Salary
$62,816.00
Salary Trend Details
According to the EMSI reports, the 2020 median age in Georgia for Respiratory Therapists was $57,378, and the national medical wage was $62,816.
Occupational Analysis
| Duty Order |
Duty Description |
|
1
|
Provide Customer Service |
|
|
Task Order |
Task Description |
|
|
1 |
Greet Patient
|
|
|
2 |
Explain Medical Procedure
|
|
|
3 |
Address patient Grievances
|
|
|
2
|
Administer Medical Gases |
|
|
Task Order |
Task Description |
|
|
1 |
Perform oxygen therapy
|
|
|
2 |
Administer nitric oxide
|
|
|
3 |
Perform hyperbaric
|
|
|
3
|
Perform Blood Gas Testing |
|
|
Task Order |
Task Description |
|
|
1 |
Obtain blood sample
|
|
|
2 |
Perform blood analysis
|
|
|
3 |
Validate blood gas results
|
|
|
4
|
Validate blood gas results |
|
|
Task Order |
Task Description |
|
|
1 |
Perform pulmonary function studies
|
|
|
2 |
Perform methacholine challenge
|
|
|
3 |
Perform pulmonary stress test
|
|
|
5
|
Maintain Professional Competency |
|
|
Task Order |
Task Description |
|
|
1 |
Maintain life support certifications (e.g. , ACLS, PALS, NRP)
|
|
|
2 |
Maintain professional credentials
|
|
|
3 |
Maintain professional license
|
|
Program Outcomes
| Order | Description |
| 1 | The student will be able to demonstrate the knowledge necessary for the role of the Respiratory Therapist. |
| 2 | The student will be able to demonstrate the skills and attitudes needed to maintain professional and technical competence. |
| 3 | The student will demonstrate the ability to think abstractly, reason logically, and apply problem-solving skills in the practice of Respiratory Care. |
| 4 | The student will be able to perform cardiopulmonary diagnostic procedures, patient assessments, and respiratory care planning. |
| 5 | The student will be able to assist the physician in special procedures of cardiopulmonary care. |
Program Curriculum
Skip Navigation Links.
 | RCT3 Respiratory Care ( version 201412) |
| | | Name | Relation | Lecture Credit Hrs | Lab Credit Hrs | Total Credit Hrs | Lecture Contact Hrs | Regular Lab Type | Reg. Lab Contact Hrs | Other Lab Type | Oth. Lab Contact Hrs | Total Contact Hrs Per Week | Smst Hrs |
|---|
| General Education Core (Required minimum: 15 Semester hours) | AND | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 16 |
|
| | | | Area I - Language Arts/Communications (3 hrs) | OR | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 3 |
|
| | | | Area II - Social/Behavioral Sciences (3hrs) | OR | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 3 |
|
| | | | Area III - Natural Sciences/Mathematics (7hrs) | SELECT | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 7 |
|
| | | | | Mathematics (3hrs) | OR | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 3 |
|
| | | | | Chemistry & Chemistry Lab (4hrs) | SELECT | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 4 |
|
| | | | Area IV Humanities/Fine Arts (3hrs) | OR | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 3 |
|
| | | Non-General Education Degree Courses (12hrs) | AND | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 12 |
|
| | | Occupational Courses | AND | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 50 |
|
Total Credit Hours: 78
External Standards
| Order | Description |
|
1
|
CoARC -Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care
|
|
2
|
In the Respiratory Care program, Practicum/Internship or Clinical courses are based on a clock hour (sixty minutes). Appropriate breaks are included in the clock hour as directed at the Practicum/Internship or Clinical site.
One semester credit shall be awarded for a minimum of three clock hours of Practicum/Internship. One hour of credit shall be awarded for 2250 minutes of instructional time.
|
Program Admission Requirements
Minimum Test Scores
|
Accuplacer Reading Comp.:
|
64
|
|
Accuplacer Sentence Skills:
|
70
|
|
Accuplacer Arithmetic:
|
34
|
|
Accuplacer Elementary Algebra:
|
57
|
|
Accuplacer College Level Math:
|
N/A
|
Minimum Required Age
NA
High School Diploma or GED Required
For Admission: Yes
For Graduation: Yes
Other conditions for Admission (if any)
achievement of minimum regular admission scores on tests of reading, language, and math as specified in GDTAE document Minimum Program Entrance Scores;
Program Faculty/Administrative
| Order | Description | Type | Quantity |
| 1 | Program Director | Full time | 1 |
| 2 | Director of Clinical Education | Full time | 1 |
Other Specific Staff Resources
Program Resources/Equipment/Facilities
Nebulizers
Nebulizers, babbington
Nebulizers, electrical
Nebulizers, large vol. medication
Nebulizers, small vol. medication
Rotahaler
Self-propelled cartridge type (metered dose inhaler)
Spinhaler (dry powder aerosol)
Airways/Airway Adjuncts and Accessories
Adhesive tape
CO2 monitoring device
Cricothyrotomy emergency kits, adult and pediatric
Cuff pressure manometer
Endotracheal tubes (all sizes), adult and pediatric
Endotracheal and tracheotomy ties
Esophageal obstructer airways
Esophagotracheal combative
Fiberoptic laryngoscope
Intubation equipment
Nasopharyngeal airways
Oropharyngeal airway, Berman
Oropharyngeal airway, guedel
Oxygen appliances, adult and pediatric
Portable suction device, electric
Racine adapters
S-tubes
Suction catheters, adult and pediatric
Syringes
Trach buttons, varied sizes
Tracheotomy care kits
Tracheotomy tubes, adult and pediatric
Twill tape
Yankauer suction device
Analogs, Lung and Cardiac
Arrhythmia simulator
Blood pressure simulator
Breath sound simulator
Heart sound simulator
Hemodynamic simulator
Mechanical test lung w/variable resistance and compliance
Respiratory/cardiac simulator
Resuscitation simulator, defibrillator
Test lungs
Analytical Equipment
Barometer
Blood gas analyzer
Calibrated laboratory type flow meter
Calibrated super syringe
Hematocrit centrifuge
Laboratory grade mercurial thermometers
Mercurial manometers
Meter sticks
Oncometer
Sling psychrometer or dry bulb-wet bulb Hygrometer
Stopwatches
Water manometers
Water-sealed spirometer (w/kymograph for flow determination)
Breathing Adjuncts
Expiratory resistance systems
Incentive spirometers
Calibration, Repair, and Maintenance Equipment
Air compressors
Air/oxygen blender
Assorted cylinder sizes (E and H minimum)
Cylinder carts (E and H minimum)
Demand valve w/high pressure delivery tubing
Downs flow generator
Flow meters for air and oxygen
High pressure delivery tubing/male/female combinations fo 1. Laboratory with at least 2 deep basin sinks
2. Piped in compressed air with wall outlets to accommodate at least 8-10 stations. Outlets must be mounted high enough from counter top to allow for flow meter with high output nebulizer
3. Classroom with individual desk/table to accommodate students.. Dry Erase boards, computer with LCD projector and screen
4. Patient stations similar to those found in hospitals
5. Piped in oxygen with wall outlets to accommodate at least 8-10 stations. Outlets must be mounted high enough from counter top to allow for flow meter with high output nebulizer
6. Electrical outlets and circuit breakers to handle multiple ventilators running simultaneously. At least a quad electrical box every 4 ft. with appropriate circuit breakers to handle load
7. Cabinet and drawer space for storage
8. Storage room with adequate shelving, filing cabinets and cabinets to store equipment when not in use
9. Tables in the lab to accommodate at least 20 students
10. Computer lab with at least 20 computers loaded with simulations for 3 CRT, 3 WRRT, 3 Mock Clinical Simulator's. Enough for each student in the program to test on simultaneously
11. X-ray view box
12. Bulletin board 1. Uniform as required by the College
2. Stethoscope
3. Scissors
4. Lab equipment such as assorted facemask, O2 delivery devices, circuits, mouth pieces as determined by the program
5. Pen light
6. Lab Coat
7. Mandatory Criminal Background screen
8. Hemostats
9. Appropriate textbooks as determined by the program
10. Physical after being accepted into the program
11. Appropriate vaccinations as required by the hospitals
12. Mandatory Drug screen
Describe any required facilities
1. Laboratory with at least 2 deep basin sinks
2. Piped in compressed air with wall outlets to accommodate at least 8-10 stations. Outlets must be mounted high enough from counter top to allow for flow meter with high output nebulizer
3. Classroom with individual desk/table for at least 20 students. Dry Erase boards, computer with LCD projector and screen
4. Patient stations similar to those found in hospitals
5. Piped in oxygen with wall outlets to accommodate at least 8-10 stations. Outlets must be mounted high enough from counter top to allow for flow meter with high output nebulizer
6. Electrical outlets and circuit breakers to handle multiple ventilators running simultaneously. At least a quad electrical box every 4 ft. with appropriate circuit breakers to handle load
7. Cabinet and drawer space for storage
8. Storage room with adequate shelving, filing cabinets and cabinets to store equipment when not in use
9. Tables in the lab to accommodate at least 20 students
10. Computer lab with at least 20 computers loaded with simulations for 3 CRT, 3 WRRT, 3 Mock Clinical Simulator's. Enough for each student in the program to test on simultaneously
11. X-ray view box
12. Bulletin board