RESPIRATORY CARE
DEGREE: Associate in Applied Science with a major in Respiratory Care
Respiratory therapists work closely with physicians and nurses in the treatment and diagnosis of various breathing disorders. Respiratory therapists, practicing under a physician's direction, assume primary responsibility for all respiratory care therapeutic treatments and diagnostic procedures, including the supervision of respiratory therapy technicians. Respiratory therapists are also more likely to provide complex therapy requiring considerable independent judgment, such as caring for patients on life support in hospital intensive care units. Respiratory therapists are required to have an in-depth knowledge of heart-lung physiology, effective communication skills, problem solving skills, integrity, compassion, tolerance, ethics, and effective stress coping skills. Graduates are also eligible to apply for a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) program in Respiratory Care at a senior college.
Respiratory therapists are employed in health care facilities including acute care hospitals, rehabilitation hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, and home care. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Web site, the median annual income for respiratory therapists was approximately $52,200 for May 2008. Employment of respiratory therapists is expected to grow by 21% through the year 2018, because of substantial growth in numbers of the middle-aged and elderly population -- a development that will heighten the incidence of heart and lung disease. For more information on the profession, go to www.aarc.org.
Applications are accepted March 1 - April 1. All prerequisites must be completed by the end of the Spring Semester in which you apply. Respiratory Care application, entrance map, and advising worksheets may be downloaded or printed at http://www.fdtc.edu/academics/programs/catalog/forms/default.asp.
PREREQUISITES FOR ENTRANCE
Required Courses
High School:
None
College:
BIO 112 or BIO 210 & BIO 211, MAT 110, PHS 101
NOTE: A grade of "C" or better is required for each prerequisite course.
Other Requirements
- High School Diploma or GED
- Departmental Approval
- Minimum Cumulative GPA of 2.0
- Hepatitis B Immunization, Signed Informed Refusal or Titer
- MMR Immunization or Titer
- Chicken Pox Vaccination or Titer
- Two-step PPD / Chest X-Ray
- Medical Examination - Forms are provided by the college and should be current (within one year) and complete.
- Technical Standards - Forms are provided by the college and should be current (within one year) and complete.
ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS
- Any course with one of the following prefixes requires a grade of "C" or better: ALL
- Complete or Maintain CPR Certification by American Heart Association or American Red Cross
- Dismissal Policy: A student who fails four or more required courses will be dismissed from the program and will not be eligible to re-enter the program.
- Reentry Policy: Any student who has been dismissed from the Respiratory Care program for academic or clinical failure may re-enter the program the following year in the semester from which they failed. This will be allowed only if the student's GPA is a 2.0 or better, they have not failed more than three (3) courses, and there is space available in the curriculum. A student who has a cumulative GPA of less than 2.0 and/or violates the Respiratory Care Program Academic Progression Policy cannot apply for re-admission into the Respiratory Care curriculum until after a waiting period of at least one (1) year. The student will be allowed to re-enter the Respiratory Care curriculum one (1) time only.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS | |||||||
Courses that must be completed before entering this program |
|||||||
| Course | Class | Lab | Credit | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BIO | 112 |
Basic Anatomy And Physiology
*BIO 210 & 211 may be substituted for BIO 112. |
3 | 3 | 4 | ||
| MAT | 110 | College Algebra | 3 | 0 | 3 | ||
| PHS | 101 | Physical Science I | 3 | 3 | 4 | ||
| 9 | 6 | 11 | |||||
General Education Courses |
|||||||
| Course | Class | Lab | Credit | ||||
| ENG | 101 | English Composition I | 3 | 0 | 3 | ||
| PSY | 201 | General Psychology | 3 | 0 | 3 | ||
| SPC | 205 | Public Speaking | 3 | 0 | 3 | ||
| XXX | XXX | Elective: Humanities/Fine Arts | 3 | 0 | 3 | ||
| 12 | 0 | 12 | |||||
Required Major Core Courses |
|||||||
| Course | Class | Lab | Credit | ||||
| RES | 101 | Introduction To Respiratory Care | 2 | 3 | 3 | ||
| RES | 121 | Respiratory Skills I | 2 | 6 | 4 | ||
| RES | 123 | Cardiopulmonary Physiology | 3 | 0 | 3 | ||
| RES | 131 | Respiratory Skills II | 3 | 3 | 4 | ||
| RES | 141 | Respiratory Skills III | 2 | 3 | 3 | ||
| RES | 204 | Neonatal/Pediatric Care | 2 | 3 | 3 | ||
| RES | 232 | Respiratory Therapeutics | 2 | 0 | 2 | ||
| RES | 236 | Cardiopulmonary Diagnostics | 2 | 3 | 3 | ||
| 18 | 21 | 25 | |||||
Other Hours Required for Graduation |
|||||||
| Course | Class | Lab | Credit | ||||
| RES | 111 | Pathophysiology | 2 | 0 | 2 | ||
| RES | 151 | Clinical Applications I | 0 | 15 | 5 | ||
| RES | 152 | Clinical Applications II | 0 | 9 | 3 | ||
| RES | 244 | Advanced Respiratory Skills I | 3 | 3 | 4 | ||
| RES | 246 | Respiratory Pharmacology | 2 | 0 | 2 | ||
| RES | 249 | Comprehensive Applications | 2 | 0 | 2 | ||
| RES | 251 | Clinical Applications III | 0 | 24 | 8 | ||
| RES | 265 | Advanced Clinical Applications I | 0 | 9 | 3 | ||
| RES | 276 | Advanced Clinical Applications II | 0 | 18 | 6 | ||
| 9 | 78 | 35 | |||||
| Minimum Total Credit Hours: 83 | |||||||
SEMESTER CURRICULUM |
|||||||
To be completed before the final semester of study. |
|||||||
| Course | Class | Lab | Credit | ||||
| BIO | 112 |
Basic Anatomy And Physiology
*BIO 210 & 211 may be substituted for BIO 112. |
3 | 3 | 4 | ||
| MAT | 110 | College Algebra | 3 | 0 | 3 | ||
| PHS | 101 | Physical Science I | 3 | 3 | 4 | ||
| 9 | 6 | 11 | |||||
SEMESTER 1 (Fall) |
|||||||
| Course | Class | Lab | Credit | ||||
| ENG | 101 | English Composition I | 3 | 0 | 3 | ||
| RES | 101 | Introduction To Respiratory Care | 2 | 3 | 3 | ||
| RES | 121 | Respiratory Skills I | 2 | 6 | 4 | ||
| RES | 123 | Cardiopulmonary Physiology | 3 | 0 | 3 | ||
| 10 | 9 | 13 | |||||
SEMESTER 2 (Spring) |
|||||||
| Course | Class | Lab | Credit | ||||
| RES | 131 | Respiratory Skills II | 3 | 3 | 4 | ||
| RES | 151 | Clinical Applications I | 0 | 15 | 5 | ||
| RES | 246 | Respiratory Pharmacology | 2 | 0 | 2 | ||
| SPC | 205 | Public Speaking | 3 | 0 | 3 | ||
| 8 | 18 | 14 | |||||
SEMESTER 3 (Summer) |
|||||||
| Course | Class | Lab | Credit | ||||
| PSY | 201 | General Psychology | 3 | 0 | 3 | ||
| RES | 141 | Respiratory Skills III | 2 | 3 | 3 | ||
| RES | 152 | Clinical Applications II | 0 | 9 | 3 | ||
| 5 | 12 | 9 | |||||
SEMESTER 4 (Fall) |
|||||||
| Course | Class | Lab | Credit | ||||
| RES | 111 | Pathophysiology | 2 | 0 | 2 | ||
| RES | 232 | Respiratory Therapeutics | 2 | 0 | 2 | ||
| RES | 249 | Comprehensive Applications | 2 | 0 | 2 | ||
| RES | 251 | Clinical Applications III | 0 | 24 | 8 | ||
| 6 | 24 | 14 | |||||
SEMESTER 5 (Spring) |
|||||||
| Course | Class | Lab | Credit | ||||
| RES | 204 | Neonatal/Pediatric Care | 2 | 3 | 3 | ||
| RES | 236 | Cardiopulmonary Diagnostics | 2 | 3 | 3 | ||
| RES | 244 | Advanced Respiratory Skills I | 3 | 3 | 4 | ||
| RES | 265 | Advanced Clinical Applications I | 0 | 9 | 3 | ||
| 7 | 18 | 13 | |||||
SEMESTER 6 (Summer) |
|||||||
| Course | Class | Lab | Credit | ||||
| RES | 276 | Advanced Clinical Applications II | 0 | 18 | 6 | ||
| XXX | XXX | Elective: Humanities/Fine Arts | 3 | 0 | 3 | ||
| 3 | 18 | 9 | |||||
| Minimum Total Credit Hours: 83 | |||||||
PROGRAM AND EMPLOYMENT TIDBITS
Contact Person: John Evans
Waiting List: No
Local Starting Salary: $41,179.00
Local Average Salary: $44,625.00
National Starting Salary: $44,687.00
National Average Salary: $52,200.00