Respiratory Therapy AAS (181)

PURPOSE: The degree 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, cardiovascular, and sleep 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; and follow therapeutic protocols. The respiratory therapy practitioner works under the supervision of a physician.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS: General college curricular admission

PROGRAM NOTES: The Respiratory Therapy program offers courses in both traditional and online formats. All online courses within the curriculum are classified as online with in-person or proctor requirements. This means that most of the instruction for the course is delivered online and that students will be required to make a limited number of trips to a campus site for labs, presentations, and other class activities or to a community site for clinical or internships. Also, some courses may require proctored testing that can be done at Reynolds testing centers, testing sites at other VCCS colleges, or an approved site outside the state of Virginia.

In order to complete the Respiratory Therapy program, students will be required to attend both day and evening classes.

Student Outcomes for the Respiratory Therapy AAS Degree: Upon completion of the Respiratory Therapy AAS degree, students will be expected to

• Demonstrate competence in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains of respiratory care practice as performed by registered respiratory therapists (RRTs) through the National Board for Respiratory Care Self-Assessment Exams and program clinical evaluations;
• Apply critical thinking to the practice of respiratory care as measured by the NBRC Therapist Multiple-Choice Self-Assessment Exam with a score of 92 or higher;
• Synthesize theory and clinical practice as measured by the NBRC Clinical Simulation Self-Assessment Exam with a combined score of 232 or higher on decision making and information gathering; and
• Demonstrate awareness of credentialing, job placement, interviewing, licensure, and professionalism within the field of respiratory care by completing RTH 227 - Integrated Respiratory Therapy Skills II .

APPLYING TO THE PROGRAM: Applicants must:

• Fulfill the following prerequisite courses included in the Health Science I Career Studies Certificate (CSC) by the end of the spring semester in the year the student is applying for acceptance into the associate degree.
  • ENG 111 , PSY 230 , SDV 101 , PHI 220 , BIO 141 , and BIO 142 
    • BIO 141  corequisite: demonstration of NAS 2  concepts of chemical concepts, cytology, and inheritance through NAS 2 completion; or assessment; or module completion; or equivalent.  
  • Successful completion of a math entrance exam will be required for students applying for the Fall 2022 program start. Information regarding the math entrance exam will be emailed to students after applying to the program.  
• Submit a portfolio by February 1, which includes a completed Respiratory Therapy program application and unofficial transcript.
• Meet with a Respiratory Therapy, full-time faculty member before the application deadline.

ACCEPTANCE INTO THE PROGRAM: Students are accepted into the Respiratory Therapy AAS degree based on completion of the prerequisite course requirements with a minimum GPA of 2.5 or higher (not to include SDV 101  as part of the GPA calculation) and competitive ranking of their GPA’s for the CSC RTH prerequisite courses. The program director will notify students by June 15regarding acceptance.

NON-ACCEPTANCE INTO THE PROGRAM: Students not accepted into the program must reapply by the February 1 deadline. Previously submitted Respiratory Therapy applications will not be carried over to the next year’s applicant pool.

ACCEPTANCE INTO CLINICAL COURSES: Students who have been accepted into the program must secure transportation to and from facilities used for clinical experiences. Students enrolled in programmatic clinical rotations shall not receive any form of remuneration in exchange for their work. In addition, students shall not be substituted for paid staff and/or used simply as back-ups in the absence of appropriate paid staff during clinical rotations.

Students will be placed in clinical courses (RTH 190  or higher) when they have submitted the following (at the student’s expense):

• Completed physical examination form provided by the program, which includes a yearly Purified Protein Derivative (PPD) and flu vaccination, as well as an immunization schedule.
• Documentation of a current CPR Basic Life Support Certification (American Heart Association), with biennial recertification.
• Certified background check and drug screening. (Applicants who do not pass the background check and/or drug screening will not be allowed to enroll in any Respiratory Therapy clinical course.) Without completing the clinical component of the program, students will not be eligible for employment as a student or Respiratory Care Practitioner (RCP), or for curriculum completion.

MENTORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES: There is a mentorship in association with clinical courses for qualifying students on a space-available basis.

FUNCTIONAL SKILLS REQUIREMENTS: Students entering the Respiratory Therapy program must possess the following functional skills:

• Sufficient eyesight, including color vision, to observe patients, perform and visualize patient assessments, manipulate equipment, and visually read patient records, graphs, and test results;
• Sufficient hearing to communicate with patients and members of the health care delivery team, monitor patients using electronic equipment, and hear necessary sounds during operation of equipment;
• Satisfactory speaking, reading, and writing skills to communicate effectively in English in a timely manner;
• Sufficient gross and fine motor coordination to exhibit excellent eye-hand coordination and dexterity to manipulate equipment, lift, stoop, and bend in the delivery of safe patient care;
• Satisfactory physical strength and endurance to be on one’s feet for extended periods and move heavy equipment, patients, and supplies. Sitting, walking, bending, and reaching motions are also requirements for respiratory therapists;
• Satisfactory intellectual, emotional, and psychological health and functioning to ensure patient safety and to exercise independent judgment and discretion in performing assigned tasks;
• Time management of multiple priorities, multiple stimuli, and fast-paced environments; and
• Analysis and critical-thinking skills.

PROGRESSION THROUGH THE PROGRAM: The college offers this program in affiliation with the health care 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 health care 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.

CONTINUATION IN THE PROGRAM: A student must obtain permission from the program head to continue in the Respiratory Therapy program under the following conditions: (1) a grade below “C” is earned in any major course; (2) overall GPA falls below a 2.0 average in any one semester.

RE-ENTRY INTO THE PROGRAM: Should a student leave the program for any reason and subsequently wish to be readmitted, a new application must be submitted. The student’s new application will be reviewed under the competitive admissions process. If a student is readmitted into the program, an objective evaluation will be used to determine placement within the curriculum based on evaluated didactic and laboratory competencies. Students who leave the program for more than two semesters will be required to repeat the program in its entirety, including the background check, drug screen, immunization boosters, physical examination, and a two-step TB test or T-Spot blood test.

CLINICAL CONTRACTS: Individual contracts are in effect with each affiliate clinical agency, and these contracts differ in requirements for students. The general stipulations are as follows:

• Clinical agencies reserve the right to dismiss a student from their agency at any time with due cause. This will be done with advanced notice except in an emergency.
• Proper uniform must be worn.
• Published hospital policies must be followed.
• Immunizations must be current.
• The student releases the facility, its agency, and employees from any liability for any injury or death to self or damage to personal property arising out of the clinical agreement or use of the facility.
• The student is financially responsible for any medical care required while in the clinical setting.
• The student must have a current American Heart Association Basic Life Support CPR certification for healthcare providers.
• A background check and drug screening are required of all entering students.

FINANCIAL REQUIREMENTS:

Books and Supplies	$850 first semester; $100 per subsequent semester
Miscellaneous Fees:
ACLS Trajecsys Self-Assessment Exit Exams Seminar	$180 $150 $300 $300
Identification Badge	$15
Uniform/Shoes/Stethoscope	$175
RT Document Manager	$35
Background Check and Drug Screening	$90
Physical Examination	Varies
Immunizations and Titers	Varies
Travel to Clinical Agencies	Varies
Note: The above costs are approximate and subject to change.

PROGRAM EXIT EXAMS: Every student is required to pass comprehensive exit exams before being added to the National Board for Respiratory Care’s electronic eligibility database. The cost of the exams must be paid through the Downtown Campus Bookstore.

PROGRAM ACCREDITATION AND PRACTITIONER CERTIFICATION: The Respiratory Therapy program is fully accredited through the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC), Program Number 200301, 1248 Harwood Road, Bedford, Texas 76021-4244, and (817) 283-2835.  The CoARC accredits respiratory therapy education programs in the United States.  To achieve this end, it utilizes an ‘outcomes based’ process.  Programmatic outcomes are performance indicators that reflect the extent to which the educational goals of the program are achieved and by which program effectiveness is documented. 

Graduates of the AAS program are eligible to take the Therapist Multiple-Choice Examination administered by the National Board for Respiratory Care, Inc. Successful completion of the Therapist Multiple-Choice Examination will award graduates the CRT (Certified Respiratory Therapist) credential and the possibility of becoming eligible to take the Clinical Simulation Examination. Successful completion of the Clinical Simulation Examination will award graduates the RRT (Registered Respiratory Therapist) credential.

After obtaining the minimum CRT credential, graduates must apply for a license in the state they are seeking employment. State licensure is a process overseen by the Board of Medicine. Graduates are therefore responsible for licensure requirements and fees for that state. It is also the responsibility of graduates to maintain their credentials (CRT or RRT) through the National Board for Respiratory Care, Continuing Maintenance Program.