Respiratory Therapy

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.

PROGRAM NOTES: The Respiratory Therapy program offers lecture courses in a HyFlex format. For the majority of the lecture courses, students have the flexibility to participate either face-to-face, via live video, or online. However, all HyFlex lecture courses within the curriculum require in-person proctoring for all assessments. Proctored testing can be done at Reynolds testing centers or testing sites at other VCCS colleges. In addition, students will be required to attend face-to-face labs, presentations, clinical rotations, and other class activities.

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

OCCUPATIONAL OBJECTIVES: Occupational objectives include employment opportunities as respiratory therapy practitioners in hospitals, clinics, research facilities, home care agencies, and alternate care sites. Respiratory therapy practitioners are prepared to administer gas, humidity, aerosol, and bronchial hygiene therapy; manage patients receiving mechanical ventilation; assist with special therapeutic and diagnostic procedures, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and airway management techniques; and follow therapeutic protocols. Respiratory therapy practitioners work under the supervision of a physician.

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES:

• Synthesize theory and clinical practice as measured by the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC) Clinical Simulation Self-Assessment Exam, with a combined score of 232 or higher on decision making and information gathering.
• Apply critical thinking to the practice of respiratory care as measured by the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC) Therapist Multiple-Choice Self-Assessment Exam, with a score of 92 or higher.
• 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 RTH program courses.
• 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.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS: General college curricular admission.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS: Applicants must:

• Fulfill the following prerequisite courses included in the Health Professions Career Studies Certificate (CSC) with a grade of “C” or higher 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
  • BIO 142
  • BIO 141 corequisite: demonstration of NAS 2 concepts—chemical concepts, cytology, and inheritance—through NAS 2 completion, assessment, module completion, or equivalent.
• Successful completion of a math entrance exam is required of all Respiratory Therapy applicants. Information regarding the math entrance exam will be emailed to students after applying to the program.
• Submit a portfolio by February 1, including a completed Respiratory Therapy program application and unofficial transcript(s).
• Meet with a full-time Respiratory Therapy faculty member before the application deadline.

ACCEPTANCE INTO THE PROGRAM: Students are accepted into the Respiratory Therapy AAS degree based on completion of the Health Professions CSC with a minimum GPA of 2.5 or higher (not to include SDV 101 or HLT 105 as part of the GPA calculation) and competitive ranking of their GPA. The Department Chair will notify students by June 15 regarding acceptance.

NON-ACCEPTANCE INTO THE PROGRAM: Students not accepted into the program must reapply by the February 1 deadline. Previously submitted Respiratory Therapy portfolios 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:

• A completed physical examination form provided by the program, which includes a yearly Purified Protein Derivative (PPD) and flu vaccination, an immunization schedule, and immunization titers..
• Documentation of a current CPR Basic Life Support Certification for the Health Care Provider through the American Heart Association or American Red Cross, with biennial recertification.
• A 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.
• Other documents or modules as required by clinical affiliates.

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.

TRANSFER STUDENTS: All applicants seeking to transfer into the Respiratory Therapy AAS program are required to meet all admission requirements. Students transferring from other respiratory therapy programs will be required to start and progress through the program with the next cohort of accepted students. Transfer credits will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

Respiratory Therapy transfer applicants must provide a written statement from the dean or program director of the program they are leaving, confirming that the student is in good standing and eligible to return to the previous institution.

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 Department Chair 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 three semesters will be required to repeat the program in its entirety, including the background check, drug screen, immunization schedule and titers, physical examination, and a two-step TB test or T-Spot blood test. After two academic failures from the program, a student will not be eligible for re-entry.

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 facility at any time with due cause. This will be done with advance notice, except in emergencies.
• Proper uniform must be worn.
• Published hospital policies must be followed.
• Immunizations must be current.
• The student releases the facility, its agents, and employees from any liability for injury or death to self, or damage to personal property, arising from participation in clinical activities or use of the facility.
• The student is financially responsible for any medical care required while in the clinical setting.
• The student must hold a current Basic Life Support (BLS) CPR certification for healthcare providers from the American Heart Association or the American Red Cross.
• A background check and drug screening are required for all entering students.

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.

FINANCIAL REQUIREMENTS: In addition to the regular college tuition and fees, the following expenses may be required:

PROGRAM ACCREDITATION: The Reynolds Community College Respiratory Therapy Program (CoARC #200301) is located in Richmond, Virginia. At the conclusion of the program, students are awarded an Associate of Applied Science in Respiratory Therapy. The program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC) (www.coarc.com). 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.

Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care
264 Precision Blvd
Telford, TN 37690
817-283-2835

PRACTITIONER CERTIFICATION: 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 Certified Respiratory Therapist (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 Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) through the National Board for Respiratory Care, Continuing Maintenance Program.