RESPIRATORY CARE
Program Director:
Abe Johnson . . . . . . . . . . . CPC-E310 . . . . . . . . . . .972.548.6870
Academic Advisor:
Tori Hoffman . . . . . . . . . . CPC-A108C . . . . . . . . .972.548.6779
Department Website:
Collin’s Respiratory Care Program prepares individuals for an allied health specialty in clinical care and management of respiratory disorders. The 22-month program graduates students with an AAS degree and qualifies the individual to apply for the Registered Respiratory Therapist board examination.
Respiratory care courses as well as mathematics or other science courses transferred from regionally accredited programs may not exceed five years of age. The minimum passing grade for all respiratory care lecture, lab and clinical course work is 75 percent.
Students planning to transfer to a college or university should check with the Collin academic advisor prior to beginning this program to verify course transferability.
Spaces in the Respiratory Care Program are limited. Please see the Respiratory Care Program Admission Packet for details on competitive admission.
Accreditation
The Respiratory Program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (www.caahep.org) upon the recommendation of the Committee on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC). They may be contacted at:
Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs
1361 Park Street
Clearwater, FL 33756
Phone: 727.210.2350
Fax: 727.210.2354
Committee on Accreditation for Respiratory Care
1248 Harwood Road
Bedford, Texas 76021-4244
Phone: 817.283.2835
Fax: 817.354.8519
Career Opportunities
Career opportunities in the health care industry for registered respiratory therapists are increasing rapidly. Recent surveys indicate that the supply of trained respiratory care professionals has not been sufficient to meet the progressive growth in demand.
Functional Abilities/Core Performance Standards Statement
After initial acceptance to this program, all students are required to meet specific functional abilities - with or without accommodations - for successful completion of the program and to function safely and effectively in the variety of the profession’s settings. The specific functional requirements are found in the Functional Abilities/Core Performance Standards documents provided in the program information and application packets. Students who think they may not be able to meet the functional standards and need accommodation are encouraged to contact the college ACCESS department as soon as this program is of interest.
Additional Admission Requirements
Registration is by permission only. Information and applications may be obtained online at www.ccccd.edu/rcp or the Health Sciences and Emergency Services Office. To apply, students must:
• Submit the required application form by the designated deadline
• Provide proof of high school graduation or GED
• Submit official copies of all college transcripts
• Complete Collin reading, writing and mathematics assessments
• Complete Psychological Services Bureau (PSB), Health Occupations Aptitude Exam
• Document acceptable findings on drug screens, background checks and physical/mental competencies
• Complete successfully on program admission criteria (see Admission Packet)
• Completion of immunizations required by the Texas Department of Health (TDH)*
* It is important to note that one of the required vaccinations, Hepatitis B, consists of a three dose series, which can take up to 7 months to complete. Individuals unable to receive the HBV must inform the program director. In such cases the applicant must sign a declination form. All immunizations must be complete before assignment to clinical training.
Health Insurance – All respiratory care students are required to show proof of health insurance prior to starting clinical rotations each semester. For information on student insurance plans, contact the Health Science Emergency Services Office at 972.548.6678.
Program Completion Requirements
• In addition to completion of all respiratory care course work, students are required to complete comprehensive CRT and RRT Self Assessment Examinations during the second year of the program.
1. CRT Self Assessment Exam will be given in the fall semester of the second year.
2. The RRT Self Assessment Exams will be given in the spring semester of the second year.
a. Written Registry Self Assessment Exam
b. Clinical Simulation Self Assessment Examination - Satisfactory completion of these exams is required for graduation from the program. Students who do not pass any of these exams will be required to complete prescribed remediation assignments and retest. The program reserves the right to limit the number of retests. Repeat testing will be at student expense.
• Complete the written and skills exam in RSPT 2139 according to the standards set by the American Heart Association.
CRT Transition Program
The program, after admission to the college, offers a transition option to allow students who hold a CRT credential, have regionally accredited college credit in entry level respiratory care, and have one year of clinical experience as a respiratory therapist to enter the second year of the Respiratory Therapy Program, receive their degree and become registry-eligible. Content and clinical skill competency tests must be satisfactorily completed for students to enter this option. Contact the Program Director for more information.
AAS – RESPIRATORY CARE
72 credit hours
Pre-entrance Requirements
A. Student must be prepared to take BIOL 2401 (Anatomy and Physiology) by meeting one of the following requirements:
1. Completion of two years of high school biology within the last three years, OR
2. Completion of BIOL 1406 (General Biology).
B. Student must be prepared to enter college-level mathematics by either completion of MATH 0310 or by math placement at college algebra level.
Note: Science and mathematics courses must be completed within five years of admission.
First Year
First Semester
BIOL 2401 Anatomy and Physiology I
RSPT 1160 Clinical I - Respiratory Care Therapy/Therapist
RSPT 1201 Introduction to Respiratory Care
RSPT 1307 Cardiopulmonary Anatomy and Physiology
RSPT 1410 Respiratory Care Procedures I
Second Semester
BIOL 2402 Anatomy and Physiology II
RSPT 1361 Clinical II - Respiratory Care Therapy/Therapist
RSPT 1411 Respiratory Care Procedures II
RSPT 2310 Cardiopulmonary Disease
RSPT 2317 Respiratory Care Pharmacology
Summer Semester
RSPT 1362 Clinical III - Respiratory Care Therapy/Therapist
RSPT 1471 Respiratory Care Procedures III
Second Year
First Semester
MATH 1314 College Algebra 1
PSYC 2301 General Psychology 2
RSPT 2355 Critical Care Monitoring
RSPT 2360 Clinical IV - Respiratory Care Therapy/Therapist
RSPT 2453 Neonatal/Pediatric Cardiopulmonary Care
Second Semester
BIOL 2421 Microbiology
ENGL 1301 Composition/Rhetoric I
HUMA 1301 Introduction to the Humanities
RSPT 2139 Advanced Cardiac Life Support
RSPT 2231 Simulations in Respiratory Care
RSPT 2247 Specialties in Respiratory Care
RSPT 2361 Clinical V - Respiratory Care Therapy/Therapist (Capstone)
Note: Preferred core choices in italics; other options available on the Associate of Applied Science site, unless otherwise noted.
1 May substitute a higher-level mathematics course
2 May substitute PSYC 2302 or SOCI 1301
Note: The communication competency is met throughout the degree.
