The Associate of Science is a cooperative effort between the College, the School of Allied Health Professions at LSU Health Sciences Center, and area hospital clinical affiliates to prepare graduates as competent Certified Respiratory Therapists (CRT). Respiratory Therapy is a program employed with medical direction in the treatment, management, diagnostic evaluation, and care of patients with deficiencies and abnormalities of the cardiopulmonary system.
Career Description
Respiratory therapists, also known as respiratory care practitioners, provide treatment, evaluation, monitoring and management of patients with breathing disorders or cardiovascular problems.
Care provided by respiratory therapists may include: administration of oxygen, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, management of mechanical ventilators, administering drugs to the lungs, monitoring cardiopulmonary systems and measuring lung function. Respiratory therapists work with numerous types of cutting edge technology to assist their patients. They also understand how to apply high tech devices in the care and treatment of patients, how to assess patients to ensure the treatments are working properly, and how to make the care changes necessary to arrive at the best outcome for the patient.
Respiratory therapists treat all types of patients, ranging from premature infants whose lungs are not fully developed to elderly people with lung disease. They provide temporary relief to patients with chronic asthma or emphysema, as well as emergency care to patients who are victims of a heart attack, stroke, drowning or shock.
Respiratory therapists work in a wide variety of settings including: hospitals, long term care facilities, medical equipment companies, home health agencies, physician offices and more.
For a more complete description of careers in physical therapy, refer to the website of the American Association for Respiratory Care.
Program Overview
The objective of the program is to train competent individuals in respiratory care skills sufficient for the delivery of safe clinical therapy and adequate to meet qualification for the National Board of Respiratory Care (NBRC)certification exam after the first year of clinicals and the advance registry exam after the second year of clinicals.
Students in the Associate of Science degree program will receive didactic laboratory practice and clinical training in the therapeutic use of the following: medical gases and devices of administration, environmental control systems, humidification, aerosols, medications, ventilatory support systems, bronchopulmonary hygiene modalities, cardiopulmonary diagnostics, cardiopulmonary rehabilitation, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and airway management. The program consists of four (4) semesters of didactic course work (46 hours) and two (2) semesters of clinical course work (24 hours). Upon successful completion of this course work, the graduate will receive the Associate of Science degree and be eligible for the NBRC entry level exam (CRT).
The Respiratory Therapy Program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP).
Admission/Interview Requirements
Students who have successfully completed the designated qualification courses for the Associate of Science degree, who are of a minimum age of 18 by the beginning of the clinical semester and who have a minimum GPA of 2.500 in all qualification courses with a minimum of a "C" in each qualification course and submit a program application by the published deadline, are eligible to appear before the Program Selection Committee in July/August for an interview. The Selection Committee is composed of the program director, clinical and academic coordinators, College personnel, and area professionals working in respiratory therapy. Only those students who have completed the application packet by June 15 will be qualified to interview. Selection for first year clinicals is based upon the following:
- Minimum of "C" in each qualification course.
- Overall GPA of 2.000 and minimum of 2.500 in required qualification courses.
- Completion of three (3) academic rating forms or two (2) academic rating forms and one (1) employee rating form.
Documentation of eight (8) hours of clinical observation. - Post interview assessment by selection committee to include language skills, personal appearance, demeanor, past academic achievements, knowledge of the profession, and job experience, if applicable.
Students will be notified by mail of acceptance or rejection for entry into fall clinical course work. Clinical class size is determined by clinical site availability and employment statistics.
Students wanting to continue with the Certificate of Technical Studies in Respiratory Therapy will apply to the program in the spring semester. Enrollment in this program is based upon successful completion of the Associate of Science with cumulative GPA of 2.000 in all course work and a 2.500 GPA in all clinical work.
Special Requirements
- All students selected for respiratory therapy clinicals must provide all required clinical information (listed earlier in this section) including:
- A completed health status statement form from a physician, laboratory immunization/testing reports for mumps, measles, rubella, tetanus, tuberculosis, varicella zoster, and Hepatitis B and any others required by the hospital/clinical facility and documentation of laboratory testing for negative drug screening.
- Students must also maintain current health insurance coverage while in the program and submit a signed consent/release for criminal background check.
- Once accepted into clinicals, students will pay a clinical fee in addition to regular tuition and fees during each clinical semester.
- Students must maintain a minimum grade of C (70%) or better in all clinical course work to remain in the program. Any student who fails to maintain a 70% while in clinicals will be terminated from the program. The student may reapply and re-interview for the next class the following year if he/she wishes to continue to pursue the RT degree. If reaccepted, it will be at the discretion of the program director as to which course(s) must be remediated or audited based on results of the student's prior performance in the program
Program Curriculum (Courses Required)
| Required courses for the Associate of Science in Respiratory Therapy: | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Literacy Requirement (competency exam or CIS 105) | ||
| First Semester Qualification Courses | Hours | |
| (All course work must be completed with a grade of "C" or higher.) | ||
| *ENGL 101: | Composition & Rhetoric I | 3 |
| CIS 105 | Computer Concepts | 3 |
| Psychology Elective | 3 | |
| ZLGY 110: | Medical Terminology | 3 |
| 12 | ||
| Second Semester Qualification Courses | Hours | |
| *ENGL 102: | Composition & Rhetoric II | 3 |
| *MATH 102: | College Algebra | 3 |
| ZLGY 124: | Human Anatomy | 3 |
| ZLGY 124L: | Human Anatomy Lab | 1 |
| *CHEM 107: | Introductory Chemistry | 3 |
| *CHEM 107L: | Introductory Chemistry Lab | 1 |
| 14 | ||
| Third Semester Qualification Courses | Hours | |
| Fine Arts Elective | 3 | |
| MATH: | Elective (112 or 114 suggested) | 3 |
| MICR 110: | Survey of Microbiology | 3 |
| MIRC 110L: | Survey of Microbiology Lab | 1 |
| *ZLGY 125: | Human Physiology | 3 |
| 13 | ||
| Fourth Semester Qualification Courses | Hours | |
| SPCH 110: | Principles of Speech | 3 |
| *PHSC 105: | Elemental Physics | 3 |
| *PHSC 105L: | Elemental Physics Lab | 1 |
| 7 | ||
| First Semester Clinicals | Hours | |
| RSTH 202: | Fundamentals of Respiratory Therapy | 4 |
| RSTH 203: | Cardiopulmonary Physiology I | 3 |
| RSTH 204: | Cardiopulmonary Pharmacology | 3 |
| RSTH 210: | Clinical Applications & Procedures I | 2 |
| 12 | ||
| Second Semester Clinicals | Hours | |
| RSTH 220: | Pulmonary Disease | 3 |
| RSTH 221: | Critical Care Concepts I | 4 |
| RSTH 225: | Clinical Applications & Procedures II | 2 |
| RSTH 226: | Clinical Seminars | 2 |
| RSTH 230: | Clinical Review Conferences | 1 |
| 12 | ||
| Total credit hours: | 70 | |
| *Students must meet prerequisite before taking course. | ||