Respiratory Care, AAS

Program Start Date: Fall term
Minimum Program Length: 100 academic weeks; 7 terms, day; 77 credits
Program ID: AAS.RES
Curriculum Code: 35215

Program Description

The respiratory therapist is one of the most critical members of any health care team. Respiratory therapists work closely with doctors to diagnose, treat, manage, and educate patients with asthma, emphysema, and a wide range of other respiratory problems. Respiratory care students learn to assess a patient’s need for respiratory care, administer the therapy, evaluate the patient’s response, and modify the care to provide the maximum benefit to the patient.

Practical Experience

Students develop skills through lab simulations and clinical rotations at affiliated hospitals and other designated health care agencies.

Professional Opportunities

Registered respiratory therapists work in hospitals providing therapy, intensive care units managing ventilators, in emergency rooms delivering life-saving treatments, in newborn and pediatric units helping children with conditions ranging from premature birth to cystic fibrosis, in patients’ homes providing regular check-ups, in sleep laboratories helping diagnose disorders such as sleep apnea, in skilled nursing facilities and pulmonary rehabilitation programs helping older people get more out of life and in physicians’ offices conducting pulmonary function tests and providing patient education.

Unique Aspects

A criminal background investigation (CBI) and drug testing are required at student expense for each Health and Human Services student who has been accepted into a Spartanburg Community College curriculum program of study. For more information, please visit the Criminal Background Investigations and Drug Testing information section of the SCC webpage.

Graduates are eligible to apply and take the Therapist Multiple Choice examination. Graduates who earn the upper cut score are then eligible to take the Computer Simulation Exam to obtain Registry Credentials.

EEDA Career Cluster:

Health Sciences

Program Learning Outcomes:

Students will be able to:

1. Successfully complete all self-assessment board preparation exams as they progress through the program.
2. Demonstrate the ability to speak publicly, listen actively, and respond effectively.
3. Demonstrate competence in cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective. (behavior) learning domains of respiratory care practice as performed by registered respiratory therapists (RRTs).
4. Demonstrate knowledge and skills needed to successfully pass the TMC exam with the high cut score as determined by the NBRC.
5. Apply medical ethics and law specific to the practice of respiratory care.

Prerequisites:

• One-unit high school biology or chemistry or equivalent

The Respiratory Care program is a two-year full-time Associate in Applied Science degree program offered at the Giles (Main) SCC campus.  The program consists of seven semesters and is divided into two phases.  Phase I (prerequisites) includes the general education courses that must be completed prior to applying for Phase II which includes the Respiratory Care professional curriculum.  Completion of Phase I does not guarantee progression to Phase II of the program.  Upon successful completion of all Phase I courses, qualified students may apply for acceptance into Phase II of the program.  A selective ranking system is used that includes the grades earned in Phase I and the grade point average related to the Phase I courses. 

The first semester is designed for completion of Phase I (prerequisites) general education courses required for submission of an application to Phase II (professional curriculum).  Phase II (professional curriculum) is designed to be completed in semesters 2-7.