Respiratory Care, A.A.S.

Wendy Singleton, Respiratory Care Program Director
(304)367-4152
wdawson@pierpont.edu

Accrediting Agency

Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC -Probationary Status)
P.O. Box 54876
Hurst, TX 76054-4876
Phone: (817) 283-2835
Fax: (817) 354-8519

Program Purpose

To prepare graduates with demonstrated competence in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills, and affective (behavior) learning domains of respiratory care practice as performed by Registered Respiratory Therapist (RPTs).

Admission Requirements

Admission into the Respiratory Care, A.A.S. program is based upon the following criteria:

1. Apply to Pierpont Community and Technical College for the term you want to begin the program and meet the general admission requirements or be a current student
   1. First-time students should select “Health Sciences: Respiratory Care” as their educational goal on their application.
2. Complete the Respiratory Care application. Applications and supporting documentation are due to the Admission’s Office by October 15. Applicants who are not admitted must reapply if they wish to be considered for the next academic year.
3. Submit all required documents (Official ACT or SAT scores; High School Equivalency Exam or high school transcripts; any college transcripts to the Admission’s Office) prior to the Respiratory Care application deadline.
4. Have a high school and/or college GPA of 2.5 or better or passing score on High School Equivalency Exam. GPA will be evaluated based on high school transcripts or passing score on High School Equivalency Exam for students with less than 10 hours of college credit.   
5. Successfully completed the following courses with a “C” or higher prior to admission to the program: MTH 1207, ENGL 1104, HLCA 1170, and HLCA 1171

Qualified students are accepted until capacity is met.

*Students can begin the program in the spring semester.

Program Requirements

• Students must pass a criminal background clearance check, meet health and immunization requirements, and drug testing.
• Students must be able to meet the essential functions of the program and classes, with or without accommodations.
• Students will need to provide their own transportation to assigned clinical sites.

Students must complete each course in the Respiratory Care program model schedule with a grade of “C” or higher and maintain an overall 2.0 GPA to remain in the program. Failure to meet any of these requirements will result in dismissal from the program. Students who have been dismissed may reapply to the program and their credentials will be reevaluated.

Upon completion of the required curriculum, graduates are eligible to take the national certifying examinations for Respiratory Therapist. Successful completion of the program does not guarantee job placement or success on the NBRC exams.

Opportunities

Completion of this program leads to an Associate of Applied Science degree in Respiratory Care and eligibility for the Therapist Multiple Choice (TMC) examination and Clinical Simulation Examination (CSE) which can result in the Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT) and/Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) credentials. Additional credentials that may be challenged include: Certified and Registered Pulmonary Function Technologist (CPFT, RPFT), Neonatal Pediatric Specialist (NPS), Asthma Educator Certificate (AE-C) and Adult Critical Care Specialty (ACCS).

As certified or Registered Therapist graduates may expect to find employment in home care, acute and sub-acute setting, diagnostic laboratories, research, case management, sleep laboratories, and asthma education.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of respiratory therapist is expected to increase faster than average over the next decade. According to the 2009 Human Resources study from the AARC, the projected average annual earnings of RTs working in the U.S. is $62,223. In this study, and depending on the areas of the country, therapists just beginning their careers reported average annual earnings ranging from $42,078- $47,297

Program Data

The Pierpont Community and Technical College’s Respiratory Care Program at Pierpont’s Advanced Technology Center offers a two-year Associates Degree in Applied Science, CoARC program number 200632, and holds Provisional Accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (www.coarc.com).

This status signifies that a program with an Approval of Intent has demonstrated sufficient compliance with the Standards (through submission of an acceptable Provisional Accreditation Self Study Report (PSSR) and any other documentation required by the CoARC, as well as satisfactory completion of an initial on-site visit), to be allowed to admit students. It is recognized as an accredited program by the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC), which provides enrolled students who complete the program with eligibility for the Respiratory Care Credentialing Examinations (s). The program will remain on Provisional Accreditation until it achieves Continuing Accreditation.

Program Outcome Data for all programs can be found at this URL https://coarc.com/students/programmatic-outcomes-data/

Respiratory Care Essential Functions  

Respiratory Care Student Clinical Handbook  

2022 Respiratory Care Student Handbook  

2023 Respiratory Care Student Handbook