Quick Facts

A degree in Respiratory Care

Degree Facts

• 122 hours total credit hours
  • 4 terms of general education courses
  • 5 terms of respiratory care courses
• Respiratory care course instructor to student ratio
  • Classroom: 10 to 1
  • Basic Lab: 10 to 1
  • Advanced Lab: 5 to 1
  • Clinical Practicum: 6 to 1

Learning Experiences

Students have several distinct opportunities to engage with patients, families and healthcare professionals beyond traditional clinical experience.  These opportunities include:

• designing and teaching class for patients and families;
• working with healthcare leaders to design a continuous quality improvement initiative that improves patient care;
• conducting a “windshield survey” of local communities to identify potential risks to their health outcomes;
• participating in a “clinical internship” that allows them to focus on their specific area of interest.

A Career in Respiratory Care

Responsibilities

• Uniquely qualified to assist in diagnosing, treating, and managing acute and chronic cardiopulmonary disorders
• Treat patients in every age group
• Assist physicians in diagnostic interventions such as cardiac catheterizations, lung biopsies, and sleep studies
• Participate in specialized teams for emergent care such as rapid response teams, EMS transport, high-risk labor and delivery team

Credentials

National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC) awards the registered respiratory therapist (RRT) or a certified respiratory therapist (CRT) credentials. Additional requirements for licensure may be required by the state in which you practice. Upon successful completion of degree requirements, students at Baptist University can become candidates to receive the RRT and CRT credentials.

• RRT Credential
  • Candidates must achieve the high cut score on the Therapist Multiple-choice Examination (TMC) Examination and successfully complete the Clinical Simulation Examination (CSE).      
• CRT Credential
  • Candidates must achieve the low cut score on the TMC Examination or satisfy the high cut score on the TMC only.
• Respiratory therapists can also be awarded specialty credentials, beyond the RRT credential. After successful completion of the specific examination requirements, RRTs can receive the following credentials, as applicable the examination:
  • Adult Critical Care Specialist (ACCS)
  • Registered Pulmonary Function Technologist (RPFT)
  • Neonatal-Pediatric Respiratory Care Specialist (NPS)
  • Sleep Disorders Testing and Therapeutic Intervention Respiratory Care Specialist (SDS)

Employment

• Projected to grow 23% from 2016-2026 (US Department of Labor)
• Employment opportunities in hospitals, nursing care facilities, and physician offices.