Respiratory therapy is an allied health specialty, whose practitioners are employed, under medical direction, to provide treatment, management, diagnostic evaluation, and care to patients with deficiencies or abnormalities associated with the process of breathing.

Respiratory therapists work side-by-side with physicians, nurses, and other health care team members to treat patients ranging in age from premature infants to the elderly. Their duties vary from the administration of oxygen, humidity, and aerosols and the drainage of lung secretions, to the use of technologically sophisticated monitoring devices and treatment techniques in order to assure the survival of patients with life threatening conditions such as head or chest trauma.

Some practitioners choose to spend the majority of their time working in diagnostic laboratories, where they assist in the evaluation of the type and extent of a patient’s pulmonary dysfunction and evaluate the effectiveness of the patient’s current therapy. Other practitioners may choose to work in specialized areas of respiratory care, including education, management, home care, sales, research, and specialized areas of diagnostic testing or patient care such as cardiovascular diagnostics or care of infants and children.

Credentialing

The graduate of the respiratory therapy program is awarded the associate of applied science degree and is eligible to sit for the examinations of the National Board for Respiratory Care. Successful completion of the ‘‘entry-level’’ examination of the NBRC results in the student being awarded the CRT (Certified Respiratory Therapist) credential. Successful completion also results in graduates being eligible for a license to practice in any state currently having a licensure law. Finally, graduates who successfully complete the ‘‘entry-level’’ examination are also eligible to take the ‘‘advanced practitioner’’ examination of the NBRC. Successful completion of that examination results in the student being awarded the RRT (Registered Respiratory Therapist) credential by the NBRC.

Accreditation

In 1980 the Ohio Board of Regents approved the creation of this program of study, leading to the associate of applied science degree at Shawnee State University. The respiratory therapy program at Shawnee State is fully accredited by the Committee on Accreditation for Respiratory Care and the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs.

Employment Opportunities

Because of the rapid growth of the profession since its inception in the late 1940’s, many medical institutions have found that their need for trained respiratory therapy practitioners has exceeded supply. In addition, many clinics, nursing homes, and home care programs are realizing the potential benefits of having a trained respiratory care practitioner on staff. These needs, coupled with the ever-increasing number of cardiovascular disorders being diagnosed, should continue to assure that individuals who enter this profession will enjoy good career opportunities.

Academic Requirements

To remain in good standing in the respiratory therapy program, the following three conditions must be met:

• You must not receive a grade of “F” in any of the required courses listed in the curriculum.
• You must not receive a grade below a “C?” in any course with the RPTT prefix.
• You must earn an overall grade point average of 2.00 by the end of the third quarter and maintain it throughout the remainder of the program.

Failure to meet any one of the three stated conditions may result in dismissal from the respiratory therapy program. You may apply for readmission to the respiratory therapy program the following year, after you have successfully completed the required remedial work as detailed by the chairperson of the department at the time of dismissal.

Application to the Program

See the Associate Degree Admission Requirements on page 140. Students applying to the respiratory therapy program with math and English ACT scores less than 19 and 22 respectively must take the Shawnee State placement examination if they have not completed mathematics and English courses at the college level. Students are also required, after their application folder is completed, to make an appointment with the chairperson of the respiratory therapy program, by calling 740.351.3235. This meeting is purely informational and has no bearing on admission decisions. All application materials must reach the admission office by February 1 in order for the applicant to be considered for the respiratory therapy program. Later applications may be considered based on qualifications and space available within the class.

Please Note

• Only those students who have been officially accepted into the respiratory therapy program or have received the approval of the department’s chairperson may take courses beginning with the RPTT prefix.
• After the first semester, all subsequent technical courses are closely related and, therefore, must be taken in sequential order.
• Applicants to the respiratory therapy program must complete a shadowing experience in the Respiratory Department at a local hospital.