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Bossier Parish Community College
2009 - 2010 General Catalog

 

 

Respiratory Therapy Associate of Applied Science

The Associate of Applied Science in Respiratory Therapy is a cooperative effort between Bossier Parish Community 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 Therapists are employed with medical direction in the treatment, management, diagnostic evaluation, and care of patients with deficiencies and abnormalities of the cardiopulmonary system.

The program consists of qualification course work (43 credit hours) and two (2) semesters of program course work (24 credit hours). Upon successful completion of the course work, the graduate will receive the Associate of Applied Science degree and be eligible for the NBRC entry level exam (CRT).

The BPCC Associate of Applied Science (AAS) in Respiratory Therapy is accredited by Commission on Accreditation of Respiratory Care (CoARC)/Commission for Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP).

Learning Outcomes:

Recipients of the Associate of Applied Science in Respiratory Therapy will be able to demonstrate:

  1. effective written, electronic and verbal communication with a diverse population of healthcare professional, patients, and families in order to effectively provide respiratory care in adult acute and intensive care clinical setting;
  2. clear and accurate documentation from verbal, written, and electronic communication to effectively provide respiratory care to patients;
  3. the ability to constantly anticipate, critically assess, recognize, and provide timely solutions in the treatment of the patient with respiratory disorders in the adult acute and intensive care clinical setting;
  4. utilization of mathematical operations, graphic data, and formulas necessary to perform pharmaceutical and physiological calculations; and
  5. use of emerging technologies in the delivery and documentation of respiratory care.

Specific Requirements:

To be eligible to be considered for admission to the program courses, the student must:

  1. have completed all qualification courses with a minimum grade of C;
  2. have a GPA of 2.00 and a minimum of 2.50 in the qualification courses
  3. have attended an annual mandatory Respiratory Therapy Applicant Orientation;
  4. be a minimum age of 18;
  5. have demonstrated computer competency through completion of a college level computer course or by successful completion of the competency exam;
  6. have submitted a completed program application by the published deadline (June 15); and
  7. appear before the Program Selection Committee for an interview.

The Program Selection Committee is composed of the program director, clinical and academic coordinators, College personnel, and area professionals working in respiratory therapy. Selection for the program is based upon the following:

  1. grade point average
  2. scores on assessment(s) performed during the annual mandatory Respiratory Therapy Applicant Orientation
  3. 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 program course work. The program class size is determined by clinical site availability and employment statistics.

All students selected for respiratory therapy program must provide all required clinical information for programs with a clinical component (listed earlier in this section) including a completed health status statement form completed by 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/alcohol screening. Students must also maintain current health insurance coverage while in the program and submit a signed consent/release for comprehensive background check. Once accepted into the program, students will pay a clinical fee in addition to regular tuition during each program semester. Students must maintain a minimum grade of C (70%) or better in all program course work to remain in the program. Any student who fails to maintain a 70% while in the program 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.

Required courses for Associate of Applied Science in Respiratory Therapy:

Qualification Courses
(must be completed with a grade of “C” or higher prior to entry into the program)
    Hours
ENGL 101: Composition & Rhetoric I 3
PSYC: Psychology Elective 3
BLGY 110: Medical Terminology 3
ENGL 102: Composition & Rhetoric II 3
MATH 102: College Algebra 3
BLGY 224/224L: Human Anatomy/Lab 4
CHEM 107/107L: Introductory Chemistry/Lab 4
Fine Arts Elective 3
MATH elective (112 or 114 suggested) 3
MICR 110/110L: Survey of Microbiology/Lab 4
BLGY 225: Human Physiology 3
SPCH 110: Principles of Speech 3
PHSC 105: Elemental Physics 3
PHSC 105L: Elemental Physics Lab 1
Students must have demonstrated competency in computer literacy through completion of a college-level computer science course or by successful completion of the competency exam.
Total qualification course hours: 43
Program Courses
First Semester 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 Hours
RSTH 220: Pulmonary Disease 3
RSTH 221: Critical Care Concepts I 4
RSTH 225: Clinical Applications & Procedures II 2
RSTH 226: Clinical Seminar 2
RSTH 230: Clinical Review Conferences 1
12
Total credit hours for the Associate of Applied Science in Respiratory Therapy 67

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