Respiratory Care Technology, A.A.S.

Purpose

The Respiratory Care Technology Program at Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College is designed to meet the growing needs of the healthcare industry focusing on Respiratory Therapy. Respiratory Therapists work in all types of healthcare settings to evaluate, treat, and care for patients with breathing or other cardiopulmonary disorders. Practicing under the direction of a physician they will assume primary responsibility for all respiratory care therapeutic treatments and diagnostic procedures. The graduate of the Respiratory Care Technology Program will be eligible to sit for the Certified Respiratory Therapist Exam and the Registered Respiratory Therapist exam offered by the National Board of Respiratory Therapy provided all eligibility requirements are met.

The full Respiratory Care Technology Program is available on the Williamson and Wyoming/McDowell Campuses. The Boone/Lincoln and Logan campuses offer the general education/program support courses only.

Program Level Outcomes:

Graduates must be competent to perform all diagnostic and therapeutic procedures required of a Respiratory Therapist entering the profession.
Graduates must be able to function proficiently within inter-professional teams and communicate effectively with diverse populations. The curriculum must prepare students to work with, and care for, a variety of populations including, but not limited to, individual of various ages, abilities, and ethnicities.
Program graduates must exhibit adequate critical thinking skills and be competent in the application of problem-solving strategies in the patient care setting.

First Semester

BS 124 - ^Human Anatomy and Physiology I 4 Credit Hours
RC 101 - Assessment of the Cardiopulmonary Patient 3 Credit Hours
RC 102 - Respiratory Skills I 4 Credit Hours
RC 110 - Cardiopulmonary Pharmacology 3 Credit Hours
RC 120 - Clinical Rotation I 2 Credit Hours

Credit Hours: 16

Second Semester

BS 125 - ^Human Anatomy and Physiology II 4 Credit Hours
EN 101 - ~English Composition I 3 Credit Hours
RC 103 - Respiratory Sciences 3 Credit Hours
RC 104 - Respiratory Skills II 4 Credit Hours
RC 106 - Cardiopulmonary Pathology 2 Credit Hours
RC 121 - Clinical Rotation II 2 Credit Hours

Credit Hours: 18

Third Semester

RC 122 - Clincial Rotation III 1 Credit Hours

Credit Hours: 1

Fourth Semester

PY 218 - ~Life-Span Developmental Psychology 3 Credit Hours
RC 210 - Mechanical Ventilation I 4 Credit Hours
RC 220 - Clinical Rotation IV 2 Credit Hours
RC 230 - Neonatal and Pediatric Therapy 3 Credit Hours

Credit Hours: 12

Fifth Semester

AH 200 - Health Care Ethics and Law 1 Credit Hours (E)
RC 201 - Cardiopulmonary Diagnostics I 3 Credit Hours
RC 211 - Mechanical Ventilation II 4 Credit Hours
RC 221 - Clinical Rotation V 2 Credit Hours
RC 232 - Respiratory Care Profession 3 Credit Hours

Credit Hours: 13

Total Credit Hours: 60

~ Designates courses on the statewide Core Coursework Transfer Agreement.

^ Denotes course equivalency.

This degree program provides students the opportunity to receive credit for their high school EDGE courses (http://careertech.k12.wv.us/edge/edgeCollege.html) as designated by the (E) within the program sequence.