2024-2025 Catalog

Respiratory Care (RCT3) Associate of Applied Science Degree

Campus Availability and Advisement:

Program Video 



Program Description:

The Respiratory Care program is a sequence of courses that prepares students for careers in the field of Respiratory Care. Learning opportunities develop academic and professional knowledge and skills required for job acquisition, retention, and advancement. The program emphasizes specialized training in areas such as pulmonary and cardiac pharmacology, medical gases, humidity/aerosol therapy, positive pressure ventilation, incentive spirometry, patient assessment, postural drainage, percussion/vibration, assessment of diseases and conditions, critical respiratory care, advanced critical care monitoring, pulmonary function testing, and pediatric and neonatal respiratory care. 

In addition, the goal and mission of the Respiratory Care Program is “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 therapists (RRTs).

Program graduates receive a Respiratory Care Associate Degree which qualifies them to apply to take the examinations to become a Registered Respiratory Therapist. The Therapist Multiple-Choice Examination is designed to objectively measure essential knowledge, skills, and abilities required of entry-level respiratory therapists, as well as determine eligibility for the Clinical Simulation Examination. To work in the state of Georgia, all respiratory care practitioners must apply and be granted a license. The CRT and/or RRT credentials are used as the basis for the licensure in all of the 49 states that regulate the practice of respiratory care.

The Respiratory Care Technology program at Georgia Northwestern Technical College is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC) (www.coarc.com).Georgia Northwestern Technical College Respiratory Care CoARC #200485. CoARC accredits respiratory therapy education programs in the United States. To achieve this end, it utilizes an ‘outcomes based’ process. Programmatic outcomes are performance indicators that reflect the extent to which the educational goals of the program are achieved and by which program effectiveness is documented. Programmatic Outcomes Data can be found at https://coarc.com/students/programmatic-outcomes-data/

Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC)
264 Precision Blvd.
Telford, TN 37690
(817) 283-2835
www.coarc.com

Entrance Dates:

Beginning of any semester for pre-occupational curriculum. Spring semester for occupational curriculum.

Entrance Requirements:

Age: 17 years old for entrance into Health Technology pre-occupational curriculum
18 years old for entrance into Health Technology programs

Pre-Occupational Curriculum (28 Credit Hours)

ENGL 1101Composition and Rhetoric

3

OR

COMM 1100Human Communication

3

OR

SPCH 1101Public Speaking

3

 

XXXX xxxxSocial/Behavioral Sciences Elective

3

 

MATH 1101Mathematical Modeling

3

OR

MATH 1111College Algebra

3

OR

MATH 1103Quantitative Skills and Reasoning

3

OR

MATH 1113Precalculus

3

OR

MATH 1127Introduction to Statistics

3

OR

MATH 1131Calculus I

4

 

XXXX xxxxHumanities/Fine Arts Elective

3

BIOL 2113Anatomy and Physiology I

3

BIOL 2113LAnatomy and Physiology Lab I

1

BIOL 2114Anatomy and Physiology II

3

BIOL 2114LAnatomy and Physiology Lab II

1

BIOL 2117Introductory Microbiology

3

BIOL 2117LIntroductory Microbiology Lab

1

CHEM 1211Chemistry I

3

AND

CHEM 1211LChemistry Lab I

1

OR

CHEM 1151Survey of Inorganic Chemistry

3

AND

CHEM 1151LSurvey of Inorganic Chemistry Lab

1

Occupational Curriculum (50 Credit Hours)

RESP 1110Pharmacology

3

RESP 1120Introduction to Respiratory Therapy

3

RESP 1130Respiratory Therapy Lab I

4

RESP 1193Cardiopulmonary Anatomy and Physiology

4

RESP 2090Clinical Practice I

2

RESP 2100Clinical Practice II

2

RESP 2110Pulmonary Disease

3

RESP 2120Critical Respiratory Care

2

RESP 2130Mechanical Ventilation and Airway Management

4

RESP 2140Advanced Critical Care Monitoring

1

RESP 2150Pulmonary Function Testing

1

RESP 2160Neonatal Pediatric Respiratory Care

3

RESP 2170Advanced Respiratory Care Seminar

3

RESP 2180Clinical Practice III

2

RESP 2190Clinical Practice IV

2

RESP 2200Clinical Practice V

3

RESP 2220Clinical Practice VI

7

RESP 2270Rehabilitation and Home Care

1

Total Credit Hours: 78 Minimum Credit Hours for Graduation