Respiratory Care, AAS

(Cooperative Program with J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College)

Degree: Associate of Applied Science in Respiratory Therapy with a major in Respiratory Therapy WCC and JRCC jointly offer the Associate of Applied Science Degree in Respiratory Therapy through a distance learning partnership. Students may complete general education courses at WCC. Respiratory Therapy courses are offered through JSRCC. The program consists of a combination of traditional and distance learning modalities. This program is an extension of the Respiratory Therapy program located in Richmond, Virginia. Students are selected for the Respiratory Therapy degree program by JSRCC.

Purpose: The degree in Respiratory Therapy is designed to prepare students for roles as contributing members of the modern health care team concerned with treatment, management, and care of patients with breathing, cardiovascular, and sleep abnormalities.

Occupational Objectives: Occupational objectives include employment opportunities as respiratory therapy practitioners in hospitals, clinics, research facilities, home care agencies, and alternate care sites. The respiratory therapy practitioner will be able to administer gas therapy, humidity therapy, aerosol therapy, and hyperinflation therapy; assist with mechanical ventilation, special therapeutic and diagnostic procedures, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and airway management techniques; and follow therapeutic protocols. The respiratory therapy practitioner works under the supervision of a physician.

Admission Requirements General college curricular admission

Program Notes: The Respiratory Therapy program offers courses in both traditional and distance learning formats. All distance learning courses within the curriculum are classified as distance learning with inperson or proctor requirements. This means that most of the instruction for the course is delivered online and that students will be required to make a limited number of trips to a campus site for labs, presentations, and other class activities or to a community site for clinical or internships. Also, some courses may require proctored testing that can be done at Wytheville testing centers, testing sites at other VCCS colleges, or an approved site outside the state of Virginia.

In order to complete the Respiratory Therapy program, students will be required to attend both day and evening classes.

Applying to the Program: Applicants must complete the following:

1. Fulfill all prerequisites by the end of the spring semester in the year the student is applying for acceptance into the associate degree.
2. Submit a portfolio by February 1 to include a completed Respiratory Therapy application and an unofficial transcript.
3. Communicate with the program director or distance education coordinator.

Students completing the Respiratory Therapy prerequisites must do the following:

• Take the Mathematics Virginia Placement Test (VPT) and complete through MTE 5 if developmental mathematics is required based on placement test results. Students completing college algebra with a grade of “C” or better can use this course to satisfy the program’s math requirement.
• Achieve a grade of “C” or better in BIO 141  and BIO 142 .
• Attain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.5 in ENG 111 , Social/Behavioral Science Elective, Humanities/Fine Arts Elective, BIO 141 , BIO 142 , RTH 102 , and RTH 121 .

Computer Competency Requirement: Students in this program will meet the college’s computer competency requirement by successfully completing ITE 115  or CSC 155 .

Acceptance into the Program: Students are accepted into the Respiratory Therapy AAS degree based on completion of the pre-requisite courses with a minimum GPA of 2.5 or higher (not to include SDV 100 , ITE 115  or Math as part of the GPA calculation) and competitive ranking of their pre-requisite GPAs. The program director will notify students by the middle of June regarding acceptance.

Non-Acceptance into the Program: Students not accepted into the program must reapply by the February 1 deadline. Previously submitted portfolios will not be carried over to the next year’s applicant pool.

Acceptance into Clinical Courses: Students who have been accepted into the program must secure transportation to and from facilities used for clinical experiences.

Students will be placed in clinical courses (RTH 190 or higher) when they have submitted the following:

1. Completed physical examination form provided by the program, which includes a yearly PPD and flu vaccination, as well as an immunization schedule.
2. Documentation of a current CPR Healthcare Provider Certification (American Heart Association), with bi-annual recertification.
3. Certified background check and drug screening. (Applicants who do not pass the background check and/or drug screening will not be allowed to enroll in any Respiratory Therapy clinical course. Without completing the clinical component of the program students will not be eligible for curriculum completion.)

NOTE: The above requirements are at the student’s expense.

Functional Skills Requirements: Students entering the Respiratory Therapy program must possess the following functional skills:

• Sufficient eyesight, including color vision, to observe patients, perform and visualize patient assessments, manipulate equipment, and visually read patient records, graphs, and test results.
• Sufficient hearing to communicate with patients and members of the health care delivery team, monitor patients using electronic equipment, and hear necessary sounds during operation of equipment.
• Satisfactory speaking, reading, and writing skills to effectively communicate in English in a timely manner.
• Sufficient gross and fine motor coordination to exhibit excellent eye-hand coordination and dexterity to manipulate equipment, lift, stoop, and bend in the delivery of safe patient care.
• Satisfactory physical strength and endurance to be on one’s feet for extended periods and move heavy equipment, patients, and supplies. Sitting, walking, bending, and reaching motions are also requirements for respiratory therapists.
• Satisfactory intellectual, emotional, and psychological health and functioning to ensure patient safety and to exercise independent judgment and discretion in performing assigned tasks.
• Time management of multiple priorities, multiple stimuli, and fast-paced environments.
• Analysis and critical-thinking skills.

Progression through the Program: The college offers this program in affiliation with the healthcare agencies and practitioners in the communities the college serves. The college relies on its community affiliates to provide clinical education opportunities for its students, expert clinical preceptors, and course instructors for many courses. The often rapid changes in healthcare law, standards of practice, technology, and content of credentialing examinations increasingly necessitate sudden changes in the program’s course content, policies, procedures, and course scheduling. As a result, the college cannot guarantee every student continuous and uninterrupted clinical and course instruction as outlined in the printed catalog curriculum for this program. Circumstances beyond the control of the college may necessitate the postponement of course offerings or changes in the sequencing and/or location of scheduled courses or clinical assignments. Additionally, the college may have to change the  instructor for courses after instruction has started.

Continuation in the Program: A student must obtain permission from the program head to continue in the Respiratory Therapy program under the following conditions: 1) a grade below “C” is earned in any major course; 2) overall GPA falls below a 2.0 average in any one semester.

Re-Entry into the Program: Should a student leave the program for any reason and subsequently wish to be readmitted, a new application must be submitted. The student’s new application will be reviewed under the competitive admissions process. If a student is readmitted into the program, an objective evaluation will be used to determine placement within the curriculum based on evaluated didactic and laboratory competencies. Students who leave the program for more than two semesters will be required to repeat the program in its entirety.

Clinical Contracts: Individual contracts are in effect with each affiliate clinical agency, and these contracts differ in requirements for students. The general stipulations are as follows:

1. Clinical agencies reserve the right to dismiss a student from their agency at any time with due cause. This will be done with advanced notice except in an emergency.
2. Proper uniform must be worn.
3. Published hospital policies must be followed.
4. Immunizations must be current.
5. The student releases the facility, its agency, and employees from any liability for any injury or death to self or damage to personal property arising out of the clinical agreement or use of the facility.
6. The student is financially responsible for any medical care required while in the clinical setting.
7. The student must have a current American Heart Association or American Red Cross CPR certification at the BLS level for Health Care provider.
8. A criminal background check and drug screening are required of all entering students.

Financial Requirements:
Books and Supplies		$850 1st semester
		$100 per subsequent semester
Miscellaneous Fees:
	ACLS			$170
	DataArc			$70
	Self-Assessment Exit Exams			$230
	Seminar			$300
Identification Badge				$15
Uniform /Shoes/Stethoscope				$175
Criminal Background Check and Drug Screening				$90
Physical Examination				Varies
Immunizations and Titers				Varies
Note: The above costs are approximate and subject to change.

Program Exit Exam: Every student is required to pass comprehensive exit exams before being added to the National Board for Respiratory Care’s electronic eligibility database. The cost of the exams is added as a course fee.

Program Accreditation and Practitioner Certification: The Respiratory Therapy program is accredited through the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care, 1248 Harwood Road, Bedford, TX 76021-4244, (817) 283-2835. Graduates of the AAS program are eligible to take the Therapist Multiple-Choice Examination administered by the National Board for Respiratory Care, Inc. Successful completion of the Therapist Multiple-Choice Examination will award graduates with the CRT (Certified Respiratory Therapist) credential and the possibility of becoming eligible to take the Clinical Simulation Examination. Successful completion of the Clinical Simulation Examination will award graduates with the RRT (Registered Respiratory Therapist) credential.

After obtaining the minimum CRT credential graduates must apply for a license in the state they are seeking employment. State licensure is a process overseen by the Board of Medicine. Graduates are therefore responsible for licensure requirements and fees for that state. It also the responsibility of graduates to maintain their credentials (CRT or RRT) through the National Board for Respiratory Care, Continuing Competency Program.