Associate of Science in Respiratory Therapy

* An Associate of Science degree is considered a terminal degree. The decision on course transferability rests with the receiving institution.

Program Description
Keiser University’s Associate of Science degree in Respiratory Therapy prepares students for employment as respiratory therapists under the supervision of licensed physicians.  A Respiratory Therapist provides education, diagnostic testing and respiratory therapy in the management of conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, acute cardio-respiratory failure, asthma, and other pulmonary pathologies. Graduates are eligible to take both the national certification examination and the national registry examination given by the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC) and are eligible to be licensed by the State of Florida. Responsibilities of a respiratory therapist include:

• Identifying lung and breathing disorders and recommending treatment methods.
• Interviewing patients and doing chest physical exams to determine what kind of therapy is best for their condition.
• Consulting with physicians to recommend a change in therapy, based on patient evaluation.
• Analyzing breath, tissue, and blood specimens to determine levels of oxygen and other gases.
• Managing ventilators and artificial airway devices for patients who can’t breathe normally on their own.
• Responding to Code Blue or other urgent calls for care.
• Educating patients and families about lung disease so they can maximize their recovery.  

Program Goals
To prepare graduates with demonstrated competence in cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains of respiratory care practice as performed by registered respiratory therapists (RRT’s).

Programmatic Outcomes Data (Published by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care)
Outcomes data from the 2011 Annual Report of Current Status has been posted on the CoARC website.  Follow this link directly to the Programmatic Outcomes Data page: http://www.coarc.com/47.html.

Program Objectives
The following objectives are designed to meet Keiser University’s Respiratory Therapy Program’s mission and goals:

• To provide an environment in which students demonstrate ethical behaviors, critical thinking skills and a commitment to lifelong learning
• Development of clinical skills, treatment techniques, understanding of methodology, and rationale for implementation and interpretation of diagnostics and cardio-respiratory care
• To provide the students with an academic foundation to adequately fulfill the role of a respiratory care practitioner in a clinical setting

Prerequisites for Major Courses

• Background check and drug screening
• Completion of general education courses with a minimum grade of “C” in each course
• Minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
• Minimum grade of “B” in Human Anatomy and Physiology I and II

Program Outline
To receive an Associate of Science degree in Respiratory Therapy, students must earn 88.0 credit hours.  Each course in the Respiratory Therapy major is a prerequisite for the subsequent course and must be completed with a grade of “C” or higher in order to progress to the next course in the sequence. Students must complete all courses in the program core.  Requirements are as follows:

Respiratory Therapy Major Courses (51.0 credit hours total)
Respiratory Therapy Fundamentals	4.0 credit hours
Respiratory Therapy Theory	4.0 credit hours
Clinical Respiratory Medicine	4.0 credit hours
Pharmacology for Respiratory Care	4.0 credit hours
Diagnostic Procedures in Respiratory Care	4.0 credit hours
Clinical Practicum I	3.0 credit hours
Clinical Practicum II	3.0 credit hours
Intensive Respiratory Care	4.0 credit hours
Special Topics in Respiratory Therapy	4.0 credit hours
Clinical Practicum III	3.0 credit hours
Pediatric and Neonatal Respiratory Therapy	4.0 credit hours
Clinical Practicum IV	3.0 credit hours
Clinical Practicum V	3.0 credit hours
Respiratory Therapy Management	4.0 credit hours

General Education Courses (37.0 credit hours) (pdf file)
To view the PDF file you will need to have Adobe Acrobat Reader. To download a free copy of this software click here or go to the Adobe website at www.adobe.com. 

* An Associate of Science Degree is considered a terminal degree and is not transferable.

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