Respiratory Therapy, AAS

The Associate of Applied Science in Respiratory Therapy (RT) is a cooperative effort (consortium agreement) between Bossier Parish Community College, the School of Allied Health Professions at LSU Health Shreveport, and area hospital clinical affiliates to prepare graduates with demonstrated competence in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains of advanced respiratory care practice as performed by advanced practicing registered respiratory therapists (RRTs). Respiratory Therapists are employed to participate, with medical direction in the treatment, management, diagnostic evaluation, and care of patients with deficiencies and abnormalities of the cardiopulmonary system.

The RT Clinical Program consists of prerequisite course work (36 credit hours) and four (4) semesters of program course work (34 credit hours). Upon successful completion of all course work, the graduate will receive the Associate of Applied Science degree in Respiratory Therapy and be eligible for the NBRC Therapist Multiple Choice Exam (TMC) in order to attain the entry-level (CRT) and advanced-level (RRT) credentials.

The Bossier Parish Community College RT Program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC); 264 Precision Blvd, Telford, TN, 37690, Phone: 817-283-2835, https://www.coarc.com/.

This program articulates with one or more institutions or agencies. Refer to the Articulation Agreements  section of the catalog for further detail.

Learning Outcomes:

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

1. effective written, electronic and verbal communication with a diverse population of healthcare professionals, patients, and families in order to effectively provide respiratory care in adult outpatient, 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 dynamically anticipate, critically assess, recognize, research, and provide timely solutions in the treatment of the patient with respiratory disorders in the adult outpatient, acute, and intensive care clinical setting;
4. the utilization of mathematical operations, graphical data, and formulas necessary to perform pharmacological and physiological calculations; and
5. use of emerging technologies in the delivery and documentation of respiratory care.

This program includes a required clinical component. Persons interested in pursuing this degree should be aware of all information concerning clinical programs described on the Division of Science, Nursing, and Allied Health  page.

Specific Requirements:

To be eligible to be considered for admission to the RT Clinical Program courses, the student must:

1. have completed all prerequisite course works with a minimum grade of C;
2. have a cumulative GPA of 2.00 and a minimum of 2.50 in the prerequisite course work
3. have attended the annual mandatory applicant orientation for Respiratory Therapy;
4. be a minimum age of 18 by the clinical program start date;
5. have submitted a completed program application by the published deadline (April 15); and
6. appear before the Program Selection Committee for an interview.

In order to be considered eligible and competitive for admittance into the clinical RT program, all core science coursework must have been completed within the last 10 years prior to the application deadline date for the current year of anticipated program admittance. It is recommended that all Anatomy and Physiology courses with applicable labs (i.e. BLGY 230 , BLGY 231 ) be completed within 5 years prior to the current year of application

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

1. grade point average (cumulative and prerequisite-specific)
2. scores on assessment(s) performed during the annual mandatory applicant orientation for Respiratory Therapy
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.¹

¹All subjective and objective metrics will be considered in the overall evaluation of RT clinical applicants

Students will be notified by mail of acceptance or rejection for entry into Summer program course work. The program class size is determined by clinical site availability and occupational statistics.

All students selected for the RT Clinical Program must provide all required information for programs with a clinical component including a 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 other tests and documentations required by the hospital/clinical facility to include proof 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 in addition to meeting all course learning outcomes. Any student who fails to maintain a 70% in any of the clinical program courses will be dismissed 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: