Respiratory Care Technology

Description:

This curriculum prepares students as advanced practitioners in respiratory care technology. Students learn diagnostic and therapeutic procedures applicable to pulmonary care. Therapeutic procedures include use and administration of oxygen and other medical gases, aerosolization of drugs for inhalation, set up and maintenance of mechanical ventilators (to assist or control ventilation), performance of chest physical therapy maneuvers and certification in cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Respiratory care personnel perform diagnostic procedures such as pulmonary function studies and arterial blood gas analysis, and are involved in rehabilitation of the patient with cardiopulmonary abnormalities. 

The Respiratory Care Technology program is a 22-consecutive-month associate's degree program that is fully accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care. The Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care 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. Community College of Philadelphia's Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care program number is 200168.

Program Learning Outcomes:

Upon completion of this program graduates will be able to:

• Demonstrate knowledge and skills needed to successfully pass the NBRC licensing exam for CRT.
• Provide age-specific treatment, management, and care of patients with any type of cardiopulmonary problem.
• Assess and modify the treatment of patients to give quality care in the Respiratory medical setting.
• Demonstrate competent and safe use of all equipment used in the Respiratory medical setting.

Program Entry Requirements:

To apply to the program, applicants must have a diploma from an accredited high school or a state equivalency diploma.

Applicants must also fulfill the following requirements:

• Required knowledge and competency in anatomy and physiology as demonstrated by having taken and passed a four-credit, college-level Anatomy and Physiology I course (such as BIOL 109) with a grade of "C" or better.  The course must have been taken within the past 10 years.
• Placement in ENGL 101: English Composition I
• GPA of 2.8 or higher
• Attainment of sufficient skills in reading, writing and mathematics as demonstrated by performance on the Kaplan Health Care Test.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to complete all required biology and chemistry courses, BIOL 110, CHEM 110 or CHEM 101, and BIOL 241, before entering the program. If students complete the required biology and chemistry courses prior to program entry, the courses must be completed within the last ten years in order to count toward graduation.

Admission is considered conditional until all health and background information is received and reviewed. This is a select program, upon completion of the above documentation, the Admission Committee will review and score all applicants with particular attention to:

• Cumulative grade point average
• Strength of secondary/post-secondary academic curriculum
• Allied Health pre-entrance examination score

View the complete Respiratory Care Technology intake process.

Readmission: 

Students petitioning for a second admission to the program must have a 2.75 grade point average and will be readmitted only upon favorable recommendation of the entire faculty.

Clinical Experience Requirements:

Clinical experience in the program includes contact with children. Acceptance to the program is conditional pending receipt and evaluation of a criminal background check and child abuse clearance check. Completed checks must be received by the program director by October 1st, during the fall semester of the first year of the program.

The following guidelines are used in making decisions about an applicant's criminal and child abuse background:

Child Abuse Clearance:

Any record results in denial of admission into the Respiratory Care program.

Criminal Background Checks:

• Any felony conviction within the past 10 years results in denial of admission to the Respiratory Care program.
• Any felony conviction more than 10 years old will be evaluated based on the nature of the offense, length of time since the offense and any explanatory letters/materials submitted by the applicant or student.
• Any misdemeanor will be evaluated based on the nature of the offense, length of time since the offense and explanatory letter/materials submitted by the applicant or student. (Any punishment over one year indicates a felony according to federal sentencing guidelines.)

Note: The State has the final decision when granting a license.

Progression:

Reconsideration:

An applicant who believes that an error of fact has been made in terms of the information provided to the decision-making committee can request reconsideration by the committee. This request must be made in writing within 10 days from the date of the letter notifying the applicant of the decision. The reconsideration should address what the applicant considers to be errors of fact.

Following reconsideration by the decision-making committee, the applicant can appeal the committee's decision to the Vice President for Academic and Student Success whose decision is final.

Health and Screening Requirements:

Program of Study and Graduation Requirements:

To qualify for the Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree as a respiratory care practitioner, a student must complete 70 credit hours as prescribed and attain a grade point average of 2.0 ("C" average).

Act 53 of 2020 Best Practices Guide

Act 53 of 2020 made sweeping changes to the occupational licensing rules that govern the use of criminal history information in determining whether to grant, deny, suspend, or revoke a professional license.

Respiratory Therapists in Pennsylvania are licensed by the State Board of Medicine and the State Board of Osteopathic Medicine. Certain offenses may constitute grounds for refusal to issue, suspension, or revocation of a license, certificate, registration, or permit issued by these boards. Involvement in any incident which resulted in disciplinary action against a student at Community College of Philadelphia or any post-secondary institution is considered in the admissions process.

Act 53 of 2020

On July 1, 2020, Governor Tom Wolf signed into law Act 53 of 2020, which made sweeping changes to the occupational licensing rules that govern the use of criminal history information in determining whether to grant, deny, suspend, or revoke a professional license.

With regard to the consideration of criminal convictions, Act 53:

• Prohibits BPOA’s licensing boards and commissions from denying licensure based on considerations of “good moral character,” “crimes of moral turpitude,” or “ethical or honest practice.”
• Requires each board and commission to develop and publish a schedule of criminal offenses that may constitute grounds to deny, suspend or revoke a license. The list must also identify which crimes are likely to pose a barrier to licensure because they are considered to be offenses “directly related” to the occupation/profession.
• Provides for an “individualized assessment” of each license applicant using objective, detailed criteria that includes rehabilitation and public safety.
• Provides a process for individuals who have criminal convictions to request a “preliminary determination” as to whether a particular conviction will be a bar to licensure. This new tool will enable people with criminal convictions to find out if their convictions would prevent them from getting a license − before enrolling in a training or educational program, before investing significant time and resources, and before formally applying for licensure.

For additional information regarding ACT 53 of 2020 Best Practices Guide: Commonwealth of Pennsylvania ACT 53

The Respiratory Care Technology program reserves the right to deny admission to any applicant who has a documented history of violating College rules and regulations or who has been previously suspended or expelled from the College or any other post-secondary educational institution.

Course Sequence:

Semester 1

Course Number and Name	Prerequisites and Corequisites	Credits	Gen Ed Req.
RESP 100 - Introduction to Respiratory Care Technologies	RESP 101 which must be taken concurrently	4 credits
RESP 101 - Respiratory Care Techniques	RESP 100 must be taken concurrently	4 credits
ENGL 101 - English Composition I or ENGL 101H - English Composition I (Honors)		3 credits	Writing, Research, Info Lit 1
BIOL 110 - Anatomy and Physiology II	BIOL 109 with a grade of "C" or better	4 credits	Scientific Reasoning
MATH 149 - Introductory Data Analysis with Algebra or MATH 150 - Introductory Data Analysis	MATH 149: FNMT 016 or placement in FNMT 017 or FNMT 019  MATH 150: FNMT 017 or FNMT 019 completed or placement in FNMT 118 or higher	3 or 4 credits	Quantitative Reasoning

Semester 2

Course Number and Name	Prerequisites and Corequisites	Credits	Gen Ed Req.
RESP 102 - Respiratory Pharmacology, Modalities, and Airway Management	RESP 100 and RESP 101	4 credits
CIS 103 - Introduction to Information Technology		3 credits	Technological Competency
ENGL 102 - The Research Paper or ENGL 102H - The Research Paper (Honors)	ENGL 101 with a grade of "C" or better	3 credits	Writing, Research, Info Lit 2

Summer 1

Course Number and Name	Prerequisites and Corequisites	Credits	Gen Ed Req.
RESP 103 - Introduction to Cardiopulmonary Pathophysiology	RESP 102	3 credits
CHEM 110 - Introductory Chemistry or CHEM 101 - Fundamentals of Chemistry I (Lab Based)		4 credits

Summer 2

Course Number and Name	Prerequisites and Corequisites	Credits	Gen Ed Req.
RESP 104 - Clinical Practicum I	RESP 103	3 credits

Semester 3

Course Number and Name	Prerequisites and Corequisites	Credits	Gen Ed Req.
RESP 210 - Cardiopulmonary Pathophysiology I	BIOL 110 with a grade of "C" or better; CHEM 110 or CHEM 101, with a grade of "C" or better; CIS 103,  ENGL 102, and RESP 104; and RESP 220, which must be taken concurrently	4 credits
RESP 220 - Advanced Respiratory Care Procedures	RESP 104, RESP 210 must be taken concurrently	5 credits
BIOL 241 - Principles of Microbiology	BIOL 106 or BIOL 108, and BIOL 109 or BIOL 123, both with a grade "C" or better	4 credits

Semester 4

Course Number and Name	Prerequisites and Corequisites	Credits	Gen Ed Req.
CMS 115 - Public Speaking	ENGL 101, which may be taken concurrently	3 credits	Oral Communication/ Creative Expression
RESP 211 - Cardiopulmonary Pathophysiology II	BIOL 241 with a grade of "C" or better, RESP 210, RESP 211 which must be taken concurrently	4 credits
SOC 101 - Introduction to Sociology or SOC 101H - Introduction to Sociology (Honors)		3 credits	Cultural Analysis & Interpretation
RESP 221 - Adult Critical Care	RESP 220, RESP 211 which must be taken concurrently	6 credits

Summer 1

Course Number and Name	Prerequisites and Corequisites	Credits	Gen Ed Req.
RESP 299 - Clinical Practicum II	RESP 211 and RESP 221 with a grade of "C" or better	3 credits

Minimum Credits Needed to Graduate:

70

General Education Requirements:

All general education requirements necessary for graduation are met through the courses in the program as indicated above. Students who wish to take courses that differ from the general education courses indicated above must complete a course substitution request form. To access the form, login to the MyCCP portal, and in the Student tab, under Electronic Forms, click on the Records and Registration Forms link, then choose Request For Course Substitution Of Graduation Requirement link. A more detailed explanation of the College's general education requirements is also available.

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