Respiratory Therapy

Graduates of the Respiratory Therapy Program at South Texas College earn an Associate of Applied Science degree. The program is five semesters in length and combines classroom, laboratory and clinical education experiences. The program will prepare the student's knowledge, skills, and ethical attitude that will culminate in successful employment of the graduate as a licensed respiratory therapist. The student will complete and pass exit exams for graduation in preparation to take their national boards.

Note: This is a selective admission program based on a competitive point system.

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Selective/Competitive Entry Disclaimer

• Delivery: Full time day classes and clinical rotations
• Start: Fall Semester (application in Spring of the semester)
• Location: Nursing and Allied Health Campus and hospital clinical sites

Program Goals and Objectives

South Texas College has adopted the following Program goals and objectives for its twenty-four-month program leading to an Associate in Applied Science degree in Respiratory Therapy:

Basic Competency Goal: To compare 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).

Objective #1: Cognitive Domain Upon completion of the program, students will demonstrate the ability to comprehend, apply, and evaluate clinical information relevant to their role as advanced-level respiratory therapists. 

Objective #2: Affective Domain Upon completion of the program, graduates will demonstrate professional behavior consistent with employer expectations as advanced-level respiratory therapists. 

Objective #3: Psychomotor Domain Upon completion of the program, students will demonstrate technical proficiency in all the skills necessary to fulfill their roles as advanced-level respiratory therapists.

Program Accreditation

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

Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC)
https://www.coarc.com
CoARC ID# 200527

Programmatic Outcomes Data
https://coarc.com/students/programmatic-outcomes-data/  
Graduates/Students Outcomes for all Respiratory Programs 

Program Application/Admission Requirements

All applicants must:

1. Participate in the required Prospective Student Information Session. The Respiratory Therapy Program Information Sessions will be held via Zoom until further notice. If interested please email Mari Ponce-Vargas at  marip@southtexascollege.edu to receive a meeting invite. Information sessions will be held on Wednesdays from 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm.
2. Be admitted to the college as a high school graduate or GED equivalent.
3. Meet TSI College Readiness Standards, or meet TSI exemption standards.
4. Complete all prerequisite courses with a minimum of "B" as listed in the Degree plan.
5. Earn a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0, on a 4.0 scale.
6. Science coursework listed in the degree plan must be within the past 5 years of nursing clinical courses. For more information contact the Faculty Secretary at 956-872-3216.
7. Pass a criminal background check, 10-panel drug screen through approved providers, and complete all required immunizations including Hepatitis B series.
8. Meet Technical Standards as stated by the Program
9. Submit a completed Program application by stated deadline. For more information contact Respiratory Therapy Program at 872-3216 or access the information online at http://nah.southtexascollege.edu

• Degree Plans

  View Catalog

• Faculty

  Faculty

  Name	E-mail	Phone	Location
  Pena, Gabriel - Program Chair	gpena141	956-872-3021	NAH-A 420
  Chong-Menard, Betty - Clinical Director of Education	bchong-menard1	956-872-3071	NAH-A 422
  Carpenter, Darcy	dcarpent	956-872-3087	NAH-A 423

  For faculty not listed, please contact the department.

• Staff

  Staff

  Name	E-mail	Phone	Location
  Wood, Dora - Secretary	dwood1	956-872-3023	NAH A-411

• Career Exploration

  Why Be an RT?

  Learn more about being a RT professional.

  Work Environment

  Respiratory Therapist work in various locations within hospital settings which include the Emergency Room (ER), Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), Surgery and medical floors.  Others work in nursing care facilities and physician's offices. Home Health Care is also a demand area that employs therapist. DME (Durable Medical Equipment) companies and some pharmacies employ Respiratory Therapist on a full-time and part-time basis.

  Salary Data

  • Average Wage: $27.14/hour
  • Top Earners: $80,440/year
• Resources

  Helpful Links

  • Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care
  • American Association of Respiratory Care
  • National Board of Respiratory Care
  • Texas Medical Board for Respiratory Care Practitioners
  • Be-An-Rt.org