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Respiratory Care Technology is a field in which you help people breathe easier -- literally.
Respiratory care practitioners (RCPs), also known as Respiratory therapists, work under the direction of a physician to evaluate, treat and care for patients with breathing disorders and chronic lung problems such as asthma, bronchitis and emphysema; they also treat heart attack and accident victims, premature infants and individuals with pneumonia, lung cancer and AIDS. RCPs help people of all ages.
As a Respiratory Care Practitioner, you provide diagnostic testing, treatment and preventive care, using sophisticated biomedical equipment, to patients with heart and lung disorders. RCPs help patients perform breathing exercises, chart patients’ progress and operate a variety of equipment that monitors or assists breathing functions for adult, pediatric or infant patients.
The profession requires critical thinking and gives you the opportunity to provide direct patient care in hospitals, emergency rooms, surgery, nursery and intensive care units.
Additional
opportunities
are available in respiratory therapy clinics, nursing homes, home health agencies and even in patients’ homes with firms that supply respiratory equipment for home use.
Respiratory therapists can learn additional skills and specialize in respiratory care for neonatal, pediatric, adult, and geriatric patients. They may also specialize in pulmonary function, education, rehabilitation, home care, research, or management.
Respiratory Care Practitioners are required to complete either a two-year Associate degree or a four-year bachelor’s degree program that is accredited by
Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP),
Metro's Respiratory Care Technology program is CAAHEP-accredited and awards an Associate in Applied Science Degree in Respiratory Care Technology.
85 percent of all CRTs hold an associate degree, 15 percent choose to pursue a bachelor's degree so they work in the management or education areas. Should you choose to continue toward a bachelor's degree, your credits will transfer to four-year institutions with which Metro has transfer agreements.
Respiratory Care Technology ranks 22 of the 80 occupations with the highest median hourly wages in 2002 that required post-secondary education or training below a bachelor's degree.
Upon completion of Metro’s Respiratory Care Technology program, you will be eligible to take the registry examination in Respiratory Care, administered by the National Board for Respiratory Care.
Those who pass the first exam earn the classification of Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT). CRTs are then eligible to take a second exam, the Respiratory Therapy Registry Examination administered by the National Board for Respiratory Care. Those who pass the exam earn the classification of a Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT).
Most states require that RCPs be licensed by the state in which they choose to work. Licensing requirements are the exclusive responsibility of the State Boards of Health. Persons who have criminal records, substance abuse problems or health problems that could interfere with safe practice may be considered ineligible for licensure.
Salaries are good and job prospects favorable due to substantial growth of the middle-aged and elderly population. This age group is experiencing a heightened incidence of cardiopulmonary disease. The impact of environmental problems contributes to increases in the number of asthma cases and cases of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Technological advances are being made daily in the treatment of persons suffering heart attack, cancer and accidents as well as the treatment of premature infants.
A Metro Respiratory Care Technology instructor answered it this way: “My former boss once told me that any worker can be trained to do the ‘job’ of a respiratory therapist, but that it takes a special person to provide great patient care. Those qualities boil down to someone with a great deal of patient empathy."
He added "Not only do they continue to be important team members in acute care hospitals, respiratory therapists are now prevalent in home health, sleep disorder clinics, pulmonary rehabilitation, pulmonary function technology, long-term care settings, and more. With this expanded role comes more job opportunities and a greater sense of job security. "
At Metro, we teach students to be great in the areas of patient assessment, clinical decision making, adaptability and teamwork. We know that they graduate with very sound technical skills. We have been told anecdotally, by current and former students, that when they “shopped around” for a R.T. program to attend, they were not aware of the cost to attend each of the programs until they started Metro’s program. Only then, did they realize the value of ours. We are often told by nearly all of our clinical affiliates that our students/graduates are well prepared.
You can take advantage of Metro’s affordable tuition rates, small class sizes and highly qualified instructors to maximize the value of your educational experience.
A recent study found that education at Metropolitan Community College is a great investment.
- Extremely high placement of graduates
- High pass rate on National Board Exams among graduates
- 11+ Clinical affiliates
- 18 month Associate Degree program
- 4 full-time instructors
- Distance Education options
- A new class begins every fall quarter and applications are accepted year-around.
- Students may complete general education courses prior to beginning the Respiratory Care Technology program.
- The Respiratory Care Technology Program is housed at the South Omaha Campus. A portion of the course of study is devoted to clinical practice in Omaha area hospitals and health care facilities.
- Dependable attendance is necessary to successfully complete the program. Students must be able to make a commitment to attending classes, labs and clinicals four to five days each week during daytime hours. Dependable attendance is necessary to successfully complete the program. Some clinical experiences may start as early as 6:30 a.m.
- The total cost of the program is approximately $5000 with financial assistance available to those who qualify.
Complete course information is available on the catalog page.
Application and Admission Requirements
- Submission of application for admission as soon as you decide to pursue the Respiratory Care Technology Associate Degree program.
- Review of applications begins June 1
- Submission of two personal references
- Completion of the Psychological Services Bureau Health Occupations Aptitude Exam as a pre-entrance test
- Submission of official transcripts from other colleges attended
- maintain a minimum GPA of 2.0
Faculty
Jerry Moss Program Director 402/738-4653
Tim Kelly 402/738-4654
Thomas Ronsick 402/738-4652
Is a Career in Respiratory Care Technology for You?
Respiratory Therapists must
- Be sensitive to the physical and psychological needs of others in their environments.
- Be able to make decisions based on data and observations and uphold standards of ethics and professional practice.
- Possess communication and intellectual skills necessary to perform patient assessment in a clinical setting.
- Have an appreciation of working closely with other health professionals as a member of a team.
- Have good manual and finger dexterity, possess a sense of equilibrium along with sufficient motor function to carry out activities required in the clinical practice of caring for patients, including doing moderate lifting.
- Have good space and form perception, good numerical and verbal abilities, and possess the functional use of the senses of sight, hearing, touch and smell.
- Be able to remain calm in emergency situations.
Individuals employed in the health professions use the senses of sight, hearing, touch, and smell in addition to the sense of equilibrium and sufficient motor function to carry out activities required in the clinical practice of caring for patients including doing moderate lifting.
Upon admission to a Health Career Program (excluding Dental Assisting and EMT-B), the College is required to obtain reports of background and criminal record investigations. All clinical facilities require completed criminal background checks prior to beginning a clinical rotation at their site. Students refused access to clinical sites based on criminal history may jeopardize continuation in the program.
All students admitted to a Health Career Program may be required to submit to routine drug screening and complete a Student Medical Record form, which includes a physical examination record, and documentation of required immunizations. Details will be provided during your program orientation session or upon acceptance into the program.
Individuals considering employment in the health professions must be aware of strict qualifications. Factors that may disqualify candidates from licensure and/or employment in the health professions include a history of abuse, neglect, theft, and fraud; a criminal record; a history of drug abuse; significant psychological/personality disorders; physiological disorders; neuro-muscular dysfunction; dishonesty; etc. The Nebraska Health and Human Services System carefully scrutinizes candidates in order to select those who will maintain the public’s trust and confidence at all times. Applicants with questions or concerns regarding this component should contact the program director.
Extra Costs, Tools and Equipment
Uniforms, safety equipment, certification testing and professional memberships involve some cost, but the student is advised to wait until the start of the program for more details.
American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC) - www.aarc.org
"Respiratory Therapy a Family Affair for Omaha RTs" - article
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