Respiratory Care

The Respiratory Care program, Program Number 200622, Associate in Applied Science Degree on the Grand Strand Campus holds Provisional Accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (www.coarc.com).  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.  This status signifies that a program that has been granted an Approval of Intent has demonstrated sufficient compliance to initiate a program in accordance with the Standards through the completion and submissions of an acceptable Provisional Accreditation Self Study Report (PSSR), completion of an initial on-site visit, and other documentation required by the CoARC. The conferral of Provisional Accreditation denotes a new program that has made significant progress towards meeting the Standards of Accreditation. The program will remain on Provisional Accreditation until achieving Continuing Accreditation. It is recognized by the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC) toward eligibility to the Respiratory Care Credentialing Examination(s). Enrolled students completing the program under Provisional Accreditation are considered graduates of a CoARC accredited program.

Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care Programmatic Outcomes Data.

Program Mission

• To provide the opportunity for individuals from diverse cultures and backgrounds to enter the respiratory therapy profession.
• To graduate students who exemplify the core values of the profession of Registered Respiratory Therapist.
• To have the faculty, students and staff contribute to the health and well-being of our community, and society through competent practice leadership, education, and humanistic ethical practices.
• To adapt technological advancements into the clinical practice.

Goals

“To prepare 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).”

Learning Outcomes

Respiratory therapists provide patient care, which includes clinical decision-making and patient education. The respiratory care scope of practice includes, but is not limited to the following basic competencies:

• acquiring and evaluating clinical data;
• assessing the cardiopulmonary status of patients;
• performing, and/or assisting in the performance of, prescribed diagnostic studies such as: obtaining blood samples; blood gas analysis; pulmonary function testing; and polysomnography;
• evaluating data to assess the appropriateness of prescribed respiratory care;

• establishing therapeutic goals for patients with cardiopulmonary disease;
• participating in the development and modification of respiratory care plans;
• case management of patients with cardiopulmonary diseases;
• initiating prescribed respiratory care treatments, evaluating and monitoring patient responses to such therapy and modifying the prescribed therapy to achieve the desired therapeutic objectives; managing life support activities;
• conducting and evaluating prescribed pulmonary rehabilitation;
• providing patient, family, and community education;
• promoting cardiopulmonary wellness, disease prevention, and disease management;
• promoting evidence-based practice by using established clinical practice guidelines and by evaluating published research for its relevance to patient care.

Applicants to the Respiratory Care program should be aware a current, unrestricted license or certification may be required to practice in the state in which you intend to reside/practice. Each state is unique in its licensure requirements. Students are encouraged to reach out to the program chair for more information and assistance with understanding professional licensure.