The Respiratory Therapy program, (CoARC #200436), awards a two-year Associate of Applied Science from Washington State Community College, 710 Colegate Drive, Marietta, OH, 45750, and is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (www.coarc.com). The mailing address is: 264 Precision Blvd. Telford, TN 37690.
Respiratory therapists help people who suffer from chronic respiratory diseases. They play a crucial role in treating and caring for a variety of cardiopulmonary illnesses. In its annual job rankings, U.S. News and World Report lists respiratory therapy as No. 6 in healthcare and No. 16 among the top 100 careers overall.
At Washington State, you will learn critical thinking, patient/environment assessment skills, and evidence-based clinical practice guidelines that will enable you to develop and implement effective care plans, protocols and disease management programs.
Admission to the Respiratory Therapy program is limited and admission is done on a selective basis. Classes are filled on a first-come, first-served basis by students who qualify. High school or equivalent introductory courses in algebra, biology, and chemistry with a grade of "C" or higher are required prior to admission.
Successful completion of this program results in an Associate of Applied Science degree and makes you eligible for the "Entry" level Therapist Multiple Choice Exam. This exam has two "cut scores". If you pass the lower "cut score", you will be a Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT). If you achieve the higher "cut score", you will also be eligible to take the Registry Clinical Simulation Exam. If you pass this exam, you will be a Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT).
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.
