Program Description
Respiratory Care is in the center of patient care and especially emergency scenarios. The Respiratory Care program teaches the student to serve the heart of the patient with a heart of compassion. Come join us and make a difference in the lives of others in a health care setting.
The Respiratory Care Program is designed “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).” If you enjoy working in a fast-paced environment where your technical and scientific responsibilities will be matched by a real need for human relations skills, then the TCC Respiratory Care program may be for you. Respiratory Care is a health care specialty that offers a set of unique challenges in the areas of prevention, diagnosis, treatment, management and rehabilitation of people with lung disorders. As an advanced respiratory therapist, you will be involved in a wide variety of lifesaving and life-supporting situations, working side by side with physicians, nurses and others on the health care team. You will treat patients ranging from newborns to senior citizens. Your expertise will be in demand and opportunities to expand your knowledge and skills will be great.
The Respiratory Care Program is a 2-year, 5-term, full-time day program consisting of specialized courses offered in a specific sequence. Graduates of the program are awarded an Associate Degree in Applied Science and are eligible to apply for the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC) Certification and Registry Examinations. The NBRC states “The first examination for earning the RRT is the Therapist Multiple-Choice (TMC) Examination (prior to January 2015, it was known as the Written Registry Examination). The TMC Examination evaluates the abilities required of respiratory therapists at entry into practice and determines eligibility for the Clinical Simulation Examination (CSE). The CRT and/or RRT credentials are used as the basis for the licensure in all 49 states that regulate the practice of respiratory care. There are two cut scores for the TMC Examination. If a candidate achieves the low-cut score, he or she will earn the CRT credential. If a candidate achieves the high cut score, he or she will earn the CRT credential AND become eligible for the Clinical Simulation Examination (provided the candidate is eligible to earn the RRT credential).”
Accreditation
The Respiratory Care Program at Tulsa Community College is nationally accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (COARC).
Admission to the Program
The Respiratory Care program accepts students each year. The general education courses may be taken prior to being accepted into the program to lighten term course loads.
Program Application Instructions
- All prospective Respiratory Care students who have not been enrolled at TCC within the past year must complete an application for admission to the College and submit their high school transcripts, ACT scores, and previous college transcripts to the Metro Campus Student Completion Services office at 909 South Boston, Tulsa, OK 74119. Incomplete submissions will not be considered for admission into the Respiratory Care Program. Admission to Tulsa Community College does not guarantee admission to the Respiratory Care Program.
- Applications to the Respiratory Care Program must completed online at tulsacc.edu/applyRESP Applications will be accepted Sept. 1 - Apr. 15 for Fall admission. For more information, contact the School of Health Sciences office at (918) 595-7002.”
Program Admission Requirements
A selection committee reviews all applications. Qualified applicants will be granted an interview with the Respiratory Care Program faculty. Qualified applicants are then ranked from the highest to the lowest score according to an established point system. The top applicants are selected for the next fall semester. The selection criteria are based upon the following:
- Cumulative GPA (2.5 or greater)
- High School GPA (if less than 12 college credit hours)
- ATI TEAS minimum Composite Score of 60
- ATI TEAS minimum Math score of 55 and minimum Reading Score of 60
- Interview
- Successful completion of BIOL 1314 - Essentials of Anatomy and Physiology with a grade of ‘C’ or better. Student may be enrolled during the Spring Semester when applying to the program.
- Student must be able to travel to local and distant clinical sites.
- An extensive criminal background check, including but not limited to a seven-year county of residence nationwide criminal history check, national sexual predator screening, Social Security check, and Medicare/Medicaid fraud screening is required by all clinical affiliates. All Health Sciences students participating in clinicals are required to complete these background checks, immunizations and a drug screening test by the School of Health Sciences office deadline prior to the first clinical rotation. Any positive findings may be subject to review by the clinical affiliates and could prevent the student from completing clinical requirements.
Contact Information
Program Director
Kara Thompson BS, RRT, RRT-NPS
918-595-7021
kara.thompson2@tulsacc.edu
or access the Respiratory Program web page (www.tulsacc.edu/respiratorycare).
Additional Information Available
Program Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this program you will be able to:
- Apply knowledge, understanding, and troubleshooting skills to respiratory therapeutics in all patient settings. (ILO: Critical Thinking)
- Evaluate a patient in all settings and recommend proper diagnostic tools. (ILO: Critical Thinking)
- Communicate effectively with all team members and patients, recognizing diverse needs and employing methods of compassionate care. (ILO: Communication Skills)
- Uphold standards of ethics, safety, infection control, and proper documentation across all settings. (ILO: Personal Responsibility)
- Use evidence-based practices to create patient care plans based on individualized and diverse needs (ILO: Social Responsibility)
- Manage and troubleshoot respiratory care equipment across all patient settings. (ILO: Critical Thinking)
Careers
Search careers in this field at Focus 2 Career or schedule an appointment with TCC Career Services to learn more about our free career planning and job preparation services.
Student Organizations
AARC (American Association of Respiratory Care) and NN2RC (National Network of Associate Degree Respiratory Care), TCC Respiratory Care Club
Degree Requirements
View a semester-by-semester course plan of study on the Respiratory Care AAS Program Map
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