Catalog Description of Program

Respiratory Care is an allied health specialty dealing with the diagnosis, treatment, and management of patients with acute and chronic diseases affecting the pulmonary system.  Respiratory Care Practitioners/Respiratory Therapists work in all areas within the hospital, especially within the critical care areas with patients who are in a life-threatening phase of their illness.  Additionally, some Respiratory Care Practitioners/Respiratory Therapists work with home care agencies to treat patients in their homes.  Duties include analysis of pulmonary function and arterial blood gases, life support ventilation, CPR, assessment of pulmonary status, airway care, plus other related duties.  Specialties in Respiratory Care include adult critical care, neonatal and pediatric intensive care, pulmonary function testing, home care and rehabilitation, management, and education.

The Respiratory Care program at Orange Coast College is a two-year Associate of Science Degree program beginning in the fall semester of each year.  The student must complete General Education requirements and program prerequisites prior to entering the program.  This leads to an Associate of Science Degree in Respiratory Care.  Courses within the program include lectures, skill application of procedures and techniques in a laboratory setting on campus, and approximately 1000 hours of clinical practice in the field.  Clinical practice is within area hospitals performing the latest procedures in medicine.  There is also a series including discussions with physicians. 

The Respiratory Care Program at Orange Coast College is fully accredited.  Program graduates are eligible for California licensure (RCP) and national Certification (CRT) and national Registry (RRT) by the National Board for Respiratory Care.  The employment outlook for Respiratory Care Practitioners/Respiratory Therapists is excellent locally and throughout the United States.

Description of job for which program prepares students

Respiratory Care Practitioners administer medications and oxygen to patients with pulmonary disease.  They manage and maintain patients on life support ventilator systems including adults, pediatrics, and newborn infants.  They administer life support in emergency and trauma, perform diagnostic tests, and assist chronic patients with rehabilitation and home care.

Required program prerequisites

          q  Allied Health 010: Health Occupations

          q  Biology 221: Human Anatomy and Physiology

          q  Completion of general education requirements for the Associate of Science
              degree prior to starting the program (see college catalog).

Procedure for program admittance

Selections are made from students successfully completing Allied Health 010.  The formal process and application folder is completed in the Allied Health 010 – Health Occupations course.  Allied Health 010 is available as an on-campus (highly recommended) or online Internet course (see class schedule). Applicants must meet all prerequisite requirements prior to admittance into the program.

Program start

The Respiratory Care program starts in the Fall semester of each year.  There are both full time and limited part-time positions available.  See program director for part-time sequence.

Does this program transfer?

Yes, Loma Linda University

Employment possibilities upon program completion

Hospitals, clinics, home care, out-patient facilities, management, research, sales, education.

Associate of Science Degree and program graduation

All students must meet OCC Associate of Science degree requirements even though they may have degrees from other institutions.  Students should have official transcripts evaluated and should contact the OCC Counseling office to meet with a counselor to assure all requirements have been met or transfer. (see college catalog)

The National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC) testing admission requirements states “having a minimum of an Associate Degree from a respiratory therapy educational program supported by the Committee on Accreditation of Respiratory Care” (CoARC)”.

The program requires that students must successfully pass both the NBRC Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT) Entry Level Self-Assessment Examination and the NBRC Written Registry (WRRT) Advanced Level Self-Assessment Examination for graduation from the program.

Upon successful program completion, the graduate is eligible for State Licensure (RCP) and national certification CRT and RRT examinations.

Salary

Entry salary survey for Spring 2006 locally indicated beginning salary at $20 to $26 per hour.  Most graduates started around $22-26/hour. This salary scale does not include shift differential ranging from $1.75 to $4.00 per hour additional.

Therapists typically work three 12-hour shifts per week.  Salary is then based on straight salary for the first 8 hours then 1.5x for the following four hours.

This is approximately $45,700 to 54,000 per year to start.

Program courses which students can take while seeking admission to the program (subject to catalog restrictions)

          q  Allied Health 111: Medical Terminology

          q  Allied Health 120: Human Diseases

          q  Allied Health 130: Applied Pharmacology

          q  Chemistry 110: Introductory Chemistry

          q  Biology 114: Basic Microbiology

          q  Completion of Associate of Science Degree general education courses

          ALL PROGRAM COURSES REQUIRE A LETTER GRADE OF ‘C’ or BETTER

Length of core program

Two years including four semesters, one intersession and one summer for the full time program.

Three years including six semesters, one intersession and two summers for the part-time program.

Spaces available

28 spaces available each year full-time; 5 spaces each year part-time

Background checks

All students will be required to submit an application for pre-clinical background check.  The background check will include Social Security number, address verification, a two-county felony criminal history, a State sex offender search, and a Medicare/Medicare Sanctioned Fraud List verification (OIG/GSA) search.  The background checks will be performed by a service provided by the District and must be completed prior to beginning of the first clinical rotation.  The student understands that the results of background checks must be provided to the clinical sites before patient care or clinical work commences.

Clinical requirements

The program requires that students participate in scheduled course clinical experience concurrent with classroom courses. Clinical assignments provide students with hands-on application of knowledge and skills learned in the classroom and laboratory courses at OCC contracted hospitals, medical centers, and/or outpatient facilities.  It is the responsibility of each student to provide his or her own transportation to assigned clinical sites.

Just prior to entry into clinical students are required to complete/obtain:

          q  A physical examination

          q  Criminal background check clearance

          q  CPR, HIPAA training, Blood borne pathogen training provided through Al H 115

          q  Student liability insurance

Students must adhere to appropriate required dress code which may include a laboratory coat, nametag, and other program specific requirements.

Clinical sites may require drug testing or other blood work.  There may be exposure to hazardous materials or pathogens in the clinical setting.  Students will adhere to all safety and precautionary measures.  The student receives no financial compensation for clinical experience, but does receive course units as a required class in the program.

The program requires that students participate in clinical experience concurrent with lecture and laboratory classes.  Clinical assignments are arranged by the Director of Clinical Education for the program.  Clinical requirements include: First year:  Spring semester,8 hours per week for 16 weeks; Summer session, 24 hours per week for four weeks.  Second year: Fall semester, 24 hours per week for 14 weeks; Intersession, 4 hours per week for four weeks; Spring semester, 24 hours per week for 12 weeks during the first part of Spring semester, and 36 hours per week for 4 weeks Internship.

(Students participate in standard 12 hour shifts)

Clinical experience are required courses in the program curriculum.

Employment prospects

Employment opportunities are excellent both locally and nationally.

Program goal

To train students as competent respiratory therapists for employment in the field of respiratory therapy.

Accreditation of program

The program is fully accredited by CAAHEP (Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Programs.  (www.caahep.org.) through CoARC (Committee on Accreditation for Respiratory Care. (www.coarc.com )

Graduates are eligible to take the NBRC CRT- Certified Respiratory Therapist, the RRT – Registered Respiratory Therapist, the CPFT - Certified Pulmonary Function Technologist, and perinatal examinations through the National Board for Respiratory Care (www.nbrc.org).

Graduates are eligible for and must obtain State of California licensure through the Respiratory Care Board (RCB) for the State of California in order to obtain in employment in California (www.rcb.ca.gov).  All graduates must take and pass an online course in Respiratory Care State Law and Ethics prior to attaining state license.

Program costs

The program costs are approximately $3200.00 for California residents over the length of the program. 

Respiratory Care Board

Graduates are licensed through the Respiratory Care Board (RCB) of the State of California.  The board may deny a license as regulated by state law.

          1. Been convicted of a crime..a plea or verdict of guilty.

          2. Done any act involving dishonesty, fraud or deceit.

          (see www.rcb.ca.gov for further information)

Post graduate requirements

To obtain employment in the State of California, the following is required:

          a.  Successfully pass the Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT) examination given
               by the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC).

          b.  Successfully complete and pass the Respiratory Care State Law and Ethics
               course offered through the California Society for Respiratory Care (CSRC) and
               the American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC).

              (see www.aarc.org  or www.csrc.org for further information)

          c.  Apply and meet requirements for the Respiratory Care Board for the State of
               California for licensure.

To become a Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) the following is required:

          a.  Successfully pass the Written Registry (WRRT) given through the National
               Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC).

          b.  Successfully pass the Clinical Simulation Examination (CSE) given by the
               National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC).

          c.  Complete the post graduate Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care
               (CoARC) survey.

Other

Graduates are eligible for cross-training into Polysomnography (Sleep Disorders).  See PSG program information.

Contact information

Dan Adelmann,                                                  Dan Farrell

Program Coordinator, Allied Health Advisor                Director of Clinical Education

Office: C&L 114 B                                        Office: Bldg D104A

dadelmann@occ.cccd.edu                                     dfarrell@occ.cccd.edu

714-432-5541                                                     714-432-5502

714-432-5702 appts.

Allied Health Program Assistant
Jane McLaughlin
jmclaughlin@occ.cccd.edu
714-432-5729