Respiratory Care is an 18-month program which prepares its graduates for employment as allied health practitioners in the specialty area of pulmonary medicine. The program is fully accredited by the commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care, 1248 Harwood Road, Bedford, TX 76021-4244.
Respiratory Therapists are providers of direct patient care to those with disorders which affect the lungs and impair the ability to breathe normally. Respiratory Therapists may choose to be employed in a variety of settings, including: acute and chronic care hospitals; long-term care and rehabilitation centers; sleep disorders laboratories; pulmonary diagnostic clinics, medical home care agencies; and medical equipment sales-service companies. Whatever the setting, Respiratory Therapists are essential members of the healthcare team who use their expertise and highly sophisticated medical equipment to assist clients of all ages with breathing problems.
Students receive actual client care experience at clinical education sites, which have been established at a number of healthcare facilities in the immediate Worcester area, and within a 75 mile radius of the College. All such experience is directly supervised by program faculty.
Graduates of the program are eligible to attempt the credentialing examinations offered by the National Board for Respiratory Care, Inc. Upon successful completion of the process, graduates receive the Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) credential.
Licensure by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health is required to work as a Respiratory Therapist within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (for more information on licensure contract: MA Department of Public Health, division of Health Professions on Licensure, 239 Causeway Street, 2nd Floor, Suite 200, Boston, MA 02114. Ph: 800.414.016).
A Criminal Offender Records Information (CORI) report and Sexual Offenders Record Information (SORI) are required of all students accepted into the program. Applicants for admission should be aware that a prior or current history of criminal or sexual offense may negatively impact the applicant's ability to obtain a limited work permit while a student is in the program, and/or a license to practice within the Commonwealth of MA after graduation. Additionally, healthcare facilities which affiliate with the program reserve the right to restrict or deny clinical privileges to a student with a prior or current history of criminal offense. Finger printing and drug testing will be required.
All applicants for admission to the program should familiarize themselves with the published Technical Performance Standards which appear in the current college catalog.
All students accepted to the program must hold or obtain Health Care Provider (Red Cross) or Professional Rescuer (American Heart Association) CPR certification and provide documentation of immunization currency and satisfactory health status prior to beginning the clinical component of this program.
To be eligible to continue in the program, a student must achieve a grade of "C" or higher in all Respiratory Care (RCP) courses and in PHY 103, BIO 111, BIO 112 and BIO 232. Students who have received a grade below a "C" in PHY 103, BIO 111, BIO 112 and BIO 232 are required to repeat the course and obtain a grade of "C" or higher by the end of the semester in which they are required or required as a prerequisite. In addition, the student must satisfy all course and program requirements including regulation on conduct and attendance in order to remain in the program. Students who do not have completed health files submitted to the Respiratory Care Program and cleared by the Clinical Coordinator by August 15th of the respective year will be removed from their respiratory care courses and will have to file for readmission to the next available year.
Admission Process
Specialized Health Careers Advising facilitates the entry of students to Health Care Programs. All students applying should contact Health Careers Advising at 508-854-4308.
Admission Requirements
- Must have a high school diploma or GED
- GPA of 3.0 or equivalent in high school or 3.0 in college with minimum of 10 credits or 550 Battery Average on GED.
- Must take the college placement test to determine Math and English levels if no college level courses were previously completed.
- Required HOBET V composite score of 52% must be achieved within two attempts of taking the test.
- Math: minimum grade of B in MAT 098 or MAT 099 or place into MAT 100 level or above.
- Biology: minimum grade of B in high school biology or B in BIO 101 (recommended) or other college biology class.
- English: minimum grade of B in ENG 100 or place into ENG 101.
- Chemistry: minimum grade of B in high school chemistry or B in CHM 090.
- Math and science courses must be taken within five years of application.
- Required grade must be earned within two attempts of taking and completing the course.
- Review of career video
- Hospital/Health care facility site visit
- Sit-in on one Respiratory Care class.
If an applicant holds the CRT credential awarded by the National Board for Respiratory Care, Inc. or has successfully completed courses at CoARC accredited school of Respiratory Care, then s/he may apply for advanced standing/credits toward a degree from QCC. Please contact the Respiratory Care Program Coordinator 508.854.2752 for additional information.
Additional Costs
Respiratory Care students should anticipate additional expenses for uniforms/clinical wear, textbooks, professional liability insurance, licensing examinations, parking fees at clinical sites, course materials and any required skills remediation.
Technical Performance Standards
Prior to application to this program, please review the Technical Standards requirements on pages 16-19 in the current college catalog.
Courses
Semester 1 (Fall)
Anatomy & Physiology I
English Composition & Literature I
Fundamentals of Respiratory Care I
Medical Lectures I
Clinical I
Pharmacology
Semester 2 (Spring)
Anatomy & Physiology II
English Composition & Literature II
Physics for Respiratory Care
Fundamentals of Respiratory Care II
Medical Lectures II
Clinical II
Semester 3 (Summer)
Clinical Care I Laboratory
Semester 4 (Fall)
Introduction to Psychology or Psychology of Interpersonal Relations
Medical Lectures III
Cardiopulmonary Technology
Clinical III
Critical Care II
Elective
Semester 5 (Spring)
Medical Microbiology
Bioethics
Medical Lectures IV
Clinical IV
Neonatal and Pediatric Respiratory Care
Respiratory Care Seminar