Respiratory Care

Well-trained respiratory therapists are in tremendous demand in areas such as

Hospitals - managing ventilators for the critically ill or delivering life-saving treatments
Newborn and pediatric units - helping children with conditions ranging from premature birth to cystic fibrosis
Sleep laboratories - helping to diagnose disorders like sleep apnea
Pulmonary rehabilitation programs and in patient homes - providing regular check-ups and making sure people have what they need to stay out of the hospital
Doctors' offices - conducting pulmonary function tests and providing patient education, including asthma and smoking cessation programs
Case management programs - providing regular check-ups and helping devise long-term care plans for patients

Learn about being a Registered Respiratory Therapist from the American Association of Respiratory Care

National Outlook

National employment statistics and employment expectations are available through the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

IS RESPIRATORY CARE RIGHT FOR YOU?

As a respiratory therapist, you will have direct patient contact with many types of people with needs from routine care to life-threatening trauma.

In addition, you should:

Work well under pressure and in emergencies, both alone and in a team
Be quick thinking and able to make critical decisions in life and death situations
Be detail-oriented and have strong science and math skills
Have a comfort level with and interest in advanced technology and equipment

ACCREDITATION AND CREDENTIALING

The GTC Respiratory Care program, CoARC 200155, associate degree, and Barton campus location are accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC) (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. Read more about program outcome data.

Credentialing/Licensing

Students graduating from the Respiratory Care Program are eligible to take the entry-level practitioner credentialing examinations offered by the National Board of Respiratory Care (NBRC). Graduates MUST take and pass Therapist Multiple-Choice Examination (TMC) with the high cut score. After successful completion with the high cut score of the TMC Examination, graduates are eligible to attempt the Clinical Simulation Examination (CSE). Upon successful completion of the CSE Examination, graduates are awarded the Registered Respiratory Therapists credential.

Graduates from the program are eligible to apply to the South Carolina State Board of Medical Examiners for state licensing.

Professional Licensure and Certification Requirements

Students who are considering an academic program that may allow them to pursue professional licensure in another state are strongly encouraged to check that state’s information and contact the appropriate licensing agency for additional information and guidance before beginning the program.

Greenville Technical College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award associate and baccalaureate degrees. Degree-granting institutions also may offer credentials such as certificates and diplomas at approved degree levels.

Questions about the accreditation of Greenville Technical College may be directed in writing to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097, by calling (404) 679-4500, or by using information available on SACSCOC’s website (www.sacscoc.org).

PROGRAM DETAILS AND COURSES

Respiratory Care
Associate in Applied Science

This program trains students to treat patients with difficulty breathing because of problems affecting the cardiopulmonary (heart-lung) system.

This program is designed as a 1 + 1 program.

Phase I includes 24 credit hours of general education courses, which may be completed on a full-time or part-time basis, at Greenville Technical College or transferred in from other colleges.
Upon successful completion of Phase I, qualified students may apply to Phase II, which includes all respiratory care coursework and clinicals.
Phase II consists of 59 credit hours, which will be completed over five consecutive semesters full-time at Greenville Technical College’s Barton Campus and a variety of off-campus clinical facilities.

Respiratory program details from our current catalog »

Students working toward acceptance in select Health Sciences programs are now classified as an Associate in Science major. Want to know more? Check out our FAQ section.

RESPIRATORY CARE PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS & ADMISSION PROCESS

Requirements for Respiratory Care Program Admissions

In addition to the Greenville Technical College admissions process outlined in these Enrollment Steps, students interested in the respiratory program must also

understand the School of Health Sciences policies
successfully complete Career Talk
complete the TEAS Test
submit the weighted application for the program of interest

Policies

The Respiratory Care program strictly adheres to all School of Health Sciences policies detailed on the Health Sciences admissions information page.

Career Talk

Career Talk provides valuable information regarding the application process, requirements, policies, procedures, and expectations of students interested in applying to the Respiratory Care program. Completion of the online Career Talk is a requirement for submitting an application. However, information is updated frequently, so check back often to be sure you do not miss important changes.

Access the Career Talk Presentation for Respiratory »

TEAS Requirement

Applicants are required to complete the Test of Essential Academic Skills (ATI TEAS®) prior to submitting a Weighted Admission Form for program admission. Scores from the TEAS test will be used in the point calculations on the Weighted Admission Form. Please see full details in the TEAS Information.

Respiratory Care Weighted Admission Forms

The application submission process for GTC's Respiratory Care program is now electronic. The electronic application will only be accessible during the application acceptance period, January 15-May 31 annually. Applications are not accepted during any other timeframe.

To review the form prior to submitting, please view this sample form (pdf) »
This pdf will not be accepted as an official application. It is for reference only.
Please note that once you open the form, you must complete it in one sitting. It will stay open for 45 minutes. If you require additional time, you can extend it for another 45 minutes. There is currently not an option to save the form and come back to it later.
To check on the status of your form, sign in to your Dynamic Forms account to ensure that your application was submitted.
To submit an application, you must log in using your GTC student access.
Access the Respiratory Care Weighted Admission form »

CLINICAL AFFILIATES

Clinical experience is an integral part of the curriculum in the Respiratory Care Program at Greenville Technical College. Greenville Technical College's Respiratory Care Program partners with several clinical affiliate sites to allow students to participate with a clinical preceptor in performing these respiratory care activities.

Our major academic affiliates are

AnMed Health System
Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital System
Prisma Health Baptist Easley Hospital
Prisma Health System

MISSION / OUTCOMES / MANUALS

Respiratory Care Mission Statement

The philosophy of the educational approach of the Greenville Technical College Respiratory Care program is one of professional development. The respiratory therapist fills the role of a responsible health care practitioner in a growing and rapidly changing medical field of both acute and chronic patient care. Growth and commitment to optimum respiratory care is the foremost goal. The other primary objective of this program is to fill the need for respiratory therapists and to build and maintain a progressive respiratory care profession for the members of the community and profession.

Program Goals

The student will demonstrate competence in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains of respiratory care practice as performed by entry-level registered respiratory therapists (RRT's). The program will provide collaborative learning environments that stimulate learning. The program will graduate competent entry-level therapists to meet the regional employment needs.

Respiratory Care Student Learning Outcomes

Program Student Learning Outcomes: Upon successful completion of the Associate in Applied Science in Respiratory Care, students will:

O1: be able to demonstrate intensive skills required for entry-level. (Psychomotor and cognitive domain).

O2: graduate with entry-level respiratory therapeutics skills and knowledge base (Psychomotor and cognitive domain).

O3: graduate with entry-level knowledge base of interpretation of clinical data (Cognitive).

O4: be able to demonstrate professional behaviors and communication skills consistent with the profession expectations (Affective domain).

Respiratory Care Student Policy Manual

The purpose of this manual/handbook is to provide the student with information specific to the Respiratory Care Program.

Respiratory Care Student Policy Manual (pdf) »

PROGRAM ESTIMATION OF EXPENSES

Estimation of Expenses
*(Phase II only)
Item	Cost
Tuition	Refer to current tuition rates for GTC
Lab & Course Fees Includes: Criminal Background Check Drug Screening Liability Insurance	Approximately $1,020 total for Phase II
Books	Approximately $1,300 total for Phase II
Uniforms & Clinical Supplies	Approximately $250 total for Phase II
BLS Healthcare Provider CPR Certification	Approximately $100 through American Heart Association
Physical/Immunizations	Cost varies