Respiratory Therapy
Program Description
This program, which is offered at the main campus, allows students to achieve an Associate of Applied Science in Respiratory Therapy degree, opening greater employment opportunities in health care. The Associate of Applied Science in Respiratory Therapy program exposes the student to oral and written communication skills, social/behavior sciences, and biomedical/natural sciences, as well as respiratory care. The Associate of Applied Science in Respiratory Therapy exposes the students to a variety of settings, such as inpatient, outpatient, and home care, as well as different patient populations.
This program has selective admission requirements. It is the student's responsibility to obtain the current admission requirements.
Important information for this program:
The following prerequisites must be successfully completed, along with admission into the program before a student will be granted admission into the respiratory therapy program. Must earn a grade of "C" or better in each course:
- BIOL 209/BIOL 209L
- BIOL 250/BIOL 250L
- CHEM 131/CHEM 131L
- ENGL 111
- ENGL 112 or SPCH 101 or SPCH 102
- MATH 113
- KINA Activity Class
- KINE 100
- PSYC 150 or PSYC 233
Additional admission requirements also apply. Please visit the Department of Health Sciences’ website for a complete list of admission requirements and program information.
For more information on what you can do with this major, visit Career Services’ What to Do with a Major? resource.
All CMU/CMU Tech associate graduates are expected to demonstrate proficiency in specialized knowledge/applied learning, quantitative fluency, communication fluency, critical thinking, personal and social responsibility, and information literacy. In addition to these campus‐wide student learning outcomes, graduates of this major will be able to:
- Exemplify proficiency as a respiratory care practitioner, as outlined by the National Board of Respiratory Care (NBRC) and the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC) (Specialized Knowledge/Applied Learning).
- Aid in the diagnosis, management, and treatment of cardiopulmonary patients (Critical Thinking).
- Apply and evaluate information pertinent to the respiratory care practitioner role (Quantitative Fluency).
- Exhibit technical competency in skills researched and utilized as a respiratory care practitioner (Information Literacy).
- Display professionalism, as well as, culture, ethnic, and individual diversity as expected of a respiratory care practitioner (Personal Social Responsibility).
- Describe and discuss alternative care sites (Communication Fluency).
Contact Information
Department of Health Sciences
Health Sciences 101
970.248.1398
RESP 201 Introduction to Respiratory Care2 Credits
Introduction to respiratory therapy. Respiratory history, patient assessment, infection prevention, medical record documentation, cultural, legal, and ethical considerations, and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
Prerequisites: Admission to the Respiratory Therapy program.
Corequisites: RESP 202, RESP 203/RESP 203L, and RESP 204.
Terms Typically Offered: Fall.
RESP 202 Cardiopulmonary Anatomy and Physiology3 Credits
Disease processes of the respiratory system. Pathophysiology in disorders of the brain, heart, skeletal muscles, and kidneys affecting oxygenation and ventilation.
Prerequisites: Admission to the Respiratory Therapy program.
Corequisites: RESP 201, RESP 203/RESP 203L, and RESP 204.
Terms Typically Offered: Fall.
RESP 203 Respiratory Procedures I2 Credits
Equipment and technology in respiratory therapy. Critical thinking, decision-making, demonstration of equipment and procedural skills, and ensuring patient safety.
Prerequisites: Admission into the Respiratory Therapy program.
Corequisites: RESP 201, RESP 202, RESP 203L, and RESP 204.
Terms Typically Offered: Fall.
RESP 203L Respiratory Procedures I Laboratory2 Credits
Equipment and technology in respiratory therapy. Critical thinking, decision-making, demonstration of equipment and procedural skills, and ensuring patient safety.
Prerequisites: Admission to the Respiratory Therapy program.
Corequisites: RESP 201, RESP 202, RESP 203, and RESP 204.
Terms Typically Offered: Fall.
RESP 204 Respiratory Pharmacology3 Credits
Introduction to medication for respiratory therapy. Explores respiratory, cardiac, neuromuscular, sedative, analgesics, and diuretic medications. Also covers drug actions, interactions, chemical composition, and treatments focusing on the respiratory system.
Prerequisites: Admission to the Respiratory Therapy program.
Corequisites: RESP 201, RESP 202, and RESP 203/RESP 203L.
Terms Typically Offered: Fall.
RESP 205 Cardiopulmonary Pathophysiology3 Credits
Common disease/disorder processes in respiratory therapy patients. Investigation of case studies determining appropriate respiratory care. Development of communication and interdisciplinary collaboration skills.
Prerequisites: Admission to the Respiratory Therapy program.
Corequisites: RESP 206, RESP 207, RESP 208/RESP 208L, and RESP 209.
Terms Typically Offered: Spring.
RESP 206 Cardiopulmonary Diagnostics2 Credits
Survey of diagnostic techniques used to determine the quality of the patient’s respiratory status. Non-invasive monitoring, imaging studies, pulmonary mechanics, cardiac testing, and hemodynamics.
Prerequisites: Admission to the Respiratory Therapy program.
Corequisites: RESP 205, RESP 207, RESP 208/RESP 208L, and RESP 209.
Terms Typically Offered: Spring.
RESP 207 Noninvasive Care Management2 Credits
Identification of respiratory failure. Noninvasive modalities and approaches used to manage patients in respiratory distress of failure.
Prerequisites: Admission to the Respiratory Therapy program.
Corequisites: RESP 205, RESP 206, RESP 208/RESP 208L, and RESP 209.
Terms Typically Offered: Spring.
RESP 208 Respiratory Procedures II1 Credit
Advanced respiratory therapy equipment technology. Development of critical thinking, decision-making, equipment, and procedural skills, as well as ensuring patient safety. Also covers lung expansion, inspiratory training, pulmonary hygiene, and heated high flow processes. Completion of Basic Life Support (BLS) training.
Prerequisites: Admission to the Respiratory Therapy program.
Corequisites: RESP 205, RESP 206, RESP 207, RESP 208L, and RESP 209.
Terms Typically Offered: Spring.
RESP 208L Respiratory Procedures II Laboratory2 Credits
Advanced respiratory therapy equipment technology. Development of critical thinking, decision-making, equipment, and procedural skills, as well as ensuring patient safety. Also covers lung expansion, inspiratory training, pulmonary hygiene, and heated high flow processes. Completion of Basic Life Support (BLS) training.
Prerequisites: Admission to the Respiratory Therapy program.
Corequisites: RESP 205, RESP 206, RESP 207, RESP 208, and RESP 209.
Terms Typically Offered: Spring.
RESP 209 Respiratory Clinical I2 Credits
Introductory acute care clinical training. Hospital care experience in patient assessment, oxygen therapy, bland aerosol, medication, and noninvasive respiratory modalities.
Prerequisites: Admission to the Respiratory Therapy program.
Corequisites: RESP 205, RESP 206, RESP 207, and RESP 208/RESP 208L.
Terms Typically Offered: Spring.
RESP 211 Mechanical Ventilation2 Credits
Mechanical ventilation physics and functions. Ventilator modes, management techniques, waveforms, and bundle strategies. Laboratory critical care scenarios of patient disease/disorder processes and protocols. Completion of Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS).
Prerequisites: Admission to the Respiratory Therapy program.
Corequisites: RESP 211L and RESP 219.
Terms Typically Offered: Summer.
RESP 211L Mechanical Ventilation Laboratory2 Credits
Mechanical ventilation physics and functions. Ventilator modes, management techniques, waveforms, and bundle strategies. Laboratory critical care scenarios of patient disease/disorder processes and protocols. Completion of Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS).
Prerequisites: Admission to the Respiratory Therapy program.
Corequisites: RESP 211 and RESP 219.
Terms Typically Offered: Summer.
RESP 213 Fundamentals of Pediatric and Neonatal Care2 Credits
Exploration of care for antenatal, neonatal, and pediatric patients. Assessment of fetal development, neonatal, and pediatric diseases. Addresses causes of prematurity and high-risk delivery. Completion of Neonatal Resuscitation Provider (NRP) and Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS).
Prerequisites: Admission to the Respiratory Therapy program.
Corequisites: RESP 214 and RESP 229.
Terms Typically Offered: Fall.
RESP 214 Professional Development for Respiratory Care Practitioners2 Credits
Health care professional development. Preparation for the state and national board exams, and state licensure. Focus on professionalism, interview techniques, hiring, and ethical standards.
Prerequisites: Admission to the Respiratory Therapy program.
Corequisites: RESP 213 and RESP 229.
Terms Typically Offered: Fall.
RESP 219 Respiratory Clinical II5 Credits
Advanced acute care clinical training. Hospital critical care experience in patient assessment, mechanical ventilation, medication delivery, lung expansion, and advanced diagnostic testing.
Prerequisites: Admission to the Respiratory Therapy program.
Corequisites: RESP 211/RESP 211L.
Terms Typically Offered: Summer.