Respiratory Care, AS

The Respiratory Care Program is designed to offer students the opportunity to obtain an Associate in Science Degree in Respiratory Care. Upon completion of the program, students will be registry-eligible respiratory therapists and will take the National Board for Respiratory Care Examinations. A graduate Respiratory Therapist is usually employed and licensed in the practice of Respiratory Care and has acquired the knowledge and skills necessary to administer respiratory therapy to patients of all ages with varied diseases, and to patients in need of acute and critical care. Respiratory Therapists have the opportunity to learn and work in the acute care hospital setting, skilled nursing centers, rehabilitation, neo-natal intensive care, and home care environments. Because of the local need for graduates, scholarships are available through the College as well as through local hospitals. A freshman class begins each Fall semester. Currently, freshmen are accepted each year after June 1st. Class size is limited by the number of critical care units in the S.W. Florida clinical affiliates which are essential to the clinical education of students.

The Program in Respiratory Care is a limited access program. The criteria for admission policies are available through the program office, the Edison State College website, or through the Health Professions Office by calling (239) 433-6918. Information packets with application to the program may be downloaded by visiting http://www.edison.edu/academics/asrespiratorycare/respiratorycare.php The Program in Respiratory Care is nationally accredited by The Committee on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC).

Respiratory Care Graduates Typically Earn:

The projected average of annual earnings of RT’s working in the U.S. is $62,222. In this study*, therapists just beginning their careers reported average annual earnings of $45,000.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, there are 2,300 national openings per year. Consistently, 90% of Edison State graduates from this program are locally placed.*

* American Association for Respiratory Care http://www.aarc.org/career/be_an_rt/

Note: Respiratory Care as a Career: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos084.htm

Continuing Toward A Bachelor’s Degree?

Edison State College also offers a B.A.S. in Cardiopulmonary Sciences.  Graduates of the AS Degree in Respiratory Care with the RRT credential may matriculate to the upper division courses beginning Fall 2010. For this and other bachelor’s degrees, Edison State graduates receive reduced tuition with many of our university and college partners. For more information, please contact the Edison State Baccalaureate and University Programs Division at (239)-489-9295.

Program Prerequisutes:

The program prerequisites include the following:

• Successful completion of program acceptance process, including program-level admissions points.
• Competition with all other applicants based on academic transcript evaluation.  Completion of the Watson-Glaser critical thinking exam is also an admission requirement.  Finalists for these processes will be invited to attend a Panel Interview to complete the admissions process.
• The clinical enrollment process requires satisfactory completion of an immunization and health report. The admissions process requires satisfactory completion of a College-approved criminal history background check completed at the applicant’s expense.

Respiratory Care Application Deadline: June 1st