Mar 28, 2024  
Mansfield University 2007-2008 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
Mansfield University 2007-2008 Undergraduate Catalog [Archived Catalog]

Respiratory Therapy A.A.S.


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Offered by the Robert Packer Department of Health Sciences and Physical Activities
Professor Biblehimer, Seigart, Sheehe (chairperson)
Associate Professors Evans, Maisner, McGuire, Wright, K.
Assistant Professors Decker, Klesh, Materese, McEwan, Zaparzynski
Instructors Ferrito, Greer, Hanlon, Oakes, Vosburgh, Urban


According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the demand for respiratory therapists is expected to rise by up to 26% through the year 2014. This two-year program is one of the oldest respiratory therapy programs in the nation with a reputation for a strong emphasis on clinical competence. Entering students spend their first semester on the Mansfield campus taking required general education courses. The following three semesters and intervening summer session consist of course work and clinical training at Robert Packer Hospital in Sayre. Clinical training at Robert Packer Hospital is supplemented by clinical experiences at St. Joseph’s Hospital, Elmira, NY; Arnot Ogden Medical Center, Elmira, NY; Wilson Memorial Medical Center, Johnson City, NY; Troy Community Hospital, Troy, PA; Geisinger Medical Center, Danville, PA; and Crouse Irving Memorial Hospital, Syracuse, NY. The program is fully accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) upon recommendation of the Committee on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC).

 

The typical respiratory therapist travels about the hospital caring for newborn infants, children, adults, and the elderly. As a respiratory therapist, you are trained to perform patient assessment, interpret a variety of clinical information, and make decisions that directly impact the patient’s outcome. Therapists may choose to specialize in such areas as newborn or pediatric care, adult critical care, home care, cardiopulmonary diagnostic testing, patient transport, pulmonary rehabilitation, patient education, respiratory care education, or health care administration.

This program prepares the student for a variety of career options and has a record of 100% employment of its graduates. Graduates of this program are employed in hospitals, skilled nursing and rehabilitation facilities, home care businesses, physician’s offices, medical equipment supply companies, and colleges and universities.

Graduates are eligible for the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC) entry-level certification examination. Graduates passing this exam receive the Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT) credential and qualify for the examinations for the NBRC Registered Respiratory Therapist credential (RRT).

In addition to University academic requirements, all respiratory therapy students are subject to the following program academic requirements.

  1. A grade of “C“ or better in both the BSC 11 21 Human Anatomy & Physiology I and MA 1128 College Algebra courses and a cumulative grade point average of 2.3 are prerequisites for enrollment in the first respiratory therapy courses offered in Sayre.
  2. A grade of “C” or better must be achieved in all respiratory therapy courses.
  3. If a “C-“ or lower grade is received for a respiratory therapy course, it must be repeated.
  4. Respiratory therapy courses may be repeated only once.
  5. A student, who fails to achieve a grade of “C” or better in a respiratory therapy course after repeating the course, is prohibited from future enrollment in any respiratory therapy courses and is dismissed from the respiratory therapy program.
  6. Required courses for the Respiratory Therapy degree are NOT included in the University Pass/Fail policy.
  7. Requirements for the Associate in Applied Science degree in Respiratory Therapy must be completed within four years from the date the student is formally admitted to the program.

Students must meet all clinical agency health and insurance requirements. These may include background checks, specific immunizations, urine drug testing, and professional liability insurance. Students will be expected to cover the costs of these requirements.

In most states, including Pennsylvania, a license is required to practice respiratory care and is routinely granted to graduates of this program. There are legal restrictions, though, on who may be granted a license. In Pennsylvania, the State Board of Medicine “shall not issue a license or certificate to an applicant unless the applicant establishes with evidence, verified by an affidavit or affirmation of the applicant, that the applicant is of legal age, is of good moral character and is not addicted to the intemperate use of alcohol or the habitual use of narcotics or other habit-forming drugs”, or “to an applicant who has been convicted of a felony under the act of April 14, 1972 (P.L.233, No.64), known as The Controlled Substance, Drug, Device and Cosmetic Act, or of an offense under the laws of another jurisdiction which, if committed in this Commonwealth, would be a felony under The Controlled Substance, Drug, Device and Cosmetic Act, unless:

  1. at least ten years have elapsed from the date of conviction;
  2. the applicant satisfactorily demonstrates to the board that he has made significant progress in personal rehabilitation since the conviction such that licensure of the applicant should not be expected to create a substantial risk of harm to the health and safety of his patients or the public or a substantial risk of further criminal violations; and
  3. the applicant otherwise satisfies the qualifications contained in or authorized by this act.”

For further information, please see section 22 (b) of the Medical Practice Act of 1985 (63 P. S. § § 422.6(a) and (d), 422.8 and 422.1 note), available at the Pennsylvania State Board of Medicine Web site.

The Mansfield University Respiratory Therapy program endeavors to comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act and with University Policies regarding students with disabilities. Every effort will be made to provide reasonable accommodation for qualified students with disabilities who are able to perform the essential functions of our academic program in Respiratory Therapy. Students who are accepted into the program, and then discovered to be unable to perform these essential functions (with or without accommodation) may not be able to complete the program. Graduates who complete the program but are unable to perform certain competencies may experience significant roadblocks to, and in, the employment setting.

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