Mar 28, 2024  
Mansfield University 2011-2012 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
Mansfield University 2011-2012 Undergraduate Catalog [Archived Catalog]

Respiratory Therapy, Associate of Applied Science


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Offered by the Department of Health Sciences
Professor Sheehe (chairperson), Wright, K.
Associate Professors Evans, Maisner, McGuire
Assistant Professors Decker, Klesh, Materese, Oakes, Zaparzynski
Instructors Ferrito, Greer, Hanlon, Lanzara, Urban, Vosburgh


According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the employment of respiratory therapists is expected to grow faster than the average for all professions, by up to 26% in the next decade. This two-year program is one of the top respiratory therapy programs in the nation with a long-standing reputation for exceptional clinical training. Students entering the program in the fall spend their first two semesters (fall and spring) on the Mansfield campus completing prerequisite general education courses. The remainder of the program consists of 15 months of classroom, laboratory, and clinical coursework at Robert Packer Hospital on the Guthrie Health campus in Sayre, beginning in the summer session and ending at the conclusion of the following summer session.  Clinical training is primarily conducted at Robert Packer Hospital, but clinical experiences at several other area hospitals are also included. 

The respiratory therapist provides a variety of diagnostic, therapeutic, and rehabilitative services to patients of all ages in all patient care areas of the hospital. Students in this program are trained to perform bedside and laboratory assessment of the cardiopulmonary system, interpret a variety of clinical information and data, perform life-saving procedures, and make patient care decisions that may directly impact the patient’s outcome. Therapists often work in the high stress areas of the hospital, utilizing highly complex equipment and medications to support critically ill and injured patients.  Specialties available to the graduate therapist include pediatric and newborn intensive care, adult critical care, emergency medicine, cardiopulmonary diagnostic testing, patient transport, pulmonary rehabilitation, home care, patient education, respiratory care education, clinical research, or health care administration.  Additional information concerning the respiratory care profession is available at the American Association for Respiratory Care web site, www.aarc.org.

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, physician’s offices, the pharmaceutical industry, medical equipment companies, clinical research facilities, and colleges and universities.

The Mansfield University Respiratory Therapist program is fully accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care, 1248 Harwood Road, Bedford, Texas 76021-4244, (817) 283-2835, (www.coarc.com).  As of August 1st, 2011, outcomes data for all accredited respiratory therapy programs will be available at the CoARC web site.

Program Mission

The mission of the School of Respiratory Therapy is to integrate the University’s focus on the liberal arts with the knowledge, skills and values that promote the health and well being of the people and communities we serve.

Program Student Learning Outcomes

The program prepares students as competent advanced-level respiratory therapists.  Graduates are prepared for both the entry-level Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT) and the advanced-level Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) credentialing exams administered by the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC).  The primary goals of the program are that, upon completion of the program, each graduate will demonstrate the:

  • Cognitive ability to comprehend, apply, and evaluate clinical information relevant to the role of a registered respiratory therapist.
  • Technical proficiency in all skills necessary to fulfill the role of a registered respiratory therapist.
  • Personal behaviors consistent with professional and employer expectations for the registered respiratory therapist.

Program Policies

The following academic standards apply to all students:
1.     Successful completion of BSC 1121 Human Anatomy & Physiology I, BSC 1122 Human Anatomy & Physiology II, CHM 1101 Introductory Chemistry, and MA 1128 College Algebra, with a grade of at least “C” in each, or equivalent courses, and a cumulative grade point average of 2.3 are prerequisites for enrollment in the first respiratory therapy courses offered at Robert Packer Hospital 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 any 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 include background checks, specific immunizations, urine drug testing, and professional liability insurance. Students are responsible for the costs of these requirements and any transportation, meal, or housing expenses that may associated with their clinical training.

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.

State Licensure

In most states, including Pennsylvania, a license is required to practice respiratory care.  Such states grant a temporary practice permit to graduates of an accredited respiratory therapist program. Graduates passing the NBRC Certified Respiratory Therapist exam are granted the license to practice. Graduates of this program have a 100% pass rate on this exam.  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.”

More information concerning the licensure law in Pennsylvania, may be found at the Pennsylvania State Board of Medicine Web site.  The Pennsylvania Society for Respiratory Care web site, www.psrc.net, provides extensive information concerning licensure in Pennsylvania.

Additional Program Information:  Available at the program web site, www.guthrie.org/RespRx .

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