Respiratory Care

• Summer and Fall Schedule
• Program Goals
• Curriculum Plan
• Grading Scale  
• Graduation and Certification Requirements

The Profession

Respiratory Therapists work in hospitals, emergency departments, intensive care units, neonatal intensive care units, in diagnostic laboratories, offices, clinics and homes.

Respiratory Therapists are licensed health care professionals who are educated to care for persons with cardiopulmonary disorders.  Responsibilities of Respiratory Therapists include:

• Performance of cardiopulmonary diagnostic tests and arterial blood gas analysis.
• Assessment of disruptive sleep patterns.
• Administration of certain medications, medical gases, aerosol and humidity therapy, intermittent positive pressure breathing therapy, and incentive spirometry.
• Maintenance of lung inflation and airway hygiene.
• Operation of highly sophisticated equipment.
• Performance of CPR and application of ventilatory life support technology.
• Evaluation of patient responses to therapy.

The Program

The 74 semester hour Associate of Applied Science in Respiratory Care degree curriculum includes 50 respiratory care and 24 general education semester hours of credit.  General education courses promote the practice of oral and written communication skills and utilization of human and social awareness to promote reflective thinking and problem solving.  Application of general education knowledge is an expectation for today's healthcare graduates.

The dedicated curriculum prepares the graduate to practice as an entry-level advanced registered respiratory therapist.  The curriculum is primarily sequential, combining theory classes and clinical experience to facilitate mastering the learning process.

The student develops communication and problem-solving skills as well as learning to work with other members of the health care team.  Emphasis is placed on developing skills that allow the student to provide culturally congruent patient care that is effective as well as compassionate. 

Students are assigned clinical experiences using the facilities of Trinity Regional Health System and health institutions within the bi-state area.  The affiliated institution of Trinity Medical Center consists of two campuses located in Illinois, one in Rock Island and one in Moline plus a third campus in Bettendorf, Iowa.  The institutions are all acute care facilities providing a comprehensive approach to health care in both the Illinois and Iowa Quad City Community.  Students are assigned clinical rotations at all three campuses, local health care institutions, and additional acute care experience at a Level III institution in the final semester of the program.

The Respiratory Care Program requires that all graduates demonstrate competence in didactic coursework and a specified list of clinical competencies.

Admission Requirements:

• Minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 or above on a 4.0 scale
• ACT composit score of 20 or more

Minimum High School Requirements

• Three years Mathematics, Social Studies, and Science with one year each of Biology and Chemistry and one additional year of a lab science or its equivalent
• Four years English
• or 12 or more approved college semester credits with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale

Note: Accepted Respiratory Care students must complete a four-hour observation in a Respiratory Care clinical setting prior to matriculation into the program.  The faculty arranges the clinical observation prior to the summer session.