Program Overview
Our program is built to prepare you to practice under the direction of a physician to help perform diagnostic procedures and provide therapeutic respiratory treatments2.
CLASSES START May 6, 2019*
*Class start days may vary by location or program
Employment Projection
23% growth nationally from 2016-20263
Employment Options
Physicians’ Offices,
Home Care & Hospitals
Nursing Care Facilities,
Assisted Living Facilities
Program Length
About 2 years4
1. While some employers may not require this level of education, it can help better prepare you for the responsibilities of this role.
2. Individuals seeking to enter this career field may be subject to screenings such as, but not limited to, criminal background checks and drug/alcohol testing prior to externship, to attain occupational licensure/certification or employment, and throughout their careers.
3. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/respiratory-therapists.htm (visited July 12, 2018).
Data reflects a national projected percentage change in employment from 2016-2026 and may not reflect local economic conditions.
4. Not including breaks. Program length by weeks and admission requirements can be found here in the academic catalog.
You wouldn't buy a car without test driving it first, so why would you pick a college without checking it out?
Book Your TourClasses start as soon as May 6, 2019*
Which Locations Offer the Respiratory Care Program?
*Certificate is awarded from the Phoenix North campus.
Videos
What Will I Learn
A Day In The Life
How Easy Will It Be to Get a Job as a Respiratory Therapist7?
You’re a compassionate person with the ability to keep cool under pressure. Those qualities will help you succeed as a respiratory therapist. In fact, employment of respiratory therapists is projected to grow 23% nationally between 2016 and 20265. And there are some reasons for this growth, including:
- Growth in the middle-aged and elderly population will lead to an increased incidence of respiratory conditions that can permanently damage the lungs or restrict lung function. That will lead to an increased demand for respiratory therapy services and treatments.
- A growing emphasis on reducing readmissions in hospitals may result in more demand for respiratory therapists in nursing homes and doctors’ offices.
- Advances in preventing and detecting disease, improved medication and more sophisticated treatments will also increase the demand for respiratory therapists.
- Conditions affecting the general population, such as respiratory problems due to smoking and air pollution6.
5. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/respiratory-therapists.htm (visited July 12, 2018).
Data reflects a national projected percentage change in employment from 2016-2026 and may not reflect local economic conditions.
6. http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/respiratory-therapists.htm#tab-6 (visited July 12, 2018).
7. Individuals seeking to enter this career field may be subject to screenings such as, but not limited to, criminal background checks and drug/alcohol testing prior to externship, to attain occupational licensure/certification or employment, and throughout their careers.
Where can you work as a Respiratory Therapist?
Hospitals
As a respiratory therapist in a hospital you’ll provide emergency care, such as mechanical ventilation, external cardiac massage or assistance with cardiopulmonary resuscitation. You’ll also transport patients within the hospital.
Physicians’ Offices
You’ll monitor patients’ physiological responses to therapy, such as vital signs, arterial blood gasses or blood chemistry changes, and consult with the physician if adverse reactions occur. You’ll also maintain charts that contain patient identification and therapy information.
Home Care
As a respiratory therapist, you’ll educate patients and their families about their conditions and teach appropriate disease management techniques, such as breathing exercises or the use of medications or respiratory equipment.
Nursing Care Facilities
You might be responsible for performing bronchopulmonary draining and assisting or instructing patients in performance of breathing exercises. You’ll also make emergency visits to resolve equipment problems.
Assisted Living Facilities
In this setting, you’ll determine requirements for treatment, such as type, method and duration of therapy, precautions to be taken or medication and dosages, compatible with physicians’ orders. You’ll also ensure careful adherence to physicians’ orders.
Breathe Life Into Your New Career
Carrington College’s Respiratory Care program is built to provide you the skills and training you need to be able to:
- Make recommendations for therapeutic and diagnostic intervention and treatment of various cardiopulmonary diseases
- Administer medical gases and oxygen therapy
- Exhibit proper techniques for emergency medicine, resuscitation, intubation, airway clearance and tracheotomy care
- Sit for the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC) credential exams, such as the Therapist Multiple Choice (TMC) exam and the Clinical Simulation Exam(CSE)
How Does Carrington College Support Me As A Student?
We know college is a big step. But education can be the first step in building a better future. Your instructors, administrators and fellow students are there to help if you ever hit a bump in the road along the way. Carrington College offers a lot of great student support services designed to help you succeed, including:
Student Finance
From scholarships and grants to loans, we will help you understand how to search and apply for financial aid8.
Tutoring and Study Groups
For help with schoolwork, your instructors and Student Success Center staff are often available for tutoring or you can join in an open student study group.
Fixed Tuition Promise
How would you like to know what you’re going to pay, right from the beginning? We promise your tuition won’t change through the length of your program. It’s our commitment to you9.
Externships, Clinical Rotations and Fieldwork
Most programs include an opportunity to learn in the real world before you even graduate! You can earn impressive experience that looks great on your resume.
Career Services
After graduation, we’ll help you with your career search with everything from resume writing help to job search support to interview tips.
8. Student loans, grants and scholarships are available to those who qualify.
9. Fixed Tuition Promise is available for all Carrington College students who remain active and in good standing during the duration of their program. Students who withdraw or are withdrawn from school and are not reinstated within 180 days of their last date of attendance are subject to a tuition increase. Students who are required to repeat a course to fulfill graduation requirements are subject to additional expenses.
LICENSURE EXAM PASS RATES
This program prepares graduates for an occupation in which passage of a California licensing examination is required. The link below shows exam passage rates for the most recent available year. If you have questions regarding the calculation of these rates please contact the agency listed.
Respiratory Board of California
http://www.rcb.ca.gov/applicants/forms/pass_fail.pdf
Click here for outcomes data from the Respiratory Care program over a three-year time period, as reported in the 2017 CoARC Annual Report of Current Status. Programmatic outcomes are performance indicators that reflect the extent to which the goals of the program are achieved and by which program effectiveness is documented. Programmatic outcomes data reported on the CoARC website include:
- 3-year time period being reported
- CRT credentialing success
- RRT credentialing success
- Achievement of the high cut score on the TMC Exam (beginning 2018)
- Retention (Attrition)
- Job placement
- Overall Graduate Satisfaction
- Overall Employer Satisfaction
- on-time graduation rate
- Total number of program enrollees
- Total number of program graduates
- Maximum Annual Enrollment