Breathe Life Into Your Career.
The Respiratory Care program prepares students to diagnose and treat patients with cardiopulmonary disorders through hands-on clinical experience and rigorous instruction. Students learn to administer therapeutic gases and medications, perform pulmonary function testing, manage mechanical ventilation, and monitor critical care systems. Graduates are eligible to sit for national credentialing exams (CRT and RRT) and begin meaningful work in hospitals, clinics, home health settings, and more.
Career Opportunities and Income
Visit sanjac.edu for information regarding career opportunities and potential earnings in the Greater Houston region.
Job Entry Requirements. The College informs all students in this program who may have a criminal background that a criminal history could keep graduates from being licensed by the state of Texas. Students with any questions about their background and licensure may speak with the program’s department chair. This is in accordance with Texas House Bill 1508 amendments to Texas Occupations Code Sec. 53.152.
Learning & Career Pathway
The Respiratory Care program is intended to provide students with all skills needed to enter the workforce. At this time, this award is what employers value and hire for job entry, so the College does not currently have other certificates or degrees related to this learning pathway.
Learning Outcomes and Career Skills
A student completing this award will be able to:
- Collect, set up, and maintain equipment for function, operation, and cleanliness for the procedure competency.
- Perform standard respiratory therapy treatment modalities and manage ventilatory support.
- Analyze the etiology, pathophysiology, and clinical manifestations of cardiopulmonary disorders to identify specific diseases.
- Compare and manage cardiopulmonary disorders using the identified recommendations.
- Calculate drug dosages and select pulmonary and cardiovascular drugs for optimal therapeutic benefits.
- Critically evaluate malfunctioning equipment and prescribe corrective actions to address the identified malfunctions.
- Analyze and interpret patient data to evaluate cardiopulmonary disorders and communicate recommendations and interventions to healthcare team members.
- Exhibit professional and ethical behavior based on the AARC code of ethics and role-based healthcare laws.
Program Accreditation
The San Jacinto College Respiratory Care program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC). For further information concerning respiratory care accreditation, students may write or call:
CoARC
264 Precision Blvd.
Telford, Tennessee 37690
817-283-2835
Licensure or Certification
Upon completion, students are eligible for admission to the credentialing examinations for respiratory therapy offered by the National Board for Respiratory Care (CRT and RRT) and may also apply for a Respiratory Care Practitioner License from the Texas Medical Board.
External Learning Experiences
This program includes external learning experiences outside of the classroom, e.g., an internship, externship, clinical, practicum, or cooperative learning experience. Those experiences are typically on-site at a business or organization.
All students participating in external learning experiences are required to comply with the immunization requirements and policies of the external learning sites. Some learning sites outside the college have their own vaccination requirements. These rules come from those facilities and are not mandated by the college. Failure to meet those immunization requirements may limit a student’s ability to complete the program and/or may delay the student’s graduation date. San Jacinto College does not process exemptions, and students should address potential vaccination exemptions directly with the external learning site.
Locations
College Admission
San Jacinto College is an open admission institution. All students are welcome to apply and will be admitted to the College. You may begin the process on the College’s “How to Apply” webpage.
Program Admission
In addition to being admitted to the College, students must also be admitted to the Respiratory Care program, which has additional requirements and steps.
Plan of Study
3RESP
| Prerequisites | Credits | |
|---|---|---|
| RSPT 1101 | Introduction to Respiratory Care | 1 |
| BIOL 2301 & BIOL 2101 | Anatomy and Physiology I (Lecture) and Anatomy and Physiology I (Lab) | 4 |
| BIOL 2302 & BIOL 2102 | Anatomy and Physiology II (Lecture) and Anatomy and Physiology II (Lab) | 4 |
| Mathematics 1 | 3 | |
| Credits | 12 | |
| First Year | ||
| First Term | ||
| HPRS 1106 | Essentials of Medical Terminology | 1 |
| RSPT 1310 | Respiratory Care Procedures I | 3 |
| RSPT 1225 | Respiratory Care Sciences | 2 |
| RSPT 1340 | Advanced Cardiopulmonary Anatomy and Physiology | 3 |
| ENGL 1301 | Composition I | 3 |
| Credits | 12 | |
| Second Term | ||
| RSPT 1360 | Respiratory Care Clinical | 3 |
| RSPT 1311 | Respiratory Care Procedures II | 3 |
| RSPT 2310 | Cardiopulmonary Disease | 3 |
| RSPT 2372 | Introduction to Mechanical Ventilation | 3 |
| Credits | 12 | |
| Summer Year One Term | ||
| RSPT 2360 | Respiratory Care Clinical | 3 |
| RSPT 2414 | Mechanical Ventilation | 4 |
| RSPT 2317 | Cardiopulmonary Pharmacology | 3 |
| Credits | 10 | |
| Second Year | ||
| First Term | ||
| RSPT 2361 | Respiratory Care Clinical | 3 |
| RSPT 2355 | Critical Care Monitoring | 3 |
| RSPT 2353 | Neonatal/Pediatric Cardiopulmonary Care | 3 |
| Language, Philosophy and Culture (Humanities) or Creative Arts (Fine Arts) | 3 | |
| Credits | 12 | |
| Second Term | ||
| RSPT 2362 | Respiratory Care Clinical | 3 |
| PSYC 2301 | General Psychology | 3 |
| RSPT 2230 | Respiratory Care Examination Preparation | 2 |
| Credits | 8 | |
| Total Credits | 66 | |
Capstone Experience: RSPT 2230 Respiratory Care Examination Preparation
Work-Based Learning: RSPT 1360, RSPT 2360, RSPT 2361, and RSPT 2362
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Students planning to obtain a baccalaureate degree should take MATH 1314 College Algebra.
Note: Course outline is representative of fall entry only. Adjustments will be made for spring entry.
Students must earn a grade of C or better in all Respiratory Care (RSPT), Science, and Mathematics courses and must maintain an overall grade point average of at least 2.0 to graduate from the Respiratory Care program.