College Catalog Cover Design 2 - Pima Community College

Respiratory Care
Respiratory Care — Associate of Applied Science Degree for Direct Employment
Develop skills through classroom and clinical experience to become a respiratory therapist. Complete this program by
taking classes in a combination of weekdays and evenings/weekends. Pima Community College’s respiratory Care
program is accredited by the Commission on accreditation for respiratory Care (www.coarc.com).
Commission on accreditation for respiratory Care
1248 Harwood road, Bedford, texas 76021-4244
(817) 283-2835 (telephone), (817) 354-8519 (fax)
Before enrolling in this program, you must complete certain requirements. this program requires a special
respiratory Care – aas program application. students may request a program application when all prerequisites are
complete and grades are posted.
To participate in the clinical portion of the program, the students must:
1. obtain an arizona DPs fingerprint Clearance Card.
2. Pass a urine toxicology screening exam.
3. students are expected to have the essential functions necessary to be able to assess and gather information
regarding the patient, i.e., color changes in the skin, hearing heart and lung sounds through a stethoscope, feeling
pulses, communicate effectively with the patient and health care team, and the ability to synthesize the data
obtained to critically think and make emergency decisions. During lab and clinical training, the HrP students must
be able to accomplish tasks that require the student to stoop, bend, squat, push/pull, grasp/handle, lift 50 pounds,
hear, see, touch, smell, stand, and walk during the entire 8 hour clinical day. students will be required to move
medical equipment, perform chest compressions, and assist lifting patients without mechanical devices.
4. the respiratory care experience places students under considerable mental and emotional stress as they undertake
responsibilities and duties impacting patients’ lives. students must be able to demonstrate rational and appropriate
behavior under stressful conditions. individuals should give careful consideration to the mental and physical
demands of the program prior to making application.
5. Present proof of immunization or immunity for mmr/Varicella/Hep-B/tDaP.
6. show proof of negative tB skin test or negative chest x-ray for tB..
7. maintain health insurance and a CPr card at the Health Care Provider level throughout the program.
Important Information on Licensure
students should be aware that federal and state law requires documentation that the applicant for respiratory Care
Practitioner licensure is a u.s. citizen, national, or a person described in specific categories, to be eligible for licensure
in arizona.
What can I do with this degree?
Career Options: apply to take the exam given by the national Board of respiratory Care to become a certified
respiratory therapist. this degree also qualifies graduates to take the registered respiratory therapist exam. Become
licensed in arizona. Work in hospitals, special-care facilities and other settings taking care of cardiopulmonary patients.
Academic Options: While this program was not designed to transfer to a 4-year university, it may apply toward
Bachelor of applied science (Bas) or other programs. see Pima’s transfer Partnerships page
(www.pima.edu/transfer/partnerships).
Location: West Campus
Department/Contact Information:
Dean: 206-6663
lead faculty: 206-3107
Program Prerequisites
students must have completed the following prerequisites (with grades posted) before they may begin the application process.
international students must score higher than 450 on the institutional toEfl (test of English as a second language)
rEa 112 or Compass reading assessment score of 90 or higher. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0-4
mat 122 with a grade of C or better or math assessment score at mat 151 or higher. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0-3
CHm 130/130lB/130in* with a grade of C or better, or Chemistry assessment score of 34 or higher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0-5
f= fall | sp= spring | su= summer | n/o= may not be offered this year, check class schedule
rEsPiratorY CarE
Pima Community College Catalog 2011/2012 261