Respiratory Care

Faculty:
Pippin - Chair, Dunaway and Whiteman
Health Sciences Building 325 • 417-659-4405

Mission

The mission of the program is to provide an outstanding educational program that offers students an opportunity to develop knowledge, skill and attitudes essential for safe, effective practice within the scope of respiratory care practitioners.

Goals

Program goals are:

To supply the community with respiratory care practitioners.
To prepare program graduates to pass the National Board for Respiratory Care Credentialing Examinations.

A career in the medical field can be a dynamic and rewarding opportunity. The changing nature of the medical profession is creating a demand for multi-skilled health professionals with communication, interpersonal and excellent clinical skills such as the respiratory care practitioner. The Respiratory Care Program is designed to prepare students to be employed in the hospital, clinic, sleep laboratory and alternate care settings such as a durable medical equipment company. Respiratory Care Practitioners perform a variety of clinical, diagnostic and management functions in these settings.
The Respiratory Care Department offers these career tracts:

Associate of Science Degree
Baccalaureate Degree in Health Sciences. See General Education Requirements and course descriptions.

The curriculum offers the following options:

Graduates of the associate degree respiratory care program will be eligible to take the NBRC Certification in Respiratory Care to become a Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT). Successful completion of the CRT exam will allow the graduate to take the clinical simulation exams to become a Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT).
For those students interested in a bachelor degree, there are two options: a Bachelor of General Studies or a Bachelor’s in Health Sciences, designed for graduates of the Respiratory Care program.

The Associate of Science Degree Program in Respiratory Care prepares students for a position as a respiratory care practitioner. The program is provided by Missouri Southern State University and Franklin Technology Center, through a consortium for respiratory care education. The program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care, 1248 Harwood Road, Bedford, TX 76021. The Associate of Science program consists of a core academic component and a major concentration component. The academic section consists of the MSSU Associate of Science degree requirements, including courses in the Humanities and Fine Arts, Life and Physical Science, Social and Behavioral Science, Mathematics, Written and Oral Communication, Health and Wellness and University Experience. The respiratory care major concentration components comprise both the didactic and respiratory care clinical instructional areas. A comprehensive self-assessment exam must be successfully completed as a requirement for graduation.

All graduates must successfully complete the NBRC Entry Level Certification Examination (CRT) prior to taking the Registry Examination(RRT).

Respiratory Care Students must demonstrate numerous competencies representing all three learning domains: the cognitive, psychomotor and affective domains. Students learn, practice and verify these competencies in a number of settings including the classroom, laboratory and clinic. To achieve the required competencies in the classroom setting, respiratory care students must perceive, assimilate and integrate information from a variety of sources. These sources include oral instruction, printed material, visual media and live demonstrations. Students must participate in classroom discussion, give oral reports and pass written and/or computer-based examinations of various formats. Completion of these tasks requires cognitive skills, such as reading, writing and problem-solving. To be physically capable of the classroom work, students must, with assistance, be able to: hear, see, speak, sit and touch. Respiratory care laboratories provide students with the opportunity to view demonstrations, evaluate and practice with medical devices and perform simulated clinical procedures. In addition to the cognitive skills required in the classroom, students must demonstrate psychomotor skills in manipulation of patients and equipment, as well as general professional behaviors (affective domain), like team-building and interpersonal communications. To satisfy laboratory and clinic requirements, students must perform all procedures without critical error.

Admission to Missouri Southern or Franklin Technology Center does not automatically grant admission to the respiratory care program. In addition to meeting admission requirements to the University, candidates must apply for admission to the Department of Respiratory Care. Applications are accepted during the Spring semester starting in the Fall semester.

Enrollment is competitive; Applicants must submit the necessary information to the department office by the designated deadline to be considered for acceptance. Evidence of computer literacy and satisfactory completion of the following prerequisites with a ‘C’ or better must be presented: MATH 0030 - Intermediate Algebra or higher, ENG 0101 - College Composition I Writing Intensive and BIO 0121 - Human Anatomy and Physiology I. Department Recommendation: High school or college course work in Physical Science and Chemistry. Interested individuals are encouraged to contact the Program Director of Respiratory Care for more specific information regarding admissions criteria.

In addition to established fees for all university students, other costs are incurred by respiratory care students such as: uniforms, books, self-assessment examinations, graduation pins, AARC student membership dues, liability insurance and various expenses for transportation to off campus clinical sites and professional meetings.

Graduate outcomes

Graduates of the program will:

Cognitive - Demonstrate the ability to comprehend, apply and evaluate clinical information relevant to their role as a respiratory care practitioner.
Psychomotor - Demonstrate the technical proficiency in all skills necessary to fulfill the role as a respiratory care practitioner.
Affective - Demonstrate personal behavior consistent with professional and employer expectations for the respiratory care practitioner.

Admission Criteria

(Associate of Science in Respiratory Care)

Application should be made directly to the Respiratory Care Department Office on the Missouri Southern State University campus (special admissions procedures are required for admittance into this program in addition to admission to MSSU).

Continuous enrollment, readmission or admission to Missouri Southern and Franklin Technology Center as a transfer student.
Completion of an approved college-level math, College Composition I and Anatomy & Physiology I courses.
Provide documentation of computer literacy.
Minimum adjusted individual total score on the Health Occupations Basic Entrance Test administered by the Department.
Submit to background check, State of Missouri Caregiver Background Screening and drug screen.

Admission to the program is competitive.

For additional information contact:
Glenda Pippin • Chair, Respiratory Care
417-659-4405 • Pippin-G@mssu.edu

Programs

Major

Respiratory Therapy, AS