Respiratory Therapy (A.S. & Certificate)
This certificate prepares the student to take the State examination to practice as an entry level practitioner and the National Examination for Advanced level practitioner.
Requirements
15.0 units minimum
Group A - All of the following must be completed:
| Units | ||
| RSPT 230 | Introduction to Respiratory Therapy | 3.0 |
| RSPT 231 | Orientation to and Basic Fundamentals of Respiratory Therapy | 10.0 |
| RSPT 232 | Patient Assessment and Clinical Application of Respiratory Care | 10.0 |
| RSPT 233 | Intensive Respiratory Care and Advanced Pulmonary Physiology | 13.0 |
| RSPT 234 | Neonatal and Pediatric Respiratory Care and Pathophysiology and Pulmonary Rehabilitation | 13.0 |
| RSPT 239 | Introduction to Continuous Mechanical Ventilatory Support | 2.0 |
| BIOL 211 | Human Anatomy | 5.0 |
| OR | ||
| BIOL 212 | Human Anatomy | 4.0 |
| BIOL 221 | General Microbiology | 5.0 |
| BIOL 231 | Human Physiology | 4.0 |
| OR | ||
| BIOL 232 | Human Physiology | 5.0 |
| ENGL 101 | English Composition and Reading | 3.0 |
| PSYC 101 | General Psychology | 3.0 |
Group B - One of the following must be completed:
| Units | ||
| CMST 106 | Human Communication | 3.0 |
| CMST 107 | Family Communication | 3.0 |
| CMST 108 | Group Discussion | 3.0 |
| CMST 109 | Public Speaking | 3.0 |
| Group C - One of the following must be completed: |
| One course which meets the VVC Logic/Mathematics general education requirements for Category V - [see page 48 of the VVC Catalog here] |
| Group D - One of the following must be completed: |
| One course which meets the VVC Humanities general education requirements for Category III - [see page 48 of the VVC Catalog here] |
| Group E - One of the following must be completed: |
| One Physical Education course. |
Any course which meets the general education transfer
requirements to the CSU or UC system may be used as a
general education requirement for the associate degree in
Groups III and IV.
The Respiratory Therapy Faculty accepts and operates within the framework of the philosophy and objectives of Victor Valley College.
The Associate Degree in Respiratory Therapy provides a foundation for continuing personal, professional and educational development, and includes the study of the arts, sciences and humanities. The program is designed to produce a competent, self-directed respiratory therapist who, in a variety of settings, can assume leadership in planning, providing, and evaluating respiratory care of individuals and groups; who participates in the determination of the goals of the profession; and who actively searches for knowledge in respiratory therapy and related fields essential to the development and application of scientific respiratory care.
The respiratory therapy graduate receives the Associate of Science Degree and is eligible to take the National Registry Exam for Respiratory Therapists and the entry level exam for licensure in the State of California.
In order to be admitted to the Respiratory Therapy Program, separate application must be made in addition to application to the college. The annual deadline date for submitting applications to be considered for respiratory therapy is April 15. Applications can be obtained through the Allied Health Office or the Counseling Department. Prerequisites: CHEM 100, BIOL 100 or 107, and MATH 50 must be completed with a grade of “C” or higher before entry into the program.
Associate Degree
To earn an Associate in Science degree with a major in
Respiratory Therapy, complete all requirements for the
Respiratory Therapy Certificate. The Respiratory Therapy
Certificate above includes all requirements for both a
certificate and an Associate in Science degree in Respiratory
Therapy.
Transfer
Most Respiratory Therapy courses do not transfer. Two
universities offer a bachelor’s degree in Respiratory Therapy:
- California College for Health Sciences, National City
- Loma Linda University
Students in this field may choose to pursue a bachelor’s
degree in Health Care Services, Respiratory Therapy, or
related majors from Loma Linda University or other
universities. An articulation agreement is in existence.
Selected courses can be transferred to California State
University, San Bernardino.
A handout with all transfer requirements for a B.S. degree in Health Care Services, Respiratory Therapy, and other related medical degrees from Loma Linda University is available in the Counseling Department.