
PROGRAM APPLICATION
Admission to the Respiratory Therapy Program requires a separate application in addition to an application to the college. Applications to the Respiratory Therapy Program are available January through April of each year. Applications can be obtained from the 2022. Program Application link below or in the Health Sciences office during the application period. ADMISSION INFORMATION for APPLICATION PROCEDURE
Respiratory Care . . . A Profession With A Future!
The Respiratory Therapy Program at Victor Valley College prepares students for a career as a Registered Respiratory Therapist, an integral part of the healthcare team. Whether you are new in the work force or changing careers, respiratory therapy provides the opportunity for life-long learning and financial security.
Respiratory therapists care for a wide variety of clients of all ages that experience an array of cardiopulmonary disorders. Physical assessment, care plans, diagnostic testing, pulmonary treatments, and mechanical ventilation (life support) are a few of the primary responsibilities of a respiratory therapist in the clinical setting. For example, respiratory therapists are responsible for identifying the causes of and treatments for symptoms associated with lung diseases, such as emphysema, asthma, pneumonia, bronchitis, and fibrosis. Examples of assessment tools that may be used are basic physical assessment, bedside pulmonary function testing and arterial blood gas sampling. Interpretation of the assessment data is used by the respiratory therapist in "therapist-driven" protocols in attempt to improve pulmonary function (or breathing). Likewise, in the event of a high-risk delivery, where a premature newborn may be at risk for breathing complications, respiratory therapists are responsible for assessing the newborn, assisting with ventilation when needed, working in conjunction with the neonatologist to devise a care plan, and implementing that care plan. These are just two examples of the important role respiratory therapists play in prevention, maintenance, and improvement toward quality of life in clients that experience cardiopulmonary complications.
CAREER OPPORTUNITIES
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Respiratory Care Practitioner
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Critical Care Specialist
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Diagnostic Testing Specialist
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Education
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Home Care
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Neonatal/Pediatric Specialist
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Pulmonary Rehabilitation
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Research
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Manufacturing
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Physician Offices and Clinics
Most respiratory therapists are employed in the hospital setting, working 12 hours shifts, usually 3-4 days a week. There are also opportunities in other venues such as long-term facilities, medical equipment companies, pharmaceutical companies, urgent care clinics, polysomnography (sleep-study) clinics, in-home health agencies, physicians' offices, and transport services. Annual earnings of respiratory therapists in California can be found here: https://www.respiratorytherapistlicense.com/california/california-salary/
Job opportunities continue to grow to accommodate significant increasing life expectancy and biomedical advances. This last decade has produced medical advances at an exponential rate in the treatment of both chronic and acute diseases such as emphysema, asthma, heart failure, trauma, burn care, infant prematurity, cystic fibrosis, infectious diseases, and much more. These advances have increased the demand for competent, critical-thinking respiratory therapists.
The Victor Valley College Respiratory Therapy Program provides hospital skills and supervised clinical practices in San Bernardino, Riverside Orange and Los Angeles County hospitals and clinics. As a result of the education and training they receive, graduates of the VVC Respiratory Therapy Program pass the National Board for Respiratory Care exams above the National average.
ESTIMATED COSTS
Tuition ($46.00/unit)
- $3,200 (2-year Respiratory Therapy Program Courses)
- $2,300 (Prerequisites and Corequisites)
- $5,500 Total
Supplies and Fees
- Lab Jacket/scrubs $ 75.00
- Name Tag 5.00
- Stethoscope 30.00
- Watch 15.00
- School Supplies 150.00
- Graduation Pins 25.00
- Licensure & other fees 1100.00
- RT Textbooks 1,500.00
- Scantrons 20.00
- Malpractice Insurance 34.00
- Disposable equipment pack 250.00
- BLS/ACLS/PALS/NRP 300.00
- ASB (per semester) 15.00
- Student Center (per year) 10.00
- Parking (per semester) 45.00
- Physical Examination/labs 250.00
- Calculator 15.00
- Scissors 10.00
- Clipboard 5.00
- Child Care/travel variable
Note - certain costs may vary from year to year based upon College funding and inflation.
FACULTY – FULL-TIME
Click the name of the faculty member below to view their detailed profile, contact info. and course documentation.
- Traci Marin, PHD, MPH, RRT, RPSGT; Program Director
Email: Traci.Marin@vvc.edu
- Sean Cullin, RRT, NPS Clinical Director
Email: Sean.Cullin@vvc.edu
PROGRAM ACCREDITATION
The Victor Valley College Respiratory Therapy Program is accredited by the
Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC). www.coarc.com
CoARC accredits respiratory therapy education programs in the United States. To achieve this end, it utilizes an ‘outcomes based’ process. Programmatic outcomes are performance indicators that reflect the extent to which the educational goals of the program are achieved and by which program effectiveness is documented.
COARC program number 200207
PROGRAMMATIC OUTCOMES DATA (INFORMATION ON RT PROGRAMS)
State of California RT Programs' Pass/Fail Information
General Information
Health Sciences/Allied Health Office Assistant 760-245-4271, Ext. 2463
