Allied Health
RESPIRATORY CARE
Associate in Science Degree
Respiratory care professionals are among the most critical members of any health care team who:
- Work closely with doctors to diagnose, treat and educate patients with lung disorders and breathing disorders including asthma, emphysema, lung cancer and pneumonia
- Treat a wide range of adult and pediatric respiratory emergencies in: Skilled nursing facilities, hospitals, home health care, and emergency rooms
- Manage ventilators and artificial airway devices for patients who can’t breathe normally on their own
Students completing the program are eligible to take the national certification exams, both the therapist multiple choice exam (TMC) and Clinical Simulation exam (CSE) to obtain the Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT) and Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) credential. The exams are administered by the National Board for Respiratory Care.
What is Respiratory Therapy?
https://be-an-rt.org/what-is-respiratory-therapy/
SJR State respiratory graduates earn 100% passing rate
For a fourth consecutive year, respiratory care graduates have excelled on their credentialing exam, exceeding the national passing rate.
Professional Licensure Respiratory Therapy Disclosure
St. Johns River State College offers a number of degree and certificate programs that prepare students to be eligible for professional licensure or certification that qualify them for their chosen career. If your future plans include achieving licensure or certification, you should know that requirements for professional employment vary by state. Even when graduates are eligible for a national certification exam, there are instances when individual states have requirements beyond those that Florida has mandated. St. Johns River State College has determined that the program’s curriculum meets educational requirements for professional licensure or certification for the State of Florida. The National Board of Respiratory Care (NBRC) has further information on state licensure at the following link: https://practitionerportal.nbrc.org/licensure/list
For additional information, please contact Dr. Holly Coulliette, or Jennifer Bass, .
Program Details
Program Code: 2125/2126
Start Date: Spring
Program Requirements: See Catalog
Program Plan-Course Rotation: (PDF)
Location: St. Augustine Campus with clinicals scheduled at facilities within the tri-county area
Program Length:
- Two year: This A.S. degree program can be completed in approximately two years with students attending classes full-time.
- Four years: Complete your A.S. degree and continue your education with SJR State’s Bachelor of Applied Science
degree in Organizational Management and a specialization in Health Care
Administration.
Questions? Call (904) 808-7465.
For an on-campus appointment contact the academic advising department on a campus near you.
The SJR State advantage
Ask any student and they will tell you that confidence is gained from experience. It is what instructors and employers call the "competitive edge."
- State-of-the-art manikins and equipment provide the latest hands-on training
- SJR State's health-sciences building is designed to simulate a hospital where students are presented with "life-threatening" patient scenarios
- Clinicals are scheduled throughout the Northeast Florida region and provide students with "real-world" experiences
- The Job Ready, Willing and Able initiative (funded by the Walmart Foundation) offers students employability skills training. Career counseling includes interpersonal communications and team building skills, mock-interviews and resume writing training
Programmatic Outcomes Data from CoArc can be found under the Program Outcomes/Goals/FAQs tab
PROGRAM MISSION STATEMENT
The mission of the respiratory care program at St. Johns River State College is to prepare graduates with demonstrated competence in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains of respiratory care practice as performed by registered respiratory therapists (RRTs).
ACCREDITATION
The AS Degree Respiratory Care program, CoARC program number 200539, located at the St. Augustine Campus of St. Johns River State College, is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (coarc.com).
How to Apply
(1) Apply to SJR State*
Apply now to SJR State and begin your pre-reqs/general education courses - on any campus or online.
(2) Respiratory Application - Deadline August 1 – October 31 for Spring 2024 enrollment
Financial Aid: Apply now!
Faculty
Jennifer Bass, BS, RRT-NPS, Program Director
Jennifer Bass has been a respiratory therapist for 18 years where she has worked in healthcare and higher education. Her clinical experience includes the pediatric and neonatal ICUs and the emergency room as well as being a preceptor for students. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Respiratory Therapy from the University of Cincinnati and holds the Neonatal-Pediatric specialty credential from the National Board for Respiratory Care.
Aleia Jureski, BS, RRT, RRT-NPS, Director of Clinical Education
Aleia Jureski has been a registered respiratory therapist for six years, working in neonatal, pediatric and adult ICUs in New England and Florida, as well as acting as a clinical preceptor for St Johns River State College respiratory care students. She holds an Associate of Science in Respiratory Care from Northern Essex College and a Bachelor of Science degree from Southern New Hampshire University. Ms. Jureski holds the Pediatric-Neonatal specialty credential from the National Board of Respiratory Care.
Outcomes / Goals / FAQs
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.
Programmatic Outcomes Data for the Respiratory Care Program at St Johns River State College can be found by visiting:
https://coarc.com/students/programmatic-outcomes-data/
Goals
To prepare graduates with demonstrated competence in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains of respiratory care practice as performed by Registered Respiratory Therapists (RRTs).
Standards/Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the program the graduate, in any patient setting, will be able to accomplish each of the following outcomes and competencies.
- Graduates will demonstrate the ability to collect and analyze objective patient data.
- Graduates will apply and effectively perform respiratory care procedures based upon patient assessment and effectively communicate results.
- Graduates will analyze and modify therapeutic procedures based on patient response.
- Graduates will evaluate and recommend related diagnostic and therapeutic procedures based on patient response.
- Graduates will perform technical skills in the selection, application, and adjustment respiratory equipment.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- Which hospitals are your clinical affiliates?
Flagler Hospital (St. Augustine), Advent Health Palm Coast, Putnam Community Medical Center (Palatka, FL), Orange Park Medical Center, Kindred Hospital (Green Cove Springs), UF Health at Jacksonville, Wolfson Children's Hospital, Baptist Medical Center (Jacksonville), Baptist South Hospital, UF Health at Gainesville, Baptist Clay Medical Campus, St. Vincents Clay Medical Center, JC Home Medical
- Where will you find Respiratory Therapists?
ICU’s, ER, Flight teams, floor therapy, sleep labs, newborn ICU, pediatric ICU, skilled nursing facilities, home care, pulmonary rehab, Pulmonary function labs, Asthma education, Doctor’s offices.
- Will I get to work with simulators?
Yes, high fidelity wireless simulators including infant, pediatric and adult.
- Do I have to pass a National Board Exam?
Yes, you have to pass a written exam to become a CRT (Certified Respiratory Therapist) and RRT (Registered Respiratory Therapist). The exam is called Therapist Multiple Choice (TMC) Exam and upon receiving the high cut score this will allow you to take the Clinical Simulation Exam (CSE).
- Can I work during the program?
We strongly advise against Full-time work. This program is a full-time, 4-5 day a week program.
- Will this program require travel to various sites?
Yes, you are responsible for reliable transportation and will rotate frequently to the clinical sites.
- What equipment do you work with?
Nebulizers, medications, bronchoscopies, ventilators, needles, defibrillators, oxygen masks, oxygen tanks, pulmonary function equipment, code blue equipment, oxygen hoods, nasal cpap (adult and pediatric), sensormedics oscillator (peds), transport equipment and a WHOLE LOT MORE!
