Respiratory Care, AS

The goal of the two-year Associate of Science Degree Program in Respiratory Care is to prepare students to be competent advanced-level respiratory therapists. Students desiring admission to the Respiratory Care Program must first meet general University admission requirements and be provisionally accepted for admission to the University. Students must subsequently make separate application to the Division of Health Sciences and Business Technology in order to be considered for admission to the Respiratory Care Degree Program.

For additional information, please see the Respiratory Care Student Handbook.

Program Mission and Goals

Mission
The Associate of Science in Respiratory Care is dedicated to providing a well-rounded education, based on high standards, principles, and values. The Respiratory Care Program promotes leadership, professionalism, critical thinking skills and continued education while stimulating intellectual inquiry and creativity of students to their highest potential. Our mission includes preparing graduates to enter the workforce as registry-eligible therapists with the ability to be productive health care professionals in a culturally diverse society by contributing to their profession and dedicating themselves to life-long learning.

Goals:

1. To prepare graduates to enter the workforce as registry-eligible therapists who meet employer expectations with respect to their knowledge, skills, and behavior.
2. To provide students with the highest quality education through didactic, laboratory, and clinical instruction with emphasis on the psychomotor, affective, and cognitive learning domains.
3. To provide employers highly knowledgeable, registry-eligible respiratory therapists who are able to adapt well in the working environment and prove themselves dependable, ethical, and competent.

Requirements for Admission

The first year of the respiratory care curriculum is composed of basic academic courses which are open to all students meeting the general University requirements for admission. Enrollment in first-year courses does not ensure a student’s acceptance into the second year of the respiratory care curriculum.

Admission to the second (clinical) year of the program is on a selective basis. Selection recommendations are made by the Division of Health Sciences and Business Technology Selection Committee to the Division Head. The number of students selected each year (maximum of 20 students) will depend upon a number of factors, including the financial, personnel, and other resources available to the Respiratory Care Program. In order to be considered for selection, an applicant must:

1. Be fully admitted as a student to LSU Eunice.
2. Submit to the Division of Health Sciences and Business Technology a completed Respiratory Care Selection Application Form accompanied by all required documents and a $10 nonrefundable application fee. These materials must be received no later than March 1 of the year for which selection is being sought.
3. Must have a minimum grade of “C” in all prerequisite courses. Calculation of GPA for first-year courses will be based upon the last grade earned in each course.
4. Have an overall GPA of 2.0 or higher in all college work attempted, excluding any work previously forfeited by a declaration of academic bankruptcy.
5. Complete forms and submit fees for additional background investigations required by several healthcare facilities.
6. Attend a mandatory orientation session.

Eligible applicants will be considered on a competitive basis. The Selection Committee will consider all relevant aspects of eligible applicants’ credentials and make recommendations based upon the relative merits of each candidate.
The following variables will be considered:

• Grade-point average in prerequisite courses (42 hours).
• Licensure/certification in a healthcare profession.
• Overall academic record.

The Division of Health Sciences and Business Technology will admit classes in the Respiratory Care Program’s clinical year in the fall semester of each year. Selection decisions will be made and communicated to students by the second week in August. Though students not selected may reapply for admission to a subsequent class, such students must complete the entire application process and will remain subject to the eligibility requirements specified above. Career counseling will be provided to students desiring this service.

Acceptance into the LSU Eunice Respiratory Care Program’s clinical year entitles the student to progress through the second year of the respiratory care curriculum along with the class to which he or she is admitted. A student will be considered to progress with his or her class as long as continuous enrollment at LSU Eunice is maintained and all required respiratory care courses are completed in uninterrupted sequence with a grade of “C” or better. Failure to progress with one’s class, for either academic or other reasons, will require that the student apply for admission to a subsequent class.

Requirements for Readmission

A student whose enrollment is interrupted, either voluntarily or by compulsion, or who fails to earn a grade of “C” in a required respiratory care course may be considered for readmission to the Respiratory Care Program provided that the student is in good academic standing as defined in the “University Regulations” section of this catalog. However, in no circumstances will a student be considered for readmission when the student has earned more than one “D,” “F,” or “W” in required respiratory courses.

Persons wishing to re-enter the LSU Eunice Respiratory Care Program must make written application to the Division of Health Sciences and Business Technology by June 15 for re-entry in the fall clinical semester. No application will be considered for the summer semester or last clinical semester. All re-entry students will begin in the first fall semester and must follow in the respiratory care curriculum. A student will be considered for re-entry only when there is clear evidence of his or her potential to complete the requirements of the respiratory care curriculum. In reviewing such applications, special scrutiny will be given to (1) availability in the program, (2) overall grade-point average, (3) successful passing of a respiratory care cognitive and psychomotor aptitude assessment, (4) grades earned in the behavioral, biological, and physical sciences, (5) repeating the previous clinical course (s). (Refer to the clinical manual for specific details.) The overall financial and personnel resources available to the Respiratory Care Program will also be a consideration in readmission decisions.

Transfer Respiratory Care Students

Students who wish to transfer with respiratory care credits are subject to the “Requirements for Readmission” specified above. Respiratory care transfer credits will be evaluated on an individual basis.

Special Provisions and Requirements

In addition to meeting all other specified curricular requirements, respiratory care students must: (1) meet immunization and physical examination requirements; (2) prior to entering a clinical facility, submit to a Level 1 criminal background check which investigates Social Security number verification, criminal activity, employment verification to include reason for separation and eligibility for reemployment for each employer, confirms the individual is not on either the General Services Administration (GSA) or Office of Inspector General (OIG) exclusion lists, confirms the individual is not listed as a Violent Sexual Offender and Predator Registry Search, confirms the individual is not on the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control list of Specially Designation Nationals and no other aspect of the investigation reveals information of concern; (3) upon successful completion of the program, submit to the LSBME (Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners) a criminal background check including fingerprint cards that will be forwarded to the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections (DOC) and to the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI); (4) maintain CPR Certification (CPR for Health Care Providers) and immunizations for the duration of their program; (5) assume responsibility for providing their own transportation to and from clinical agencies; (6) maintain professional malpractice insurance obtained through LSU Eunice; (7) a negative drug screen must be submitted prior to final acceptance into the program.

Degree Requirements

In addition to fulfilling the “General Degree Requirements” specified in this catalog for all associate degree candidates, respiratory care students must complete all required respiratory care courses with a grade of “C” or better. The last grade earned in a “repeated” course will be considered the grade of record for purposes of applying these requirements.

Graduates of the program are awarded the Degree of Associate of Science in Respiratory Care. After successful completion of this curriculum, the graduate will be eligible to write the National Board of Respiratory Care (NBRC) examination for recognition as Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT). After fulfilling specific requirements established by the National Board of Respiratory Care (www.nbrc.org), graduates may also become eligible to write the national examination to be credentialed as Registered Respiratory Therapists (RRT). Persons interested in such credentialing may obtain further information from the director of the Respiratory Care Program.

The LSU Eunice Respiratory Care Program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (www.coarc.com) Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC). Inquiries regarding accreditation should be directed to: CoARC, 1248 Harwood Road, Bedford, Texas 76021; telephone 1-817-283-2835.