Respiratory Care Practitioner, AAS
Respiratory therapists (RTs) are vital, hands-on healthcare professionals who make a real difference in the lives of patients every day. Specializing in heart and lung care, they treat people across all stages of life - from fragile newborns struggling to take their first breath to seniors managing chronic respiratory and cardiac conditions.
RTs assess patients' respiratory function, develop and implement care plans, manage mechanical ventilators, administer oxygen therapy and medications, perform diagnostic tests like pulmonary function studies, provide education to patients and families on managing chronic conditions, and respond quickly in critical situations. RTs play a vital role on the front lines of patient care, making a real difference when every breath counts.
Our hands-on program includes valuable clinical experience, preparing you for immediate entry into the field or further study. Many of our graduates go on to complete a bachelor's degree in respiratory therapy at the University of Michigan-Flint's online program or other four-year institutions. If you're considering transfer options after earning your AAS degree, be sure to connect with a counselor early.
*Please note this program requires a special application packet. Please see a health careers pathway advisor or counselor for more information and visit the Respiratory Care Practitioner program page on our website for program information, FAQs, accreditation details, and more.
Associate of Applied Science
Respiratory Care Practitioner Prerequisites
Program Required Courses
| RCP 100 | Basic Resp Care Procedures | 4 |
| RCP 106 | Pharmacology/Respiratory Care | 3 |
| RCP 107 | Cardiopulm Pathphys I | 5 |
| RCP 112 | Cardiopulm Pathphys II | 3 |
| RCP 131 | Respiratory Care Procedures II | 3 |
| RCP 132 | Respiratory Clinical I | 6 |
| RCP 201 | Respiratory Critical Care I | 3 |
| RCP 213 | Respiratory Critical Care II | 3 |
| RCP 214 | Respiratory Clinical II | 6 |
| RCP 215 | Neo Peds Respiratory Care | 3 |
| RCP 226 | Respiratory Critical Care III | 1 |
| RCP 227 | Respiratory Clinical III | 6 |
| RCP 230 | Contemporary Resp Topics | 2 |
| | English/Communication | 6 |
| | Political Science/Social Science | 3 |
| | Wellness/Physical Education | 2 |
Total Credit Hours: 77
The Kalamazoo Valley Community College Respiratory Care Practitioner Program (#200239) is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC)
www.coarc.com
(817) 283-2835
(817) 354-8519 (fax)
CoARC accredits respiratory therapy education programs in the United States and its territories. 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. The Accreditation Programmatic Outcome Data can be found at https://coarc.com/students/programmatic-outcomes-data/