Respiratory Care Program Overview
Respiratory therapists provide direct patient care, patient education, and care coordination. They practice in acute care facilities, long-term acute care facilities, skilled nursing facilities, assisted living centers, subacute care units, rehabilitation centers, diagnostic units, and in the home. Their clinical decisions are increasingly data-driven by scientifically supported algorithms (protocols) to deliver respiratory Care. They are involved in research and need to be adept at understanding the practical ramifications of published research. Respiratory therapists use sophisticated medical equipment and perform complex therapeutic procedures and diagnostic studies. They also provide education to patients and other members of the public. Respiratory therapists must possess and in-depth understanding of human physiology and apply that knowledge in the clinical setting.
The continually expanding knowledge base of today's respiratory care field requires a more highly educated professional than ever before. Factors such as increased emphasis on evidence based medicine, focus on respiratory disease management, demands for advanced patient assessment, and growing complexities of American healthcare overall, clearly mandate that respiratory therapists achieve formal academic preparation commensurate with an advanced practice role.
The primary purpose of a formal respiratory care educational program 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 therapist (RRT’s) and prepare competent respiratory therapists for practice across multiple health care venues. The Respiratory Care Program is twenty-four months and the graduate will receive an associate degree. Full-time students in this program enroll in three to five courses per term which average 17-30 class/lab hours per week or 9-12 credit hours per term. The two year graduate will receive an associate of applied science degree in respiratory care and is eligible to apply for admission to the National Board Exams and for South Carolina State Licensure.
Clinical rotations follow the initial fall term. Students are scheduled at affiliated hospitals and other designated areas where practical experience is gained. Affiliated hospitals are Spartanburg Regional Medical Center, SRHS Mary Black Campus, Spartanburg Hospital for Restorative Care,Pelham Medical Center, Cherokee Medical Center, Union Medical Center, Rutherford Regional Health System, and Piedmont Medical Center. Practical studies also include home care, sleep lab, rehabilitation facilities and physician offices.
Click on the following link: Be An RT Video
Program Admission Application Process
Spartanburg Community College is an open admissions college; however, acceptance into the Respiratory Care is by selection. Applications for the Associate Degree in Respiratory Care program are reviewed and evaluated on an impartial basis. Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission into the program. Please click on the application links below to begin the admission process for this program.
Begin Here – Complete Online Admission Application
APPLY FOR RESPIRATORY CARE
- Respiratory Care Admission Application (links to interactive form)
Next Step. Additional Program Application Guidelines
Students interested in the Respiratory Care program will need to use the admission application link provided above to begin the application process and be considered for acceptance to respiratory-specific courses for fall classed. Admission to the Respiratory Care program is competitive; if the number of applicants exceeds the number allowed in the fall, some students could be placed on a waitlist.
Additional Program Information:
- Application Process
- Criminal Background Investigations/Drug Testing Policy
- Verified Credentials
- CoARC Programmatic Outcome Data
- Estimated Costs
- Respiratory Care Accreditation
We will be accepting applications for the fall 2023 semester.
NOTE: You must be a currently enrolled student at SCC to apply for this program! Apply to Spartanburg Community College if you are not already a current student. Students need to be accepted to Spartanburg Community College before applying for the program. All transcripts should be sent directly to the Spartanburg Community College Admissions department if you are transferring classes. Please contact them at (864) 592-4800 or admissions@sccsc.edu with any questions regarding transcripts.
Students must have a 2.50 GPA or greater on the required college courses for the Respiratory Care program.
View Specific Program and Course Requirements Below:
Accreditation
The Respiratory Care Program is accredited by CoARC (The Committee on Accreditation for Respiratory Care. Their website is https://coarc.com/
CoARC accredits respiratory therapy education programs in the United States. To achieve this end, CoARC utilizes an ‘outcomes based’ process. Programmatic outcomes are performance indicators that reflect the extent educational goals of the program are achieved and by which program effectiveness is documented. The following link provides program outcome proformance information: Programmatic Outcome Performance (SCC 200362)
In selecting programs for the recognition, the CoARC Board used objective criteria based on key accreditation metrics documented in the 2019 Annual Report of Current Status RCS. These programs were required to:
- have three or more years of outcomes data
- hold accreditation without a progress report
- document RRT credentialing success 90% or above
- meet or exceed established CoARC thresholds for CRT credentialing success, and retention
Keep in mind that the conferral of this achievement award does not imply the CoARC’s recommendation, endorsement, or ranking of your program in relation to other CoARC-accredited programs. Publications or announcements of this award shall not imply such recommendation, endorsement, or ranking. The primary responsibility of CoARC is to accredit programs based on their compliance with established accreditation standards.
Distinguished Registered Respiratory Therapist Credentialing Success 2020
Distinguished Registered Respiratory Therapist Credentialing Success 2019
Distinguished Registered Respiratory Therapist Credentialing Success 2018
Distinguished Registered Respiratory Therapist Credentialing Success 2017
Distinguished Registered Respiratory Therapist Credentialing Success 2016
Distinguished Registered Respiratory Therapist Credentialing Success 2015
Distinguished Registered Respiratory Therapist Credentialing Success 2014
Distinguished Registered Respiratory Therapist Credentialing Success 2013
Distinguished Registered Respiratory Therapist Credentialing Success 2012
Program Director
Anna Marie Peacock, MBA, BA, RRT
HSB 349 864.592.4489
Clinical Director
Brittney Sutton, BSRT, RRT-NPS
HSB 348 864.592.4463
