SCC Course Catalog

Respiratory Therapy

Overview Pathway Requirements Additional Information Admissions Checklist Key Personnel Employment Data

The Respiratory Therapy curriculum offers career education for respiratory therapists, who specialize in the application of scientific knowledge and theory to clinical problems of respiratory care.

Respiratory therapists perform diagnostic testing, treatments, and management of patients with heart and lung diseases. The respiratory therapist is qualified to assume primary clinical responsibility for all respiratory care modalities and is frequently required to exercise considerable independent, clinical judgment in the respiratory care of patients under the direct or indirect supervision of a physician.

Students will master skills in patient assessment and treatment of cardiopulmonary diseases. These skills include ventilator management and monitoring, drug administration, and treatment of patients of all ages in a variety of settings. Graduates may be employed in wide variety of health-related areas including hospitals, clinics, skilled nursing care facilities, home care agencies, rehabilitation centers, industrial and educational institutions.

Upon completion of all required course work, the student will be awarded an Associate in Applied Science degree in Respiratory Therapy. Graduates of the Respiratory Therapy program are eligible to take the Therapist Multiple Choice exam from the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC), which will also allow them to apply for licensure in most states. (Licensure requirements vary by state.) Respiratory Therapy program graduates may also be eligible to take Advanced Practitioner examinations from the NBRC.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this program, students will be able to:

Perform specialized therapeutic and diagnostic procedures in clinical practice required for a respiratory therapist entering the profession.
Create problem-solving strategies for therapeutic and life-supporting procedures based upon patient assessment.
Develop therapeutic goals and respiratory care plans for patients with cardiopulmonary disease.
Defend written and oral case studies with regards to evidence-based practice guidelines.
Effectively employ interpersonal and communication skills to promote cardiopulmonary wellness and disease management given diverse population groups.
Exhibit ethical decision making and professional responsibility according to the AARC Statement of Ethics and Professional Conduct.

Accreditation

The Respiratory Therapy program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care and is a 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019 and 2018 recipient of the CoARC Distinguished RRT Credentialing Success Award.

Stanly Community College is CoARC program #200315 and outcome data can be found here.

Respiratory Therapy Degree - A45720
Respiratory Therapy 3 Year Course Sequence
AGE Pathway

Respiratory Therapy Degree - A45720

Gainful Employment Disclosure

Plan of Study Grid
First Year
Fall		Credit Hours
BIO 163	Basic Anatomy & Physiology	5
MAT 143	Quantitative Literacy	3
RCP 110	Intro to Respiratory Care	4
RCP 114	C-P Anatomy & Physiology	3
RCP 115	C-P Pathophysiology	2
	Credit Hours	17
Spring		Credit Hours
RCP 111	Therapeutics/Diagnostics	5
RCP 113	RCP Pharmacology	2
RCP 123	Special Practice Lab	1
RCP 144	RCP Clinical Practice II	4
	Credit Hours	12
Summer		Credit Hours
RCP 112	Patient Management	4
RCP 154	RCP Clinical Practice III	4
	Credit Hours	8
Second Year
Fall		Credit Hours
ENG 111	Writing and Inquiry	3
PSY 150	General Psychology	3
RCP 210	Critical Care Concepts	4
RCP 213	Neonatal/Ped's Concepts	2
RCP 234	RCP Clinical Practice IV	4
	Credit Hours	16
Spring		Credit Hours
ENG 112 or ENG 114	Writing and Research in the Disciplines Professional Research & Reporting	3
RCP 211	Adv Monitoring/Procedures	4
RCP 215	Career Preparation	1
RCP 222	Special Practice Lab	1
RCP 246	RCP Clinical Practice V	6
Humanities elective^*		3
	Credit Hours	18
	Total Credit Hours	71

*Please see the Suggested Humanities and Social/Behavioral Science Elective List for AAS Majors webpage.

Respiratory Therapy 3 Year Course Sequence

Plan of Study Grid
General Educations course completed prior to the start of the 3-Year Course sequence.		Credit Hours
BIO 163	Basic Anatomy & Physiology	5
ENG 111	Writing and Inquiry	3
ENG 112 or ENG 114	Writing and Research in the Disciplines Professional Research & Reporting	3
MAT 143	Quantitative Literacy	3
PSY 150	General Psychology	3
Humanities elective^*		3
	Credit Hours	20
First Year - Fall		Credit Hours
RCP 110	Intro to Respiratory Care	4
RCP 114	C-P Anatomy & Physiology	3
RCP 115	C-P Pathophysiology	2
	Credit Hours	9
First Year - Spring		Credit Hours
RCP 111	Therapeutics/Diagnostics	5
RCP 113	RCP Pharmacology	2
RCP 123	Special Practice Lab	1
RCP 132	RCP Clinical Practice I	2
	Credit Hours	10
First Year - Summer		Credit Hours
RCP 112	Patient Management	4
RCP 142	RCP Clinical Practice II	2
	Credit Hours	6
Second Year - Fall		Credit Hours
RCP 144	RCP Clinical Practice II	4
RCP 213	Neonatal/Ped's Concepts	2
	Credit Hours	6
Second Year - Spring		Credit Hours
RCP 154	RCP Clinical Practice III	4
RCP 222	Special Practice Lab	1
	Credit Hours	5
Second Year - Summer		Credit Hours
RCP 152	RCP Clinical Practice III	2
	Credit Hours	2
Third Year - Fall		Credit Hours
RCP 210	Critical Care Concepts	4
	Credit Hours	4
Third Year - Spring		Credit Hours
RCP 211	Adv Monitoring/Procedures	4
RCP 215	Career Preparation	1
RCP 234	RCP Clinical Practice IV	4
	Credit Hours	9
	Total Credit Hours	71

AGE Pathway

The Respiratory AGE Pathway offers students a place to begin their journey toward a career in Respiratory. The AGE pathway gives students the opportunity to complete all of the general education courses required in the Respiratory program. After completion of these courses, students who choose to continue in to the degree program will be able to focus on Respiratory specific courses.

For more information, please contact: Leah Reddick

Plan of Study Grid
Courses		Credit Hours
ACA 111	College Student Success	1
BIO 163	Basic Anatomy & Physiology	5
ENG 111	Writing and Inquiry	3
ENG 112 or ENG 114	Writing and Research in the Disciplines Professional Research & Reporting	3
HSC 110	Orientation to Health Careers	1
MAT 143	Quantitative Literacy	3
PSY 150	General Psychology	3
AGE elective^*		42
Humanities elective^*		3
	Total Credit Hours	64

Please see the AGE Elective list for courses.

*Please see the Suggested Humanities and Social/Behavioral Science Elective List for AAS Majors webpage.

Respiratory FAQs

Stanly Community College

RESPIRATORY THERAPY – Associate in Applied Science

The Respiratory Therapy curriculum offers career education for respiratory therapists, who specialize in the application of scientific knowledge and theory to clinical problems of respiratory care.

Students will master skills in patient assessment and treatment of cardiopulmonary diseases. These skills include ventilator management and monitoring, drug administration, and treatment of patients of all ages in a variety of settings. Graduates may be employed in a wide variety of health-related areas including hospitals, clinics, skilled nursing care facilities, home care agencies, rehabilitation centers, industrial and educational institutions.

Admission Procedure

Applications are open from March 16th through March 15th each year. Applicants seeking admission into the Respiratory Therapy program must complete steps 1 and 4 by March 15, 2025, in order to be considered for acceptance in the Fall 2025 semester.

Print this admission procedure for your records to track completion of all steps.

Step 1: Application __________ (date completed)

Submit a completed CFNC SCC Application by choosing “Fall 2025” enrollment term and “Respiratory Therapy (AAS)” as the program of study. You can access the electronic application from the SCC homepage; stanly.eduand selecting the “Apply” link. Application submissions are free of charge.
For application and admission requirement questions, contact Admissions at 704-991-0215. Applicants are assigned a Success Coach to help you through the admission and registration processes. Leah Reddick is the Success Coach for the Respiratory Therapy program and is available via email at lreddick5454@stanly.edu. Early academic advising is imperative.

Step 2: Transcripts __________ (date completed)

Submit to the Admissions Office an official high school transcript and official post-secondary transcripts for all institutions attended. Applicants that obtained a GED/Adult High School diploma must submit an official GED/AHS transcript and a high school transcript even if you did not complete high school.
The Enrollment Management Office will evaluate college transcripts for transfer credits that can be viewed in Self-Service. For questions related to transfer credits, call the Records department at 704-991-0212.

Step 3: Complete one course of high school or college-level Algebra, Biology, and Chemistry with a grade of "C" or better. __________ (date completed)

Submit evidence of successful completion of high school or college-level algebra, biology, and chemistry.
Ed2Go courses are no longer accepted.
Applicants wishing to complete these credits at other colleges should contact the Admissions Office at Stanly Community College to ensure that the credits are acceptable. To determine if you are awarded credit for these required courses, view “Required Documents” in your Self-Service account or contact the Admissions Office at 704-991-0215.

Step 4: Prove college readiness ____________ (date completed)

Be eligible to enroll in ENG-111 and MAT-143 WITHOUT a co-requisite. The following links explain RISE (reinforce instruction for student excellence) https://www.stanly.edu/current-students/academic-planning/resources-rise and provide a complete list of eligible placement tests https://www.stanly.edu/sites/default/files/pdf/2018/placement_testing_guide.pdf.
If you have questions regarding your eligibility to enroll in ENG 111 and MAT 143, please contact your Success Coach: Leah Reddick at 704-991-0223 or lreddick5454@stanly.edu.

Step 5: Maintain 2.0 GPA (ongoing). This requirement is checked by the Admissions office before acceptance into the program and again in August before entering the program. Applicants do not have to submit anything to the Admissions Office.

For the applicant who has completed any college level courses taken with SCC prior to admission into the RCP program, a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 is required.

After conditional acceptance is granted by the admissions office, applicants must provide successful completion of the following:

Step 6: Electronically submit a completed medical form. A licensed physician, physician’s assistant, or nurse practitioner should sign the medical form.

Step 7: Successful completion of HSC 110 (Introduction to Health Careers) course at SCC the summer prior to fall admission.

Step 8. Successful completion of ACA-111 (College Student Success) prior to fall enrollment.

ACCEPTANCE PROCEDURE

Applicants are conditionally accepted based upon their completion of steps 1 and 4 of the admission requirements until seats are filled. The applicants will be ranked in order by the date applied and by their completion of these steps. Steps 2, 3, 4 and 5 must be completed by the deadline given on the conditional acceptance letter. If any of the conditionally accepted applicants forfeit their acceptance, applicants on the alternate list will be offered a seat in the order their application was completed and submitted. If an applicant whose name appears on the alternate list is not afforded an opportunity to begin classes during the year in which he or she has made application, that applicant will need to submit another application in order to be considered for admission the following year. (Admission requirements may change from year to year). Any applicant who forfeits his or her acceptance will not be guaranteed acceptance in any subsequent year. The applicant must reapply if he or she wishes to be considered for acceptance at a later date.

Readmission to the respiratory therapy program has a time limit of 3 years from the semester of withdrawal for any continuing student*. (Example - if you withdraw in March 2024, you must be readmitted by January 2027 to attempt completion of the program as a continuing student**)

*Student must successfully pass any reentry competencies
**any new admission guidelines will apply

Notice of Nondiscrimination

Stanly Community College is an equal opportunity educational institution and employer. The College does not practice or condone discrimination in any form against students, employees, or applicants on the grounds of race, color, national origin, religion, gender, age, or disability consistent with the Assurance of Compliance with Title VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Executive Order 11246, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1992.

Full policy can be accessed at https://www.stanly.edu/college-information/notice-nondiscrimination

Updated 12/23

Program Director – Amy Witschey, MSRC, RRT, RRT-ACCS, RCP

Director of Clinical Education – Ashlyn Isenhour, BSRT, RRT, RCP

Lab Instructor – Joshua Baucom, BSRT, RRT, RCP

Medical Director – William Miles, MD

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Respiratory Therapy