Respiratory Care (RSP)
Type: Career, Degree (AS)
Special admissions requirement
Division: Health and Human Services
Respiratory Therapists are licensed health care professionals who evaluate, treat, and care for patients with breathing or other cardiopulmonary disorders. Working closely with physicians, Respiratory Therapists are actively involved in the daily care of their patients by teaching and promoting respiratory health, administering therapy, working on the "code team" performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), or helping to improve the quality of life of people with breathing disorders. Respiratory Therapists may work in hospitals, care for newborn babies in nurseries, travel around to care for patients at home, or pursue business/sales opportunities.
This fully accredited program combines lectures, laboratory activities, and hospital experience that lead to an Associate in Science degree, eligibility for the national examinations, and entrance into the Massachusetts licensure process.
Information regarding accredited Respiratory Care programs may be obtained from the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC) at www.coarc.com.
Students interested in participating in an academic program that involves working with children, the disabled, or the elderly, or which includes a clinical affiliation, internship, or field placement with a private or public healthcare provider, may be required to undergo criminal background checks, including a national as well as local check (i.e. Massachusetts Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) and Sex Offender Record Information (SORI)). Depending on the contents of these criminal background check(s), a student's participation in an academic program that involves working with children, the disabled, or the elderly or which includes a clinical affiliation, internship or field placement with a private or public healthcare provider may not be allowed, and therefore may impact a student's ability to complete program requirements. Furthermore, please note that eligibility to participate in the program and/or clinical affiliation, internship or field placement as a result of screening requirements, such as criminal background checks, is not a guarantee of eligibility to sit for professional credentialing examination(s) or employment upon graduation.
If you have questions related to program admissions or applications, please contact info@northshore.edu or call 978-762-4188.
If you have program advising related questions, please contact respiratory@northshore.edu or call 978-762-4160.
First Year
Fall
| BIO211 | Anatomy and Physiology 1 | 4 |
| RSP101 | Fundamentals of Respiratory Care 1 | 4 |
| RSP111 | Respiratory Care Clinical Experience 1 | 2 |
| RSP126 | Respiratory Care Pharmacology | 3 |
| RSP131 | Respiratory Care Lab 1 | 1 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 14 |
Spring
| BIO212 | Anatomy and Physiology 2 | 4 |
| CHE101 | Introductory Chemistry 1 | 4 |
| RSP102 | Fundamentals of Respiratory Care 2 | 4 |
| RSP112 | Respiratory Care Clinical Experience 2 | 2 |
| RSP122 | Physiology of Respiratory Care | 2 |
| RSP132 | Respiratory Care Lab 2 | 1 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 17 |
Second Year
Fall
BEH-ELECTIVE
| Behavioral Science Elective | 3 |
| CMP101 | Composition 1 | 3 |
| RSP201 | Fundamentals of Respiratory Care 3 | 4 |
| RSP211 | Respiratory Care Clinical Experience 3 | 4 |
| RSP222 | Introduction to Respiratory Disease | 2 |
| RSP231 | Respiratory Care Lab 3 | 2 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 18 |
Spring
| BIO214 | Microbiology | 4 |
CMP102-150
| Composition 2 Elective | 3 |
| RSP202 | Fundamentals of Respiratory Care 4 | 4 |
| RSP212 | Respiratory Care Clinical Experience 4 | 4 |
| RSP215 | Contemporary Topics in Respiratory Care | 2 |
| RSP232 | Respiratory Care Lab 4 | 2 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 19 |
Requirement Notes
BIO211: The prerequisite for Anatomy and Physiology 1 can be met through ONE of the following with no time limit for when it was completed: BIO101 or BIO105 with "C" or higher; or TEAS version V only Science section score of 50% or higher; or LPN Certificate; or a Bachelor of Science in biological science or chemistry. It can also be met with ONE of the following completed within the past 5 calendar years: high school biology with a "C" or higher, biology CLEP test with a score of 50 or higher, or AP biology test with a score of 3 or higher.
RSP101, RSP102: The prerequisites for RSP102 Fundamentals of Respiratory Care 2 are RSP101, RSP111, and RSP132, MAT091 with a "C" or better or its equivalent.
Program Note
Communication and Mathematics proficiency required to graduate.
See guided pathway sheets for advising information specific to your area of focus.
Total Credit Hours: 68
Program Student Learner Outcomes
- The cognitive knowledge as well as affective and psychomotor skills to provide respiratory care safely and efficiently.
- Communicate effectively in oral and written form.
- Apply appropriate information literacy skills to locate, evaluate, and use information effectively.
- Utilize technology in all areas of respiratory care.
- Demonstrate professional behavior in the educational and professional setting.
- Ability to function effectively in the health care setting as a member of the healthcare team.
- Problem solving and critical thinking skills in all areas of respiratory care.
- Participate in opportunities for civic engagement, service learning or activities that indicate commitment to the profession.
Occupational Skills required
- Lift up to 50 pounds to assist moving patients
- Stoop to adjust equipment
- Kneel to perform CPR
- Crouch to locate and plug in equipment
- Reach 5.5' above the floor to attach oxygen devices to wall outlet
- Handle small and large equipment for storing, retrieving and moving
- Grasp syringes, laryngoscopes and endotracheal tubes
- Stand for prolonged periods of time (deliver therapy, check equipment)
- Palpate pulses, feel arteries for puncture and skin temperature
- Push large, wheeled equipment such as mechanical ventilators
- Walk for extended periods of time to all areas of a hospital
- Dexterity to manipulate knobs and dials associated with diagnostic/therapeutic devices
- Hear verbal directions, gas flow through equipment and alarms; through a stethoscope such as breath or heart sounds
- See patient conditions such as changes in skin color and work of breathing; mist flowing through a tube; shapes and forms associated with radiographs
- Speak to communicate in comprehendible English to patients and providers
- Read typed, handwritten and computer information in English
- Write to communicate in English patient information (patient evaluation data, therapy outcomes)
- Function safely, effectively and calmly under stressful situations
- Maintain composure while managing and prioritizing multiple tasks simultaneously
- Prioritize multiple tasks
- Exhibit social skills such as respect, politeness, tact, collaboration, teamwork, and discretion necessary to interact effectively with patients, families, supervisors, and co-workers of the same or different cultures
- Maintain personal hygiene, cleanliness, and avoidance of odors and noxious fumes (including cigarette smoke, perfume) consistent with the close, personal contact required with patients and co-workers
- Display attitudes/actions consistent with a professional image and the ethical standards of the profession
Experiential Learning Required in Program
- RSP201 Fundamentals of Respiratory Care 3
Most Common Linked Occupation Title – All Education Levels
Most Common Linked Occupation Title – Associate’s or Less
Average Annual Growth (10-Year Projection)
- US - 2.10%
- Boston MSA – 2.50%
- Essex County – 2.30%
- Boston MSA Average Entry-Level Wages (2016) – $57,200
- Boston MSA Median Wages (2016) – $73,200
Top Transfer Institutions
- Becker College
- Boise State University
- Colby Sawyer College