What can I do in respiratory care?
Respiratory therapists focus on the treatment, management, control, evaluation and
care of patients who have trouble breathing. They care for patients with chronic respiratory
disease, such as asthma or emphysema, as well as patients who suffer from heart attacks,
sleep apnea, shock or other problems that may affect breathing.
What characteristics and skills do I need to work in this field?
Success requires individuals to enjoy working with people and be able to think quickly
and make decisions in stressful situations. Therefore, being detail oriented and having
strong problem-solving skills are important. These professionals should be self-motivated
and have good communications skills. It’s also important to be compassionate and sensitive
when dealing with patients and their families.
Where can I work?
Respiratory therapists work with patients (newborn to geriatric) who have acute and
chronic lung conditions. As a respiratory therapist you will be able to work in the
intensive care unit, in the emergency department, in doctor’s offices, in patients'
homes, and even on the flight team.
What does Trident Technical College offer?
Trident Technical College’s Respiratory Care program prepares students for employment
as advanced-level respiratory care practitioners. The program is accredited, and graduates
are eligible to take national certificate and registry exams.
Accreditation
Respiratory care practitioners help in the evaluation, diagnosis and treatment of
patients with heart, lung or renal problems. The patients may be adults, children,
infants or newborns.
Trident Technical College's respiratory program, located on the Thornley Campus in
Charleston, SC, CoARC number 200008, Associate Degree program, is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC).
The Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care accredits respiratory therapy
education programs in the United States. 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 following sites are not affiliated with TTC but provide helpful information about
the respiratory care field:
Recommended Sequence of Course
A recommended course sequence is a structured plan to help students complete degree
requirements efficiently. Click here for the Respiratory Care associate degree sample program.
Respiratory Care, AAS -Career Outlook