Respiratory care practitioners are members of the health care team that provide treatment for patients with heart and lung disorders. You will learn about conditions such as asthma, emphysema, and cystic fibrosis. You will learn how to care for patients with chronic lung disease, neuromuscular disorders, and traumatic injuries. You will gain these experiences through classes, simulations, and clinical rotations.
The Bachelor of Science degree in Respiratory Care is accredited by CoARC. Graduates are eligible to sit for the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC) Therapist Multiple Choice (TMC) examination.
Our mission, as the Northern Kentucky University Respiratory Care Program, is to provide our students with a solid foundation in current respiratory care theory and practice, and with the skills necessary for them to become contributing members of the profession. We strive to create a supportive learning environment which fosters initiative, critical thinking, self-discipline, and compassion.
The Respiratory Care Program faculty believe in the importance of providing a learner-centered program that is committed to excellence and public engagement of their students, faculty, and staff. The program provides leadership for the improved respiratory health of people in the community through excellence in education, public service, and clinical practice.
The following are program goals:
Direct patient contact within the Respiratory Care Program makes it necessary for all students entering the program to provide verification of specific immunizations. In addition, certain technical standards must be met due to the physically demanding nature of respiratory care.
All candidates who receive acceptance must provide proof of immunity to and/or immunizations for the following communicable diseases*:
*Note: this list could change based on circumstances out of our control (i.e.: COVID pandemic); students will be notified of any such changes should they arise.
Get ready for realistic patient assessment.
In the Respiratory Lab, you will learn to manage patient simulators in emergency and long-term respiratory situations. In all, you will learn exactly what it is like to work in a real hospital. The programmable patient simulators will be given and when you identify the symptoms, the manikins will respond to treatment.
Can you see this as a future career for you?
Among the skills you will obtain:
This application is open for the fall and is due no later than June 1st for the following August start.
Historically, graduates of Northern Kentucky University’s respiratory care program enjoy high job placement rates (100% from 2012-15). Such job opportunities include, but are not limited to:
The Bachelor of Science Respiratory Care (BSRC) Degree Advancement Program is designed to offer students with an Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree in Respiratory Care the opportunity to obtain a Bachelor of Science in Respiratory Care from Northern Kentucky University.
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CoARC 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 NKU Bachelor of Science Respiratory Care Program (200393) is
accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC). The Bachelor of Science Respiratory Care Degree Advancement Program (510011) holds Provisional Accreditation from CoARC (www.coarc.com), until continuing accreditation has been awarded.
The clinical placements are facilitated by the program to assist students in the development of clinical skills. Learn more about respiratory therapy.
