Respiratory Therapy, AAS

Program Description

Mid-Plains Community College in conjunction with Southeast Community College offers an associate of applied science degree in Respiratory Care at its Lincoln Campus. In West Central Nebraska, Southeast Community College makes the program available in cooperation with Mid-Plains Community College.

General education and academic support courses are provided by Mid-Plains Community College. Respiratory Care courses are transmitted online by Southeast Community College to Mid-Plains Community College.

Respiratory Care Practitioners

Respiratory Care Practitioners are individuals who are sensitive to the physical and psychological needs of others in their environments. They are people who appreciate and enjoy working closely with other health professionals as a member of a true team. However, they are also individuals who follow instructions carefully and pay careful attention to details. Operating complicated technical equipment requires the Respiratory Care Practitioner to possess mechanical ability and manual dexterity. Respiratory Care Practitioners are individuals with strong emotional stability which allows them to effectively cope with human suffering, emergency situations and the stress of today’s health care environment, to which they are exposed on a daily basis.

Respiratory Care Practitioners must possess the functional use of the senses of sight, hearing, touch, and smell. They must possess a sense of equilibrium, along with sufficient motor functions to carry out activities required in the clinical practice of caring for patients. Additionally, the practitioner must possess the communication and intellectual skills to perform the assessment and intervention activities required in providing respiratory care to patients in a variety of clinical settings

Some activities carried out by professional Respiratory Care Practitioners include:

1. Obtaining and analyzing blood specimens
2. Testing lung capacity
3. Performing cardiac stress tests and cardiopulmonary tests.
4. Studying disorders of patients with disruptive sleep patterns.
5. Operating and maintaining oxygen and other breathing equipment.
6. Employing mechanical ventilation equipment
7. Administering aerosol medications
8. Conducting rehabilitation activities
9. Conducting smoke cessation programs

Admission Requirements

You are eligible to apply for the core Respiratory Care program once you are registered for your final semester of the prerequisite courses or if you have already completed the prerequisite courses listed. The application period for this program is September 1 - October 15.  To apply, you must submit the following documents to the Admissions office:

1. New application for the Respiratory Care program
2. Program-Advising Sheet
3. Indicate Traditional Full-Time Track or Online Part-Time Track
4. List clinical site only if choosing Online Part-Time Track
5. Class schedule showing enrolled classes (if taken somewhere other than SCC)
6. Transcripts from high school/GED and other colleges (if applicable)

Clinical courses are provided by Southeast Community College as close to the local area as possible.

For additional program information contact Todd Klopfenstein, Pre-Health Advisor, 402-437-2781or tklopfenstein or advising through Mid-Plains Community College at advising@mpcc.edu or visit Southeast's Website at https://www.southeast.edu/respiratorycare/

***Please note that the associate of applied science degree for this program is awarded by Southeast Community College

The Respiratory Care Program through Southeast Community College accepts one new full-time face-to-face students every fall semester and part-time online students every spring semester. Prior to being accepted to the Respiratory Care Program, students are required to complete the following prerequisite courses.

Prerequisites to be taken at MPCC

Science Courses

For admission to a health program, all students must receive a cumulative grade point average of 2.5 or higher in the general education courses and a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher in the science courses.  The following courses are required through Southeast for degree completion:

• RESP 1111 Respiratory Anatomy and Physiology 3.0
• RESP 1114 Respiratory Care Principles 3.0
• RESP 1122 Respiratory Care Procedures 6.0
• RESP 1148 Critical Care Management 4.0
• RESP 1150 Respiratory Pharmacology and Pathology 5.0
• RESP 1160 Mechanical Ventilation 6.0
• RESP 1170 Exam Review 3.0
• RESP 1180 Chronic Cardiopulmonary Management 2.5
• RESP 1210 Clinical Education: General/Progressive Care 5.0
• RESP 1220 Clinical Education: Critical Care/Specialty Rotations I 5.0
• RESP 1241 Focused Clinical Experience 7.0
• RESP 2251 Cardiovascular Principles 3.0