Respiratory Care

Program Information

As a respiratory care practitioner, breathing easily will become your expertise. Passionate practitioners care for a variety of patients, including newborn infants in respiratory distress, children with asthma or pneumonia, adult victims of trauma, and older patients with emphysema or cardiac failure.

The San Jacinto College Respiratory Care program:

• Offers a comprehensive curriculum for the preparation of respiratory care practitioners in the field of respiratory therapy, and is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care;
• Prepares students for the responsibility of treatment, management, control, diagnostic evaluation, and care of patients with deficiencies and abnormalities of the cardiopulmonary system; and
• Allows graduates to gain hands-on experience as respiratory care practitioners by administering therapeutic gases, medications, chest therapy, pulmonary function testing, arterial blood gas analysis, hemodynamic monitoring, and mechanical ventilation to patients in hospitals in the greater Houston area, including the Texas Medical Center.

Additional Information

Upon completion, students are eligible for admission to the credentialing examinations for respiratory therapy offered by the National Board for Respiratory Care (CRT and RRT) and may also apply for a Respiratory Care Practitioner License from the Texas Medical Board.

Career Opportunities

Employment of respiratory therapists is expected to increase faster than the average for all occupations according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, because of substantial growth of the middle-aged and elderly population. Respiratory Therapists are employed in:

• Hospitals,
• Respiratory therapy clinics,
• Nursing homes,
• Home health agencies, and
• Firms that supply respiratory equipment for home use.

Earning Potential

Respiratory Therapist median average salary: $60,808per year¹

For more information, students may contact 281-998-3612.

Campus

Central Campus

Links

Application packet and other important information: www.sanjac.edu/career/respiratory-care