Respiratory Therapists are in high demand for positions in hospitals, sleep labs, home care agencies, medical sales, and skilled nursing facilities. This healthcare specialty involves the evaluation and treatment of patients with heart and lung diseases. RT duties include placing devices on patients to deliver oxygen for them to breathe, administering medications to relieve respiratory distress, and attaching and monitoring complex ventilators to assist or support breathing.

The Respiratory Therapy program is offered at the Cape Girardeau Career & Technology Center (Cape CTC) through a partnership with Mineral Area College (MAC). Cape CTC is a non-degree granting institution therefore the associate degree is conferred through MAC once all degree requirements are met. The core RT courses, taught by CTC faculty, are 21 months beginning in August each year. The didactic and clinical phases are integrated. Core RT classes meet from 8:00 to 4:00 daily with clinical rotations including 8-12 hour shifts (day, evening or night) at local healthcare facilities.

In addition to the core RT courses, students must also complete a total of 24 credit hours of general education courses which may be taken online or at a MAC location. Upon successful completion of all degree requirements, students are “registry eligible” allowing them to test for credentialing as a Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT) or Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT).

To apply for the RT program:

• Complete an application with the $20 processing fee

• Pre-entrance assessment (TEAS) - No minimum score required

• Complete the prerequisite courses with a C or higher

• Submit official educational transcripts

• Provide three work references

• Schedule interview with RT faculty

• Complete required shadowing.

• Interest in RT paper (1-2 pages)

FINAL ACCEPTANCE is contingent upon a criminal background check.

General Education Requirements:

 Prerequisite general education courses completed with a grade of C or above:

• Medical Terminology/Intro to Pathology

• English Composition

• Intermediate Algebra

Additional general education course requirements:

• Oral Communications course

• Human Development/Psychology course

• History/Political Science course

• Computer Literacy course

• General Psychology

Instructors:

Pete Darnell; Program Director
Kyle Kern; Director Clinical Education

Information on specific Mineral Area College courses or acceptable substitutions available upon request.

Students are strongly encouraged to complete ALL general education courses before beginning the 21 month RT core curriculum.
 
For more information call 573.334.0826 and speak to one of our advisors.

CoARC – Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care, www.coarc.com

Cape CTC CoARC respiratory program number 200497.

“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 Cape Girardeau Career Technology Center Respiratory Program Programmatic outcome data can be found on the following link, https://coarc.com/students/programmatic-outcomes-data/

CoARC – Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care, www.coarc.com

Cape CTC CoARC respiratory program number 200497.

“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.”