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  Oct 02, 2023
 
2023-2024 Catalog [Aug. 2023-Aug. 2024] 
  
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2023-2024 Catalog [Aug. 2023-Aug. 2024]

Respiratory Care (2244) (A.S.)

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Associate in Science

This is a Limited Access program.

Mission/Purpose

The Associate in Science (A.S.) degree in Respiratory Care program’s mission is to prepare competent, confident, and caring Registered Respiratory Therapists for the northeast Florida healthcare community. The curriculum utilizes didactic, clinical, and high-fidelity simulation opportunities to expose students to the skills needed to care for patients with heart and lung disorders. Assessment will focus on cognitive, affective, and psychomotor realms to ensure students exceed employer expectations. The program will maintain accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC). 

The Program

This program is fully accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care, and allows graduates to attempt and possibly earn credentials in the field of respiratory care. The professional phase of the education makes simultaneous employment difficult due to clinical and course work demands. Students will be expected to lift up to 30 pounds frequently, be mobile, and have sufficient motor abilities to provide safe care.

A minimum grade of C or higher must be achieved in all professional coursework.

Internships/Externships/Rotations/Fieldwork

Clinical rotations provide experience in a supervised environment for a diverse group of patients and generally lead to employment. You will be required to undergo drug screening and criminal background checks prior to placement in a clinical rotation. In addition, students will be required to be in compliance with all the vaccination and immunization requirements of the clinical sites. Clinical rotations traditionally are held in hospitals and clinics in the Jacksonville area. Students will be required to provide their own transportation to the clinical sites.

The Career

The respiratory care profession is one of the fastest growing allied health specialties. Respiratory care professionals help in the assessment, treatment, diagnosis, and rehabilitation of patients with diseases of the heart and lungs. As members of the healthcare team, respiratory therapists work with sophisticated equipment such as mechanical ventilators, computerized monitoring devices, and resuscitation equipment. Respiratory therapists also provide delivery of medical gases, aerosol, humidity, and bronchial hygiene therapies. Respiratory therapists work with a variety of patients, from newborn infants to geriatrics.

For additional information on the profession, contact the American Association for Respiratory Care, 11030 Ables Lane, Dallas, Texas 75229, aarc.org.

An aging population heightens the incidence of cardiopulmonary disease and care. There is a shortfall of 5000 candidates in respiratory care nationwide; and the need is expected to rise 30% annually. Experienced Registered Respiratory Therapists (RRTs) can rapidly advance to specialty care of critically ill patients, become a supervisor or director, or move into education and marketing.

Upon completion of coursework, Florida State College at Jacksonville does not guarantee employment or salary in a given field of study. Any jobs or salaries mentioned are given as examples of potential employment not a representation of guaranteed income. Graduates may need to seek employment outside the local area.

Certification/Licensing

Your degree qualifies you to take the national Therapist Multiple-Choice (TMC) Examination administered by the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC). Successful completion of the exam may lead to certification as a Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT) or a Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT).

Your Florida State College at Jacksonville degree in Respiratory Care and nationally recognized credentials also make you eligible for additional specialty credentials such as neonatal/pediatrics specialist, adult credit care specialist, and pulmonary function technologist. For information on certifications and credentialing please visit the National Board for Respiratory Care website at nbrc.org.

Program Accreditation

The Florida State College at Jacksonville Respiratory Care program, CoARC #200223, Associate in Science degree, North Campus, is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (coarc.com), 1248 Harwood Road, Bedford, Texas 76021-4244, (817) 283-2835.

Application Procedure

To meet minimum requirements for consideration for acceptance to the Respiratory Care program, students must:

  1. Complete a Respiratory Care application packet.
  2. Applicants must document all eligibility requirements:
    1. Current Health Care Provider Basic Life Support (HCP-BLS) card.
    2. Completion of prerequisite courses with a grade of C or higher.
  3. Students will be ranked according to the quality points. (Contact the RC Office for additional information.)
  4. The top 24 ranked students will be notified by their FSCJ student email of their acceptance into the program. Orientation and registration information will also be provided to those who accept their seat in the program. Those who fail to contact our office upon notification of acceptance will forfeit their placement in the program. In case of forfeiture, the next highest ranked student will be notified of acceptance.

Note: Admissions preference is given to fully qualified candidates who have met all entrance criteria, including the satisfaction of prerequisite courses. Should seats remain available in the program cohort, applicants who fulfill admissions criteria prior to the start of the program will be considered next.

Application Deadline(s)

The application deadline is May 15 each year with classes starting in fall term.

Need More Information? Contact:

The Health Career Information Center, (904) 646-2300 or hcic@fscj.edu

Prerequisites

The following courses should be completed with a minimum grade of C or higher prior to submitting an application to the program:

Curriculum

General Education Coursework

Credit Hours: 20

Professional Coursework

Credit Hours: 56

A minimum grade of C or higher is required in all Professional coursework.

Total Credit Hours: 76

Record of Conviction of a Crime

Effective July 1, 2009, pursuant to Section 456.0635, Florida Statutes, health care review boards shall refuse to renew a license, certificate or registration, issue a license, certificate or registration and shall refuse to admit a candidate for examination if the applicant has been convicted or plead guilty or nolo contendere, regardless of adjudication, to a felony violation of: chapters 409, 817, or 893, Florida Statutes; or 21 U.S.C. ss. 801-970 or 42 U.S.C. ss. 1395-1396, unless the sentence and any probation or pleas ended more than 15 years prior to the application, terminated for cause from Florida Medicaid Program (unless the applicant has been in good standing for the most recent five years) or terminated for cause by any other State Medicaid Program or the Medicare Program (unless the termination was at least 20 years prior to the date of the application and the applicant has been in good standing with the program for the most recent five years). The Florida nursing or allied health licensure or certification application requires disclosure of any criminal history and the disposition of all cases prior to board review. Being convicted of, or having entered a plea of guilty or nolo contendere to, any of the listed felonies in Florida Statute 456.0635 or termination for cause from the statutorily-described Medicaid programs will preclude an applicant from obtaining a nursing or allied health license or certification in the state of Florida. Entry and acceptance into the nursing or allied health program does not guarantee licensure or certification in the state of Florida.

Criminal Background Check and Drug Screen

Most clinical agencies require students to undergo drug screen and criminal background checks prior to placement in the agencies for clinical experiences. Students whose drug screening and criminal background checks are deemed unsatisfactory may be denied access to clinical experiences by the clinical agencies. Failure to qualify for and meet clinical requirements at clinical sites may prevent completion of the program. Withdrawal from the program may be necessary if students cannot be placed for clinical experiences.

Some practice settings may have additional requirements including health insurance, a volunteer application, references, additional fingerprinting and background check (e.g. the Jessica Lunsford Act for school environments), drug testing, flu shot, Covid-19 testing/vaccine and/or an interview prior to the start of the clinical experience. The additional requirements are the responsibility of the student, including expenses.

The cost of the background check(s) and drug screen(s) is borne by the student. Additionally, it is the student’s responsibility to have all paperwork completed by the program’s published deadline.

Students who are unable to complete the clinical requirements after acceptance into Limited Access or Selective Access programs are not eligible for refunds of tuition and fees.

A physical examination will be required upon acceptance to the program.  It is the students’ responsibility to renew their annual physical examination as well as tuberculosis (TB) test.

Graduation Requirements

In order to be awarded the associate in science degree, students must have met the following requirements:

  1. Fulfill all academic requirements for the chosen program of study as outlined in the Florida State College at Jacksonville catalog and curriculum.
  2. Earned a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 (C) at Florida State College at Jacksonville in courses eligible toward the Associate in Science degree programs, excluding developmental education courses (A.S. Florida State College at Jacksonville GPA).
  3. Earned an all-college cumulative grade point average of 2.0 (C) on a 4.0 scale on all courses attempted. This includes Florida State College at Jacksonville college-credit semester hours and transferred credits (excluding developmental education) in lower division courses (All college cumulative).
  4. Complete a minimum of 25 percent of the total hours required for the program in residence at Florida State College at Jacksonville. Credit by examination and credit for prior learning do not count toward this residency requirement.
  5. Complete the required semester hours, as specified by the degree, of which a minimum of 15 semester hours must be General Education requirements.
  6. Demonstrated competency in civic literacy in accordance with s. 1007.25, Florida Statutes (F.S.) at bit.ly/FS-gen-ed-courses and State Board of Education Rule 6A-10.02413, Florida Administrative Code (F.A.C.) at bit.ly/FR-civic-lit-comp. Pursuant to guidelines established by Senate Bill 1108, competency is demonstrated by completion of one of two civic literacy courses (either AMH 2020  or POS 2041 ) with a grade of C or higher AND by achievement of the standard score on a state-approved assessment.
  7. Earned a grade of a C or higher in each course used to satisfy the general education requirements and any other area designated with a C or higher requirement.
  8. Fulfill all obligations, financial or otherwise, to the College before graduating.
Note: Students are cautioned to pay particular attention to the following statements.
  • A student’s graduation date will be the date of the end of the College term in which the student has fulfilled all academic requirements. (The removal of an incomplete grade does not affect students’ graduation dates since the grade change is effective at the end of the term in which the incomplete grade was assigned rather than the term in which the incomplete work was made up.)
  • Students who enter under the (2023/2024) catalog will be assigned to the degree or certificate requirements in effect during the 2023/2024 academic year. The student’s assigned catalog year will remain in effect as long as the student maintains continuous enrollment. Changes to requirements as mandated by law or by rule of the District Board of Trustees may supersede this provision.
  • Many courses in this catalog have prerequisite and/or corequisite courses which are listed in the course descriptions. Students are advised to be guided by these requirements.
  • Students who place into developmental education courses are required to complete designated developmental education courses with a grade of C or higher regardless of program of study.
     

Baccalaureate Transfer

The Associate in Science and Associate in Applied Science degree programs are intended primarily for students who desire to complete an Associate in Science degree or an Associate in Applied Science degree and become employed. Students who decide to pursue baccalaureate transfer study must meet certain course and test requirements. For details, visit the Transfer Services page at fscj.edu/transferservices or refer to the Baccalaureate Transfer Guide at fscj.edu/transferguide.

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