Respiratory Care

Courses Careers Admissions Requirements Advisor & Program Contacts All Programs >>

Program Overview

The Respiratory Care program prepares you to recognize and treat respiratory disorders in patients of all ages. You will be trained to work with newborn babies having a rough start at life, children with asthma and trauma, and adults with heart and lung complications. You will gain the knowledge and skills to perform:

Patient assessments
Breathing treatments
Lung clearance techniques
Airway care
Breathing tube insertion
Blood draws
Ventilator management
Medical record documentation
Sleep studies
Electrocardiograms
Pulmonary function tests

Hands-On Learning Opportunities

Van Gerpen Patient Simulator Laboratory: Train in the state-of-the-art simulation lab using realistic full-body manikins and simulators to replicate a range of hospital settings and patient scenarios in a controlled environment.
Clinical: Gain 800 hours of real-world work experience ensuring you have the skills you need to succeed in your future career.

Certification

Graduates are eligible to take the national examination for licensure, which is required to practice in any state. A social security number is required in order to take exams and apply for licensure.

You will earn certifications in Basic Life Support (BLS), Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), and Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP).

Accreditation

The Respiratory Care program, 200457, Associate of Applied Science, is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care.

Programmatic Outcomes Data

This program qualifies for the Future Ready Iowa Last-Dollar Scholarship and will pay up to 100% of your tuition.

Faculty Spotlight

Jamie Bute, MBA, RRT, RRT-ACCS

"I'm passionate about respiratory care because it's never acceptable for anyone to be short of breath. Our students receive an abundance of hands-on learning and simulation, and they're prepared for as many real-life scenarios as possible. If students put forth the energy, I'll match their effort. Our goal is to graduate respiratory therapists who will advance the profession with hard work and continuous learning."

Video Overview

Respiratory Care Program at Hawkeye

Discover the high demand career in respiratory care—the training, the employment opportunities, and the job placements.

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Courses

Core Courses

Introduction to Health Professions
Medical Terminology
Introduction to Respiratory Care
Airway Maintenance Procedures
Cardiopulmonary Therapeutics
Pulmonary Pathology
Introduction to Ventilator Support
Neonatal/Pediatric Respiratory Therapy
Clinical Respiratory Care
Cardiopulmonary Diagnostics
Intensive Respiratory Care
Clinical Intensive Care
Respiratory Care Applications
Clinical Preceptor
Respiratory Care RRT Review

You will be required to complete background screenings, including a criminal background check, sex offender registry, child abuse registry, and dependent adult registry before participating in clinicals.

The outcome could possibly affect your opportunities to participate in the clinical setting.

Program Details

Award: Associate of Applied Science (AAS)

Required number of credits: 78

Program Start: Spring

General education coursework can be started any semester: fall, spring, or summer. Respiratory Care program RCP courses begin summer term.

Careers

Positions

Graduates find employment in a variety of settings including:

Acute care hospitals
Sub-acute and long-term care facilities
Pulmonary function labs
Sleep centers
Home care

Example Careers and Average Wages
	Entry	Average	Experienced
Respiratory Therapists	$43,800	$52,800	$57,400

Source: 2018 Iowa Wage Report, Iowa Workforce Development

Employers

The following is a partial list of employers who have hired graduates from this program:
Business	Location
Grandview Healthcare Center	Oelwein, IA
Harmony House Health Care Center	Waterloo, IA
Mayo Clinic	Rochester, MN Mankato, MN
Mercy Medical Centers	Many Iowa locations
MercyOne	Many Iowa locations
Midwest Sleep Services	Waterloo, IA
UnityPoint Health	Many Iowa locations
University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics	Iowa City, IA

Admissions Requirements

Admissions Process

Completed applicant files (we have your application, transcripts, and test scores) will be processed as follows:

Applicants not meeting the program's admission requirements will be sent an admissions inactivation letter.
Applicants meeting all admission requirements will be accepted.

Applicants will be accepted based on the date their completed applicant file. If many students share the same date for completing their applicant files, the application date will be used to prioritize their acceptance.

The program accepts approximately 20 students each summer to the RCP professional core courses. If necessary, alternates will be contacted to fill unconfirmed positions in the program. Alternates will be given priority for the next term.

Hawkeye's Equal Opportunity Statement

Basic Skill Competencies Requirements

Students must meet minimum score requirements and/or successfully complete the required college success courses in English, reading, and math with a "C" grade or higher at Hawkeye Community College or comparable courses at another accredited college. For appropriate college success course placement, work with your program advisor.
ACT	ACCUPLACER	COMPASS	ACCUPLACER Next Generation
19 Reading	76 Reading	82 Reading	251 Reading
19 English	82 Sentence Skills	65 Writing	253 Writing
19 Math	85 Elementary Algebra	42 Algebra	259 Quantitative Reasoning, Algebra, and Statistics

Applicants can take the ACT assessment or the ACCUPLACER assessment at Hawkeye. Pre-registration is required.

Contact Us
Admissions		Email us	319-296-4000	Hawkeye Center 114
Pre-Health Advisor	Kay Wenzel	Email me	319-296-2329 ext.1063	Grundy Hall 245
Academic/College Success Advisor	Kay Wenzel	Email me	319-296-2329 ext.1063	Grundy Hall 245
Program Advisor	Jamie Bute	Email me	319-296-2329 ext.1919	Grundy Hall 184
Administrative Assistant	Linda Butler	Email me	319-296-4013	Grundy Hall 135
Dean	Dr. Gene Leutzinger, DNP	Email me	319-296-4457	Grundy Hall 135

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