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:
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.
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).
To identify the states in which Hawkeye's Respiratory Care program requirements fulfill the state guidelines for professional licensure and certification, visit the Respiratory Care web page at www.hawkeyecollege.edu/programs/respiratory-care and click on the State Licensure Google Sheet link.
See the American Association for Respiratory Care Respiratory Therapist State Licensure Contacts (www.aarc.org/advocacy/state-society-resources/state-licensure-contacts) for a list of state agencies and contact information.
The Respiratory Care program, 200457, Associate of Applied Science, is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC) (coarc.com).
The Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (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.
See Programmatic Outcomes Data at coarc.com/students/programmatic-outcomes-data.
Students may take Term 0 and Term 1 of Hawkeye's Respiratory Care program courses at North Iowa Area Community College (NIACC) in Mason City and transfer to Hawkeye for the remaining core courses.
Students will perform the majority of clinicals in the Mason City area, driving to Waterloo for class no more than two days per week.
Graduates find employment in a variety of settings including:
| Entry | Average | Experienced | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Respiratory Therapists | $46,600 | $57,500 | $63,000 |
Source: 2022 Iowa Wage Report, Iowa Workforce Development
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 and Mankato, MN |
| Mercy Medical Centers | Locations throughout Iowa |
| MercyOne | Locations throughout Iowa |
| Sleep Services | Waterloo, IA |
| UnityPoint Health | Locations throughout Iowa |
| University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics | Iowa City, IA |
In order to be considered for the Respiratory Care program, students must provide the Admissions office with the appropriate documentation showing completion of all requirements. Appropriate documentation consists of:
It is the student’s responsibility to:
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. Success courses do not apply toward graduation or the AAS degree.
| ALEKS | ACCUPLACER | COMPASS | ACT | ACCUPLACER Next Generation | GPA | Success Course | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Math | 30 | 85 Elementary Algebra | 42 Algebra | 19 | 259 Quantitative Reasoning, Algebra, and Statistics | 2.80 | MAT-063: Elementary Algebra |
| Reading | --- | 76 | 82 | 19 | 251 | 2.80 | RDG-040 College Prep Reading III |
| Writing | --- | 82 Sentence Skills | 65 | 19 | 253 | 2.80 | ENG-061: College Prep Writing II |
Students must complete all prerequisite coursework to fulfill program admission requirements. See Respiratory Care Courses for prerequisite coursework and grade and cumulative GPA requirements.
The Respiratory Care program begins each spring and admits 20 students.
Applicants who meet all admission requirements will be admitted based on eligibility date (driven by when prerequisites are successfully completed).
If the number of eligible students exceeds the number of available seats, students will be admitted in the following order:
Date all prerequisite coursework was completed.
Eligibility date — determined by either:
The date the student registered for their final prerequisite course at Hawkeye, or
The date the Admissions office received transcripts showing completion of prerequisite courses at another accredited institution.
Grade Point Average — Determined by grades in prerequisite courses.
Admitted students must have a physical exam with immunization record on Hawkeye Community College form. Criminal background, sex offender, and adult/dependent abuse background checks are required as well. Students will also be required to complete CPR, First Aid, Mandatory Reporting, HIPPA, and OSHA Training prior to clinical coursework.