Office Location
Health Technologies Center
Rm. 201H, 240 Hull Rd., Fayetteville, NC
Official address:
P.O. Box 35236, 2201 Hull Rd.
Fayetteville, NC 28303
Phone Number
Office Hours Monday - Friday
8:00AM to 5:00PM
Email
Department Chair: Kecie Dunigan

Accreditation

The FTCC Respiratory Therapy program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC). 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.
FTCC Respiratory Therapy’s CoARC program number is 200259. The current accreditation status can be viewed on the CoARC website at www.coarc.com.
The program’s outcomes data can be found at https://coarc.com/students/programmatic-outcomes-data/
Program Goals: the FTCC Respiratory Therapy program is designed to prepare graduates with demonstrated competence in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains of respiratory care practice as performed by registered respiratory therapists (RRTs).

Competitive Admissions

A student must complete all pre-requisites and gain competitive points in order to apply for approval to the Respiratory Therapy program.
Once approved for a Health program, students will be provided with information regarding books, uniforms, supplies and equipment, and any additional program requirements.

Competitive Points

As part of the competitive admissions process, each student is evaluated based on a point system. The Competitive Points Worksheet (Respiratory In-House Ratings form) outlines the additional 120 departmental points a prospective student can earn.

Estimated Program Costs

Please note that all costs are estimates and subject to change. Tuition is established by the State Board of Community Colleges and North Carolina General Assembly and is subject to change without notice.

Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this program, the student should be able to:
  • Follow contact isolation procedures
  • Apply appropriate oxygen devices as needed
  • Perform arterial blood gas draws
  • Give nebulizer treatments as needed
  • Perform chest physiotherapy and postural drainage
  • Insert endotracheal tubes
  • Initiate, maintain, and discontinue mechanical ventilation
  • Make appropriate ventilation changes based on laboratory results
  • Perform bronchial hygiene and lung expansion therapy
  • Conduct pulmonary function tests

What to expect:

Course Work

The Respiratory Therapy curriculum prepares individuals to perform the duties of a licensed Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT). RRT’s are a vital member of the healthcare team whose primary focus is maintaining and/or improving a patient’s respiratory effort.
RRT’s provide oxygen therapy through a variety of devices to include:
  • Aerosol Applications
  • Bi-level Positive Airway Pressure (BiPAP)
  • Mechanical Ventilation
  • Nasal Cannulas
RRT’s also perform laboratory tasks such as: 
  • Arterial Blood Gas Draws (ABG’s)
  • Pulmonary Function Tests (PFT’s) 
  • Stress Tests
Therapists are found in all areas of the hospital (Emergency departments, ICU’s, general care floors) and work with all age groups.

Career Paths

Graduates of this accredited program must take the Therapist Multiple-Choice exam and minimally pass the entry level scoring (CRT) to apply for a NC license for employment in North Carolina (Other states may vary with requirements). In order to receive the RRT credential a student must pass the both the registry eligible score for the TMC and clinical simulation.
There is opportunity for degree advancement with a Bachelor’s in Science with a concentration in Respiratory Therapy.

 

Associate Degree

Respiratory Therapy (A45720)

Program Length: 5 Semesters
Prerequisite: High School Diploma/GED, 1 Unit of Biology, 1 Unit of Chemistry,ENG-002 Tier 2 or Placement Test Equivalent
Award: Associate in Applied Science

View Brochure

The Respiratory Therapy program is designed to meet the educational requirements for the license to practice and Certified Respiratory Therapist and Registered Respiratory Therapist national credentials in North Carolina. Please see the disclosure chart for information regarding license to practice and national credentials in other states.