The Respiratory Therapy curriculum prepares individuals to function as respiratory therapists through demonstrated competence in the cognitive, psychomotor, and affective learning domains of respiratory care practice. Graduates perform diagnostic and therapeutic procedures with exposure to current and emerging practice settings.

The curriculum prepares graduates to operate within inter-professional teams and effectively communicate with clients/patients of various ages, ethnicities, and cultures. Application of problem-solving strategies, applying ethical decision making, and understanding professional responsibilities are emphasized.

Graduates are eligible to complete the credentialing process through the National Board for Respiratory Care, which will qualify them for a license to practice in a variety of healthcare settings with responsibilities for assessment, treatment, management, and education of patients with cardiopulmonary diseases.

The Respiratory Therapy program is accredited by the Committee on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (Co ARC). Local oversight is provided by Lindsey E. deGuehery, M.D. Serving as Medical Director of the Respiratory Therapy Program since 1988, Dr. deGuehery specializes in both Internal Medicine and Pulmonology.

Admission Policy for the Respiratory Therapy Program

Admittance to the respiratory therapy program follows policies established by the faculty and approved by the administration. The college does not guarantee admission to all students who apply to the respiratory therapy program. Admission is competitive and based on a points-based ranking system. Completion of the program does not guarantee success in passing the national exams.

A student must be admitted/readmitted to the respiratory therapy program to receive credit for any respiratory therapy (RCP) course. Students may take curriculum courses other than RCP courses before or after admission to the program in the sequence offered.

Respiratory therapy students are assigned clinical rotations with area healthcare facilities. Students must meet employee health standards and the criminal background and drug screening requirements of the agencies at the student’s expense at any time after admission to the program.

The respiratory therapy applicant is required to meet steps I-IV before enrollment in the first fall semester. Students must complete each phase of the admission process before advancing. Program academic policies apply to all students and faculty regardless of the location of instruction.

Step I Application Process

1. Submit an Edgecombe Community College Admission Application.
2. Submit an official transcript of high school graduation or GED. Currently enrolled high school students should submit a partial transcript. The student should submit a final transcript at the time of graduation.
3. Submit official transcripts from all colleges attended.
4. Attend a mandatory Respiratory Therapy information session before March 1st of the anticipated admission year. The student must attend each year that application is made to be aware of curriculum and admission policy changes.
5. Complete a Respiratory Therapy program application at the session. If additional space becomes available in the program before the fall semester, the college will schedule subsequent application deadlines.

Step II TEAS V

1. Take the Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS V) before March 1st.
2. TEAS V scores must meet the following criteria to be eligible for ranking:
   • A minimum overall score of 62%.
   • Testing occurred within the 24 months before the March 1st application deadline
   • The student has released the scores to ECC with ATI for testing at a site other than ECC, OR the proctoring school delivers the official scores to ECC.
   • The student completed all four sections of the TEAS test.
   • TEAS V may be taken up to twice in an academic year, at least 28 days apart.
3. The ranking process will use the highest of up to four TEAS scores.

Step III Ranking and Conditional Acceptance

1. Students who score a 62% on the TEAS V will be competitively ranked.
2. Points from the TEAS score and the GPA earned from all ECC Respiratory Therapy curriculum general education courses completed at any college, including grades less than a C, are included in the calculation. Curriculum courses completed more than once are factored into the ranking GPA as well.
3. The highest ranking applicants will receive a letter of conditional acceptance.
4. Students must accept or reject an offered seat in writing to the Respiratory Therapy Admissions Counselor.
5. Any remaining eligible applicants will receive a waiting list letter.
6. Students will continue to be accepted from the waiting list until the program is full.

Step IV Full Acceptance

After accepting a seat in the respiratory therapy program, the student must fully meet the following requirements for official acceptance:

1. Attend a mandatory Health Science Orientation and Respiratory Therapy Orientation sessions.
2. Submit a completed medical form provided by the college, including required immunizations, performed within a 12-month time frame by the required deadline.
3.  Before enrolling in the program, students must complete any required developmental prerequisites for ECC Respiratory Therapy curriculum general education courses.
4. Demonstrate a 2.5 GPA on all ECC Respiratory Therapy curriculum general education classes completed up to the point of enrollment in the program. The highest grade from all completed courses at any college, including grades less than C, will be used in this calculation.
5. Demonstrate an overall 2.0 GPA on courses completed at ECC up to the point of enrollment.
6. Submit a criminal background check and a drug screen before the required deadline.
7. Failure to meet deadlines will result in withdrawal of acceptance status.