Respiratory Therapy Program
Respiratory Care Practitioner Associate Degree Program
Bakersfield College Respiratory Care Practitioner Program (RCP) is designed to educate and train students for entry level practice, obtain an Associate of Science degree, be eligible to take the national exams and work in a structured health care setting. Students must complete pre-requisite coursework before applying to the program. It is the minimum expectation that program participants will work toward the program goal.
“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).”
Degrees
- Associate in Science Degree in Respiratory Care (AS)
Bakersfield College is currently in the process of seeking CoARC accreditation for a respiratory care program. However, Bakersfield College can provide no assurance that accreditation will be granted by the CoARC. Graduation from a respiratory therapist education program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation on Respiratory Care (CoARC) is necessary for eligibility to sit for the licensure examination, which is required in all states.
The role of the graduate respiratory therapist may be that of staff respiratory therapist (RCP), Intensive Care RCP, Emergency Room RCP, or Neonatal/Pediatric Intensive Care RCP, supervisor, administrator or educator, depending upon the level of education and experience obtained.
Career Opportunities
The AS Degree Respiratory Therapy prepares graduates for both State licensure and national certification in Respiratory Therapy. Employment outlook is excellent for respiratory therapists with the 2023 median wage in Kern County, CA is $85,197, while the national median wage is $77,958. Employment growth is expected to increase by 7.1%.
Program Learning Outcomes
- The student will be able to anticipate beneficial airway management techniques and modalities in increasingly complex situations.
- The student will be able to anticipate potential equipment failures based on usage patterns and patient needs and implement solutions.
- The student will be able to analyze appropriate therapeutic responses to interventions and communicate them to the healthcare team.
- The student will be able to perform the clinical procedural skills associated with the role and scope of practice of the advanced respiratory care practitioner in the intensive care units, including neonatal and pediatric care, in the healthcare setting.
- The student will be able to differentiate the respiratory disease.
- The student will be able to apply the principles of advanced cardio life support certifications to all rapid response and cardiac arrest patients.
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.
Complaint Process Against a Respiratory Care Program
For a complete description of the complaint process, please refer to Section 10.0 of CoARC’s Accreditation Policies and Procedures Manual.
It is the policy of the CoARC to review all complaints against an accredited program received from any source, including students, (a) provided that the complainant identifies himself or herself by name and contact information and (b) provided further that the complaint is related to programmatic compliance with the CoARC’s Standards, Policies, and Procedures. The CoARC will endeavor to resolve complaints in a fair and timely manner. Furthermore, it is the policy of CoARC to retain all documentation associated with any complaint for a period of not less than one accreditation cycle (typically ten years). For those complaints not based on programmatic compliance with CoARC Standards, Policies, or Procedures, the retention will be for at least five (5) years.
To receive formal consideration, all complaints must be submitted in writing to the CoARC Executive Office using the Complaints Reporting Form (docx). Questions about the complaint process should be sent to the Chief Executive Officer at tom@coarc.com,
Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC)
Ph: (817) 283-2835 Fax: (817) 354-8519
Contact Information for Bakersfield College's RSPT Program:
- Department Phone#: (661) 395-4728
- Israel Montecino Jr, RRT, RCP, BS - Faculty Director RSPT Program
- israel.montecino@bakersfieldcollege.edu
