If you’re looking to work in the in the respiratory profession, congratulations! This is a specific kind of niche in the medical field that not everyone gravitates to. This means that you’re focused on what you want to study and where you want to go in your professional career. That in itself is quite the accomplishment as some students may spend their entire academic career trying to figure out exactly what they want to do as a professional.
Sometimes, students who are pursuing a degree in the medical field prefer to enroll in a program of study that offers a broad area of concentration. This in turn gives students the flexibility to pursue a wider array of job positions within that field. While this approach is wise, they’re also benefits to earning a degree in a specific field of interest. By studying a particular area in the medical field like Respiratory Therapy, you’ve already begun the process of establishing yourself as an expert!
When a physician needs to treat their patient for respiratory needs, he or she is limited in their skills because they may have chosen to study general medicine. Even for pediatricians, podiatrist, neurologist, and other specific professions, they too are limited in what they have chosen to master. So if all of these professionals discovered that their patient needs respiratory care, neither one of them may not be able to properly treat them as well as someone with a degree in Respiratory Therapy could.
About The Respiratory Profession
The Respiratory Therapist (RT) provides assistance to patients experiencing respiratory difficulty. They provide a range of care from simple to complex respiratory care that can often result in complex life-saving techniques. These techniques are what’s taught in most Respiratory academic programs. Additionally, RTs will get the type of training related to critical care and advanced life support. They deal with direct patient care in the areas of humidity and aerosol therapies, breathing treatments, and invasive critical care techniques.
How RTs are Relevant in the Medical Field
RTs play a critical role caring for patients of all ages. They are involved in almost every area of respiratory care. This includes the newborn unit, emergency rooms, diagnostics, and chronic rehabilitative therapy.
Finding the Right Bachelor’s Degree in Respiratory Therapy
The Bachelor of Science in Respiratory Therapy offered at Florida National University (FNU) is designed to enhance the education of a Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) that has already obtained credentials from the National Board of Respiratory Care (NBRC). This academic program is also designed to guide students in the areas of professional growth by building skills in the areas of management, cultural diversity, and supervisory skills that will apply to most, if not all healthcare settings.
The Option to Study Online
Students enrolled in FNU’s Bachelor of Science Respiratory Therapy program also have the flexibility to take any of these courses on campus or online. For those who are managing a hectic schedule, you have the freedom to complete your entire bachelor’s degree 100% online.
It’s also worth noting that FNU’s Bachelor of Science in Respiratory Therapy is challenging and demanding. So whether you plan to enroll full-time or part-time for online studying, we encourage you to manage the amount of availability you have to studying and participating in lab time.
Details About FNU’s Respiratory Therapy Program
FNU’s Bachelor of Science Respiratory program requires 120 credit hours to complete. In this curriculum, most of the courses are worth 3 credit hours per class. Others are worth 4 credit hours. The general education requirements consists of the basics like English, Speech, Ethics, 6 credit hours worth of Behavioral and Social Sciences, and 7 credit hours in the area of Mathematics that includes College Algebra, Statistics, and College Study Skills. The core area of Natural Sciences has the most credit requirements beginning with intermediate courses in Anatomy & Physiology, and Chemistry. Other courses include Microbiology and Medical Terminology.
For the upper level courses, 36 credit hours are required. Students have the option to choose from the following:
- Cultural Diversity in Health Care
- Health Care Law
- Risk Management
- Research Methods
- Advanced Neonatal and Pediatric Respiratory Care
- Diagnostics & Nontraditional Health Care Delivery
- Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation
- Introduction to Cardiopulmonary Science
- Clinical Exercise Physiology for Health Science
- Problems in Patient Management
- Cardiopulmonary Diagnostics
- Advanced Seminar in Respiratory Therapy
The Advanced Neonatal and Pediatric Respiratory Care course is worth 4 credit hours and the Advanced Seminar in Respiratory Therapy is worth 2 credit hours. The rest of the upper level courses listed above are 3 credit hours. Also, some of these courses have prerequisites. It’s recommended that students make sure that they complete these prerequisites before enrolling. So we highly advise you to consult with your guidance counselor before registering for these classes.
FNU: Your Choice for an Exemplary RT Program
If you’re ready to start your academic career as a RT student, contact FNU to schedule an appointment with one of our guidance counselors. They will set you up with any prerequisite courses that you need to take before starting the program. To get a better look at the RT curriculum, visit the FNU webpage here.
If you’re interested in any other academic associates and bachelor’s program, view our academic online academic catalog here.
FNU has four campus locations throughout the South Florida area in Miami and Hialeah. Contact us today for an appointment to learn more about our university and how you can become a part of it today!
