Â鶹Íø

You gain the knowledge and skills to perform:

• Patient assessments
• Breathing treatments
• Lung clearance techniques
• Airway care
• Breathing tube insertion
• Blood draws
• Ventilator management
• Medical record documentation
• Sleep studies
• Electrocardiograms
• Pulmonary function tests

Semester 0 — Pre-Program Prerequisites

• Fundamentals of Oral Communication or

  Public Speaking
• Human Anatomy and Physiology I
• Introduction to Psychology
• Medical Terminology
• Microbiology or

  Introduction to General Chemistry

Semester 1 — Spring

• Airway Maintenance Procedures
• Human Anatomy and Physiology II
• Introduction to Respiratory Care
• Math for Liberal Arts or

  Statistics
• Microbiology or

  Introduction to General Chemistry

Semester 2 — Summer

• Airway Pharmacology
• Fundamentals of Clinical Respiratory Care
• Pulmonary Pathology I

Semester 3 — Fall

• ABG Sampling & Interpretation
• Clinical Respiratory Care
• Composition I
• Introduction to Ventilator Support
• Neonatal/Pediatric Respiratory Therapy
• Pulmonary Pathology II

Semester 4 — Spring

• Advanced Cardiac Care
• Advanced Ventilators
• Clinical Intensive Care
• Comprehensive Respiratory Care
• Respiratory Care Diagnostics

Explore Courses, Details, and Costs

Train in the Van Gerpen Patient Simulation Lab with lifelike manikins and simulators that recreate real hospital settings and patient scenarios. In the classroom, you'll work with the same equipment used on the job such as ventilators, BiPAP machines, nebulizers, inhalers, and a breathing simulator so you can build confidence and hands-on skills before entering clinical settings.

Gain 700 hours of hands-on clinical experience to build the skills you need for a successful career in respiratory care. Through real-world clinical placements, you'll work in a variety of settings, including long-term care, sleep studies, neonatal intensive care, home medical services, rural hospitals, and pulmonary function and diagnostic labs.

When you graduate, you are eligible to take the national examination for licensure, which is required to practice in any state. You need a social security number and be at least 18 years old in order to take the exam and apply for licensure.

You will also earn certifications in Basic Life Support (BLS), Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), and Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP).

See our to identify the states in which Â鶹Íø's Respiratory Care program requirements fulfill the state guidelines for professional licensure and certification.

See the American Association for Respiratory Care: for a list of state agencies and contact information.

See the for information on credentialing examinations and eligibility criteria.

Licensure and Certification Disclosure

Attend two professional conferences, the Lung Conference in the spring and the University of Iowa Health Care Respiratory Care Seminar in the fall, to gain exposure to current practices and emerging trends in the field. The conferences also introduce you to the continuing education required to maintain licensure, helping you build professional habits early.

You can also participate in the Respiratory Care Club, where you'll develop leadership skills, take part in community service, and support health promotion activities. These experiences will strengthen your resume and professional network.

Start the Respiratory Care program at North Iowa Area Community College (NIACC) in Mason City, then transfer to Â鶹Íø for the remaining courses. You'll complete most clinical work in Mason City and drive to Waterloo for classes one to two days a week.

These are a few of the companies that hire graduates from this program:

• Diagnostic Centers
• Harmony House Health Care Center, Waterloo, IA
• Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
• MercyOne (various locations throughout Iowa)
• Rotech Healthcare, Cedar Rapids, IA
• Sleep Centers
• UnityPoint Health - St. Lukes Hospital, Cedar Rapids, IA
• UnityPoint Health - Allen Hospital, Waterloo, IA
• University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, IA
• Waverly Health Center, Waverly, IA
• WinnMed, Decorah, IA

As you gain experience on the job, respiratory therapists can earn specialty certifications to build advanced skills, open more career opportunities, and increase earning potential.

• Adult Critical Care Specialist (ACCS)
• Neonatal/Pediatric Specialist (NPS)
• Certified Pulmonary Function Technologist (CPFT)
• Certified Asthma Educator (AE-C)
• Sleep Disorder Specialist (SDS)
• ECMO Specialist

This program qualifies for the Future Ready Iowa Last-Dollar Scholarship and will pay up to 100% of your tuition.

You must apply for, be awarded, and meet the ongoing eligibility requirements for the Last-Dollar Scholarship.

You can take your prerequisite courses either at Â鶹Íø or at any other accredited transfer institution. See the suggested sequence of study for a list of prerequisite courses.

The Respiratory Care program accepts 20 students each spring.

Once you meet all the admission requirements and finish the prerequisite courses, you’ll get what’s called an "Eligible-Start Date to be Determined" (ETBD) status. This status is based on when you complete your prerequisites. If more than one student finishes on the same day, the registration date for the final prerequisite course is used to figure out who’s ahead in line.

Getting ETBD status doesn’t guarantee program admittance—it depends on how many seats are available.

The Admissions Office admits students with ETBD status until all seats are filled. Any remaining ETBD students will stay on the list and be contacted if a spot becomes available.

Make sure to keep your contact info updated and check your Â鶹Íø email regularly to stay on top of everything!

As a Health student at Â鶹Íø, you’ll need to complete the same background checks as hospital employees. This check will look into databases like the sex offender registry, child abuse and dependent adult registries, and Medicare/Medicaid fraud. Depending on the results, it could affect your ability to take part in clinical experiences.