Respiratory Care
Respiratory therapists are trained to care for patients with respiratory or other cardiopulmonary disorders. They care for premature infants, elderly patients and patients suffering from heart attacks, drowning and chronic lung disease.
Florida Civic Literacy Requirement
Indian River State College requires all incoming students from the 2018-2019 academic year and beyond, to meet the Civic Literacy requirement. All first-time-in-college (FTIC) students entering all Florida College System (FCS) and State University System (SUS) institutions must demonstrate competency in civic literacy by the time they graduate per FL Statute 1007.25 and Florida Board of Governors Regulation 8.006.
Click on the Florida Civic Literacy Competency Requirement page for more information. https://irsc.edu/admissions/florida-civic-literacy-competency.html.
Once You Complete the Program
Respiratory Care professionals generally seek employment in a hospital or other medical facility.
Getting Started
The Respiratory Care program is a selective-admissions program. Students are selected based on criteria outlined in the Respiratory Care Application Book.
Illicit drug use, background check, convictions and immunization status may prevent future employment. In addition, externship sites, employers, and regulations about drug use, criminal backgrounds, and immunization status.
Program Director
Associate Professor
Robert Walsh, M.S.
rwalsh@irsc.edu
772-462-7543
For questions pertaining to refunds, please click here.
Students interested in the Respiratory Care program can read our information packet.
Applying to the Respiratory Care Day Program
The application for the Fall 2025 program will be available as of January 6, 2025. The deadline to apply is April 25, 2025.
To begin the application process:
- Read the Respiratory Care Application Booklet.
- Complete and submit the IRSC Application for the Respiratory Care program (Pay the $30 non-refundable application fee).
Note: If at any time during the application process you have a change in personal information (name change, address, phone number or emails), submit the changes through MyPioneerPortal and to the Health Science Division at 772-462-7550.
Due to House Bill 1507, admission criteria can be affected. This bill has a possibility to change admission requirements for 2022 and beyond based on the Florida Department of Education rule development. For more information on House Bill 1507, visit https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2021/1507.
Due to Rule 6A-10.024 (16), admission criteria can be affected. This bill has a possibility
to change admission requirements for 2024 and beyond on the Florida Department of
Education rule department. For more information on this rule, visit:
https://www.flrules.org/gateway/ruleNo.asp?id=6A-10.024
Program Goals
The goal of the Respiratory Care program is 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). More specifically, the goal is to train students desiring an education in this field regardless of race, color, national origin, ethnicity, sex, pregnancy, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, genetic information, and any other factor protected under applicable federal, state, and local civil rights laws, rules and regulations.
Licensure Requirements
Indian River State College offers a number of different degrees and certificates leading to professional licensure in the state of Florida. Some professions require both a degree and the successful completion of additional criteria such as licensure exams, field placements, or clinical hours. Student eligibility to apply to sit for the Registered Respiratory Therapy (RRT) in the State of Florida is defined in, F.S., 468.355 and also includes possession of a valid form of identification. Please visit the Florida Senate, fs 468.355 website to ensure your eligibility.
If you are a student who may choose to reside outside of Florida, IRSC cannot confirm whether this degree program meets educational requirements for professional licensure/certification in your state. Some states have requirements in addition to the program’s curriculum. If you wish to take Registered Respiratory Therapy (RRT) exam in another state, contact the regulation of professions and occupations in the state to determine whether this degree will meet their licensure requirements.
Completion of the Respiratory Care program requirements makes you eligible to apply to take the Registered Respiratory Therapy (RRT) in Florida.
Professional Licensure and Certification Disclosure Table for Registered Respiratory Therapist
Accreditation
The IRSC Associate in Science in Respiratory Care program at Indian River State College is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC). Program #200380. CoARC accredits respiratory therapy education programs in the United States. To achieve this end, it utilizes an "outcome 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.
Programmatic Outcomes Data: https://coarc.com/students/programmatic-outcomes-data/
CoARC
817-283-2835
https://coarc.com/
Additional Program Information
HOSA
This is a national organization which supplements and complements the health occupations education curriculum. HOSA provides students in secondary, postsecondary and collegiate programs with opportunities to develop personal, leadership and career skills needed by healthcare providers. HOSA helps develop the total person, not just job-specific skills. The rapidly changing healthcare system needs workers who are technically skilled, people-oriented and capable of accepting leadership positions as a member of a team. Learn more.
