Cardiopulmonary Science Concentration
Accredited by:
Committee on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC)
1248 Harwood Rd.
Bedford, TX 76021-4244
(817) 283-2835
The Respiratory Therapist applies scientific knowledge and theory to practical clinical problems of respiratory care. Respiratory Therapists are qualified to assume primary responsibility for all respiratory care modalities, including the supervision of certified respiratory care practitioners. The Respiratory Therapist may be required to exercise considerable independent clinical judgment, under the supervision of a physician in the treatment of patients with respiratory dysfunction. The Respiratory Care Practitioner may perform the following respiratory care modalities: advanced airway management, pediatric and neonatal critical care, hemodynamic monitoring, metabolic cart studies, cardiopulmonary stress testing, and other advanced procedures.
Upon successful completion of the requirements for the Cardiopulmonary Science concentration, students are eligible to apply for admission to sit for three examinations administered by the National Board for Respiratory Care. Candidates are required to pass the Certified Respiratory Therapist entry-level examination as a prerequisite to the two advanced practitioner examinations.
Licensure requirements for respiratory care practitioners vary according to state statutes. In Tennessee, practitioners are required to pass the national examinations for certified and/or registered respiratory therapist respectively.
Students that have successfully completed an Associate of Applied Science in Cardiopulmonary Science (Respiratory Therapy) or Radiography are eligible for enrollment into an online BS completion program in their discipline. Associate of Applied Science graduates are required to contact and be advised by the Department’s admission coordinator after completion of ALHE 3010, Allied Health Professions.
TBR General Education Requirements: 41 Credit Hours
Listed below are the categories and courses specified under TBR General Education Requirements. Note that certain courses are required for this degree, specific to this major. Thus, these courses will satisfy both a TBR General Education requirement AND a requirement of this major. (Other majors may require different General Education courses.) Where specific courses are required for this major, only those courses are listed under the category. If there are no specific major requirements for a category, all course options appear.
Humanities and Fine Arts
9 credits, consisting of 3 credits of literature, 3 credits of fine arts, and 3 credits of humanities electives.