Respiratory Care Program

The Respiratory Therapy Program at Delaware County Community College is a consortium program with Crozer-Chester Medical Center. This joint affiliation provides the student with the varied clinical experience from one of Delaware County’s finest healthcare institutions, with the academic excellence of Delaware County Community College, all with affordable tuition rates. The program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care.

Upon completion of the program, the student will be awarded an Associate in Applied Science in Respiratory Therapy from Delaware County Community College, as well as a Certificate of Completion from Crozer-Chester Medical Center. The Respiratory Therapy program is an entry-level program, providing the graduate with the academic background necessary to take the Entry-Level exam to be a Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT), and then the Registry Exam to be a Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT). Most states, including Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware, require the minimum of the certification examination for state licensure.

About Respiratory Therapists

Respiratory Therapists are Allied Health professionals who work with patients to help diagnose, treat and prevent lung disease. Treatments may consist of providing mechanical ventilation to a patient who is having severe difficulty breathing, or providing supplemental oxygen to a person suffering from emphysema, or assisting a premature infant with the first breaths of life.

Respiratory Therapists work along side of nurses, physicians, and other allied health professionals to provide direct patient care. They are the only allied health professionals who are specially trained to use life-support equipment such as mechanical ventilators. Respiratory Therapists are a part of the emergency response team in the hospital, taking action to aid a person’s breathing when they are in distress.
According to Salary.com, the average starting base income in the Delaware Valley area is approximately $50,000 per year for a full-time position. This does not include a shift differential or over-time pay which is often available. Hospitals usually offer generous benefit packages to their employees, as well.
Most Respiratory Therapists work in hospitals. Within the hospital, they work with all age groups…from a premature infant’s first breath to a great-grandfather’s last breath, and every age in between. A Respiratory Therapist may initially meet a patient in the Emergency Department where they came for severe shortness of breath. Then, may be followed up to the Intensive Care Unit, where they will continue to be taken care of by a Respiratory Therapist. They may work in a diagnostic area in a hospital to measure blood oxygen levels or the volume of air in the lungs.

Home health companies may employ Respiratory Therapists to assist patients with lung disease in their own homes.

With continuing improvements in technology, Respiratory Therapists may choose to work with equipment companies to sell and/or train current Respiratory Therapists with new technology.

Program Details

Admission Policy

Admission to the program is on a first-come, first-qualified basis for students that meet the admission criteria.

Learn More

Course Schedule

Once enrolled in the Respiratory Program, courses must be taken sequentially and courses delivered in the semester must be taken together.

Learn More

Credentials in Respiratory Care

After graduation, there are a series of exams that must be taken to become a Registered Respiratory Therapist. All of the exams given by the NBRC are computerized exams, to be taken at specific NBRC testing sites.

Learn More

Curriculum

You can find a course description in the course catalog on the DCCC web site. New courses may not have course descriptions at this time.

Learn More

Related Organizations

Various organizations support respiratory therapists through education, publications, lobbying, and credentialing.

Learn More

Tuition and Financial Aid

Tuition is paid to DCCC and follows the same rate schedule as any other course at the college. Tuition is based on the number of credits for which the student is registered.

Learn More

Contact Us

Patti Curran
Program Director

Email: patti.curran@crozer.org

Phone: 610-447-2440

Fax: 610-447-6353

School of Respiratory Therapy
Crozer-Chester Medical Center
1 Medical Center Blvd.
Upland, PA 19013