PRCC Respiratory Care Practitioner Program

“WE OXYGENATE, WE VENTILATE, WE DOMINATE!”

Would you like to be an RT (Respiratory Therapist)?
With all the health care professions out there, how can you know which one is right for you? If you enjoy helping people in times of need, working with technology, working in an environment where you can choose what type of patients you want to work with and where you want to work. You might discover respiratory therapy is exactly what you’ve been looking for.

What does an RT do exactly? Respiratory therapists have a wide variety of job descriptions, including:

1. Diagnosing lung and breathing disorders and recommending treatment methods, interviewing patients and their families as well as doing chest exams to determine what kind of therapy is best for their condition, consulting with physicians to recommend changes in therapy, based on evaluation of the patient.
2. Managing ventilators and artificial airway devices for patients, who can’t breathe normally on their own, respond to a Code Blue or other urgent calls for care.
3. Educating patients and families about lung diseases so they can maximize their recovery.

Where do RTs work? Wherever there’s a breathing issue, there they are!
Employment opportunities are available in hospitals working on the general floor, in intensive care units, in the emergency room, in newborn and pediatric units, as well as in operating rooms. Other areas include: home health agencies, skilled nursing facilities, pulmonary rehabilitation programs, doctors’ offices and air transport and ambulance programs.

But what about the Employment and Financial Outlook?
We currently need 26% more RT’s nationwide!!!! With the demand for RT’s on the rise, salaries are sure to follow suit. The projected AVERAGE annual earnings of RT’s working in the U.S. is $56,222.

About the program:
The Respiratory Care program is taught on the Hattiesburg Campus and is ONLY 4 semesters long.
Our students begin in august and finish the program the following December. Students must complete the required pre-requisite courses before entering program. Upon completion of the respiratory care program graduates will be awarded an Associate degree and will be eligible to take both the Entry Level and the Advanced Level Exams administered by the N.B.R.C. (National Board for Respiratory Care). This is a national exam; therefore graduates can work in any state. Selection process includes: ACT score, GPA of Pre-requisite courses and interview.

For more information contact Program Director Lori Anderson @ 601-554-5521, landerson@prcc.edu or Lisa Snyder @ 601-554-5487, lsnyder@prcc.edu