Respiratory Therapy

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School of Health, Wellness & Public Safety

CONTACT INFORMATION

Program information is available from the School of Health, Wellness & Public Safety office at (505) 224-4111 or Academic Advisement and Career Development (505) 224-4321 or from Program Director/Chair at (505) 224-4138.

cnm.edu/depts/hwps/progs

Program Description

Respiratory care is an allied health profession specializing in diagnostic testing, therapeutic treatment and critical care support for patients suffering from life-threatening or chronic cardiopulmonary diseases. Under medical direction, Respiratory Therapists assess and treat patients, monitor and evaluate cardiopulmonary function, perform diagnostic testing and maintain life-support systems for patients in critical care settings. The curriculum includes classroom, laboratory and supervised clinical instruction covering cardiopulmonary anatomy, physiology and pathophysiology, therapeutic treatments, cardiopulmonary diagnostic technology, critical care and life-support technology for adults, children and infants, respiratory home care and pulmonary rehabilitation. The CNM Respiratory Therapy Program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Educations Programs (CAAHEP) and the Committee on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC) and prepares graduates for the Certification (CRT) and Registry (RRT) credentials by the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC) and for Licensure (RCP) by the State of New Mexico Respiratory Care Board.

Special Requirements

Students must complete prerequisite arts and sciences courses, declare Respiratory Therapy as a major, establish a CNM GPA of 2.0 or better and complete the petition process to begin the core Respiratory Therapy courses. Selection is based on the number of prerequisite and required arts and sciences courses completed and the date of declared major in Respiratory Therapy.

Once admitted to the RT core courses, students pay a program fee to cover the cost of the uniform, stethoscope, name tag, hospital parking permits, criminal background checks, drug screening and lab tests in the event of a needle stick or exposure to bodily fluids. Students will also pay an ACLS certification fee and a program fee during the final term of the program to cover the cost the National Board assessment tests.

Students enrolled in the school health programs must be in good physical and psychological health. Reasonable accommodations are made for those students with disabilities. However, some disabilities may prohibit students from completing program specific competencies or gaining employment.

Students with a disability that may interfere with completing program competencies, including providing safe patient care, are advised to contact the HWPS School Office at (505) 224-4111 for more information. Students must have a physical exam and a completed health form with evidence of current immunizations (PPD, DTP, MMR and hepatitis B), the ability to perform specific activities and the ability to safely lift a minimum of 50 lbs. before beginning clinical coursework.

Criminal Background/Drug Screen: Students are required to undergo a routine drug screening and a state and federal criminal background check with fingerprints prior to starting the program or prior to beginning their clinical experiences. For information on the criminal background check, please note the complete description on page 56 under the School of Health, Wellness & Public Safety description. Students with a disqualifying conviction will not be allowed to start or remain in the program unless they successfully go through administrative reconsideration through the State of New Mexico; additionally any student found to have a disqualifying conviction will not be allowed to register for any Allied Health or Nursing programs. Students should contact appropriate credentialing or licensing agencies and local or regional industry for hiring and employment practices. Contact the HWPS School Office at (505) 224-4111 for more information.

All School of Health, Wellness & Public Safety career and technical courses required for graduation must be taken for a traditional grade of A, B or C. For Health, Wellness & Public Safety career and technical courses offered only for credit/no credit, a grade of credit (CR) must be earned.

Career and Educational Opportunities

Graduates of the CNM Respiratory Therapy Program are employed by acute care hospitals, transitional care hospitals, home health care agencies, skilled nursing homes and cardiopulmonary rehabilitation centers within New Mexico and throughout the nation. The CNM program has a 100 percent placement rate for its graduates. Graduates can attain specialty credentials through employment training in specialized areas of cardiopulmonary care. They are also encouraged to continue education toward a bachelor of science degree in respiratory therapy, general science, education or management to pursue leadership positions in the field.

Exit competencies (see Program Exit Competencies ) for this program of study are available at cnm.edu/exitcomp.

For the graduation policy refer to the Moving On  section, cnm.edu or the Students tab in my CNM.

Students must meet prerequisites by placement scores or specific course work. Please see Course Descriptions for prerequisite(s) information.

See  Prerequisite Requirement Guide   for Accuplacer score equivalencies.

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