Admission

Your pathway toward admission into the A.S. Respiratory Care Program

Our A.S. in Respiratory Care is a limited access program. This requires admission into LSSC first, then students may apply to the program. If you are not a current LSSC student or have not applied to LSSC, please click the following link to apply to the college:

Apply

Important Notes:
When selecting your program, choose the Associate of Arts program with a concentration in the Health Professions Program you are pursuing

It may take 2-3 business days to receive your LSSC email. Once received you can complete the Program Application.

• Apply to the Respiratory Care Program
• Submit your high school/GED and prior college/university transcripts
• Attend a Mandatory Information Session
• Meet with an Advisor
• Meet pre-requisite and GPA requirement: Applicants must have an overall GPA of 2.0 or higher. Complete all prerequisites with a grade of “C” or better.
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• Apply for Financial Aid and LSSC Foundation Scholarships
  • Complete the FAFSA and other financial aid forms
  • LSSC Foundation Scholarships

Admission Contingencies

Confirmed acceptance into the program will be granted when the following contingencies are met:

• Background Check
• Complete a physical examination and essential functions examination by a licensed provider (MD/DO/PA-C/ARNP)
• Immunizations
• Drug Test
• Mandatory Orientation
• Must be 18 years of age by the beginning of clinical rotations.

Meeting the minimum requirements does not constitute admission to the Respiratory Care Program.

Admission decisions are based on your academic record, supporting documents/contingency requirements, and your application to the program.

An applicant with a specific conviction or a positive drug screening may not be accepted into the Respiratory Care Program. A positive drug screening or conviction occurring after full admission and matriculation into the program is addressed according to departmental policy and may provide cause for dismissal from the program.

Admission and transfer policies:  Admissions, Records, and Registration

Advanced placement policies:

The program has a responsibility to ensure students are properly prepared to meet licensing and professional requirements, for this reason, the respiratory care program will not offer any advanced placement opportunities. Therefore, program policies contained herein are subject to change. The program communicates changes and posts addendums documenting such changes. 

Policies and procedures related to probation, suspension, dismissal and voluntary student withdraw:  Student Disciplinary Action

Outlook

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that in the Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL area, there were 1,010 Respiratory Therapists employed as of May 2023. The mean annual wage for this occupation is $74,870, with a mean hourly wage of $36.00. The median hourly wage is $37.30. Employment in this field has grown by 2.5%, reflecting the demand for respiratory care professionals in the region.

Career Outlook

• Administer Pulmonary Function Tests
• Education and Patient Education
• Work in Cardiac Cath Labs
• Opportunities in Home Health Care
• Helivac Team and Air Transport Roles

For a detailed breakdown of the curriculum and degree requirements, visit the Catalog page.

Courses

For a detailed breakdown of the curriculum and degree requirements, visit the Catalog page.

Graduation requirements:

In order to graduate from the RC Program at Lake-Sumter State College, the student must meet the following four requirements:

1. The student must have successfully completed all pre-requisite and RCP curriculum courses.
2. The student has an overall academic GPA of at least 2.0.
3. The student must meet college graduation requirements. See college catalog for more details.
4. The granting of the degree is not contingent upon any type of external certification or licensure examination.

Program technical standards:

Essential Functions

The Respiratory Care Program reserves the right to deny admission or require the withdrawal of any student who, in the judgment of the department, gives evidence of being unable to perform the responsibilities and tasks required of the Respiratory Care profession. Essential functions represent the essential non-academic requirements of the RC program that students must master to successfully participate in the program. Students must demonstrate the following skills with or without reasonable accommodation:

1. A sound intellect

COGNITIVE AND INTELLECTUAL STANDARDS

• THINK CRITICALLY: Ability to identify and solve problems; identify cause/effect relationships; apply reading, lecture, and laboratory information to case study preparation; employ effective teaching, learning, and test-taking strategies.
• COMPREHEND: Synthesize relevant information regarding patient diagnoses, laboratory testing, indications and contraindications, human pathology, and impairments from textbooks, medical records, and professional literature.
• PRIORITIZE: Manage events to provide for safety; multiple tasks; integrate information and make decisions about sequence and progression.
• MAKE CLINICAL DECISIONS: Be able to exercise sufficient judgement to respond quickly and appropriately to changes in patient status; to analyze written, observed or verbal data about patients and make decisions to terminate, modify, progress, or cancel laboratory tests; act safely and ethically in the lab and clinic.
• SHORT-TERM AND LONG-TERM MEMORY: Ability to accurately and quickly remember data and information relayed in exchanges with the healthcare staff; access learned knowledge to include but not limited to diagnoses, safety precautions, and emergency procedures; participate successfully in the learning and evaluation of knowledge within the RCP curriculum.
• THINK QUICKLY AND CLEARLY: Execute all duties unimpaired by any condition or substance that alters mental processing, speed or quality of thought processes or judgment.

2. Good motor skills, hand-eye coordination and dexterity, and visual acuity to perform procedures, read graphs, etc. PHYSICAL STANDARDS

• PHYSICAL, MENTAL, AND EMOTIONAL HEALTH: Possess the physical, mental, and emotional health to maintain alertness and concentration during an 8-hour day under the stressful conditions of technical malfunctions, time constraints, and a distracting environment; move freely and safely around the laboratory and hospital.
• HEARING: Auditory ability sufficient to perform patient assessment
• PHYSICAL: Possess the ability to: bend, stoop, stand, lift and move objects of at least 20 pounds, grasp with one or both hands, shelves, patients lying in bed or seated in a chair, perform moderately taxing repetitive tasks, often requiring prolonged sitting or standing over several hours.
• MANUAL DEXTERITY: Possess sufficient hand-eye motor coordination to allow delicate manipulations of specimens, instruments, and tools, grasp and release small objects, utilize a computer keyboard and mouse to operate various required equipment.
• VISION: Visual ability sufficient for accurate observation, collection of specimens and patient care, examples of which include characterization of the color, clarity, and viscosity of biological specimens. Discriminate color, shading, and fine structural differences of radiologic studies, read text, numbers, and graphs in print and on a video monitor, and judge distance and depth accurately.

3. Effective communication skills COMMUNICATION STANDARDS • SPEAK AND EXPRESS: Oral communication skills sufficient to communicate in English with accuracy, clarity and efficiency, information to peers, faculty, patients, their families, and other health care providers; to explain conditions and procedures and teach home programs.

• READ: Reading comprehension skills and mathematical ability sufficient to understand typed, handwritten, chart data, and computer-generated documents in the English language; at a level of competency that allows safe and timely execution of essential tasks or assignments.
• UNDERSTAND/INTERPRET: Knowledge sufficient to understand /interpret medical terminology and information given; follow complex and straightforward instructions (oral or written) regarding patient care and testing; and respond to non-verbal communication/behaviors of self and others.
• FOLLOW DIRECTIONS: Accurately and efficiently, seeking clarification where necessary. WRITE: Produce legible handwritten, or computer word processed documents; use correct medical terminology, spelling, grammar, and punctuation; organize and express thoughts in written form in the English language; to prepare accurate, thorough, legally defensible patient documentation.
• INTERPERSONAL SKILLS: Work collaboratively; interact professionally; to establish rapport with patients, colleagues, and classmates; to resolve conflicts with individuals from a variety of social, emotional, cultural, and intellectual backgrounds; maintain confidentiality in all interactions.

4. Professional skills such as the ability to work independently, to manage time efficiently, to comprehend, analyze, and synthesize various materials, as well as to hold sound psychological health and stability

BEHAVIORAL/PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS

• FLEXIBILITY: To adjust to a constantly changing and demanding full-time schedule.
• COOPERATION: Work as a member of a team; develop positive and effective relationships with faculty, clinicians, peers, and patients.
• RECOGNIZE LIMITATIONS: To request assistance when needed; accept correction and constructive suggestions; assume responsibility for personal development; utilize resources effectively.
• WILLINGNESS: To wear required lab attire; to participate in lab activities that require phlebotomy and other types of sample collection.
• POSITIVE ATTITUDE: To demonstrate initiative, enthusiasm, and appropriate peer and patient interactions.
• WORK ETHIC: Attend class and clinic promptly and regularly; stay focused and on task during lecture and laboratory instructional time; submit work products promptly when due; conform to all classroom and clinical rules/policies; comply with all legal and ethical standards of practice.
• STRESS MANAGEMENT: Develop coping skills for fast-paced clinical situations; effectively manage multiple academic deadlines; respond appropriately in a stressful environment; manage personal matters outside of class/workday.
• PLANNING AHEAD: Proactively arrange transportation and living accommodations for/during off campus clinical assignments to foster timely reporting to the classroom and clinical center.
• SELF CARE: Maintain general good health and hygiene in order not to jeopardize the health and safety of self and individuals with whom one interacts in the academic and clinical settings.

Policies addressing student employment in the profession while enrolled in the program:

EMPLOYMENT RESTRICTION

• Restriction: Students may not attend CLINICAL if they worked (including “on call responsibility”) within twelve hours preceding scheduled experiences.
• Suggestion: Students who work more than 24 hours per week may jeopardize their ability to succeed in the program.
• Students may not receive compensation for any patient care provided during the clinical education experience.
• Students are to be supervised by a preceptor at all times in the clinical setting and cannot be substituted for staff.

Policies and procedures for processing student grievances:  LSSC Administrative Procedure 4.14

College Accreditation

Lake-Sumter State College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award associate and baccalaureate degrees. Lake-Sumter State College also may offer credentials such as certificates and diplomas at approved degree levels. Questions about the accreditation of Lake-Sumter State College may be directed in writing to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097, by calling 404-679-4500 or by using information available on SACSCOC’s website (www.sacscoc.org).

Program Accreditation

CoARC accredits respiratory therapy education programs in the United States. To achieve this end, it utilizes an ‘outcomes 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.

The annual report of current program results can be viewed at Outcomes data.

The Lake-Sumter State College Respiratory Care Program, program number 200671, awarding Associate of Science in Respiratory Care Degrees, and located on the South Lake Campus in Clermont, Florida,  holds Provisional Accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (coarc.com). Address: 264 Precision Blvd Telford, TN 37690, USA Telephone: 817-283-2835.

This status signifies that a program with an Approval of Intent has demonstrated sufficient compliance with the Standards (through submission of an acceptable Provisional Accreditation Self Study Report (PSSR) and any other documentation required by the CoARC, as well as satisfactory completion of an initial site visit), to be allowed to admit students. It is recognized as an accredited program by the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC), which provides enrolled students who complete the program with eligibility for the Respiratory Care Credentialing Examination(s). The program will remain on Provisional Accreditation until it achieves Continuing Accreditation.

Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care
264 Precision Blvd Telford, TN 37690 USA
817-283-2835
coarc.com