Program Director

Dr. Kelly L. Colwell 
(330) 941-2631
klcolwell@ysu.edu

ACCREDITATION

The Bachelor of Science in Respiratory Care (CoARC #510019) at Youngstown State University, Youngstown, Ohio is provisionally accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care(CoARC), www.coarc.com.  Current accreditation standing: CoARC granted Provisional accreditation for a maximum annual enrollment of up to 120 students.

Date of last campus visit: May 21, 2021

Date of next campus visit: To be determined

Overview

Respiratory care is an allied health profession concerned with the diagnostic evaluation, treatment, and management of patients with cardiopulmonary disorders. The respiratory care practitioner (RCP) is proficient in:

• therapeutic administration of medical gases and aerosols
• intermittent and continuous mechanical ventilation
• broncho-pulmonary hygiene
• basic and advanced cardiac life support techniques
• non-invasive patient monitoring
• pulmonary function evaluation
• arterial blood gas analysis
• airway management procedures
• pulmonary rehabilitation techniques

A licensed RCP must also be knowledgeable regarding various assessment techniques and patient education models. These skills are used with neonatal, pediatric, and adult patients in acute, sub-acute, and home care settings. To function effectively as a member of the multidisciplinary health care team, the RCP must have a sound understanding of:

• the physiological, psychological, and cultural needs of the patient
• the role of the various therapeutic interventions in the patient care plan
• development of broad-based skills to more effectively contribute to the overall care of the patient

Theory and laboratory experiences are provided prior to the student's entry into the clinical education phase of the program. This program can be completed in four calendar years. It includes three summer sessions. A sleep diagnostics option is also available. Please visit Respiratory Care for more information.

The advanced placement option allows the undergraduate BSRC student to take up to 9 semester hours of graduate credit that can be applied to the Master of Respiratory Care program. Upon completion of the BSRC, the student must apply to and be accepted into the Graduate School and the Master of Respiratory Care Program in order to apply the graduate credits earned during the BSRC program. To be accepted into the BSRC Advanced Placement option, the student must meet the following criteria:

1. Junior standing with an overall GPA of a minimum of 3.2; or,
2. Junior standing in BSRC Completion Program and have completed 15 semester hours of required core upper division courses and have an overall minimum GPA of 3.2

Once accepted into the BSRC Advanced Placement Option, the student must maintain a GPA of 3.0 to continue to take graduate level courses. 

Accreditation

The Bachelor of Science in Respiratory Care (CoARC #200247) at Youngstown State University, Youngstown, Ohio is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (www.coarc.com). To view CoARC Program outcomes please visit CoARC Outcomes Data.  

The goals of the Bachelor of Science in Respiratory Care are:

•   To prepare graduates with demonstrated competence in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains of respiratory care practice as performed by registered respiratory therapists (RRTs). 
• To prepare leaders for the field of respiratory care by including curricular content that includes objectives related to acquisition of skills one or more of the following:  management, education, research, and advanced clinical practice (which may include an area of clinical specialization). 

Polysomnography Certificate Goal:

To prepare sleep disorder specialists with demonstrated competence in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains of polysomnography practice as performed by sleep disorder specialists (SDS). 

Bachelor of Science Respiratory Care (BSRC) Curriculum

Learning Outcomes

The student learning outcomes for the major in Respiratory Care are as follows:

• Upon completion of the program, graduates will demonstrate the ability to comprehend, apply, and evaluate clinical information relevant to their roles as advanced-level respiratory therapists (cognitive domain).
• Upon completion of the program, graduates will demonstrate technical proficiency in all the skills necessary to fulfill their role as advanced level respiratory therapists (psychomotor domain).
• Upon completion of the program, graduates will demonstrate professional behavior consistent with employer expectations as advanced-level respiratory therapists (affective domain).

The student learning outcomes for the Sleep Diagnostic Option in Respiratory Care are as follows:

• Upon completion of the program, graduates will demonstrate the ability to comprehend, apply, and evaluate clinical information relevant to their roles as sleep disorder specialists (cognitive domain).
• Upon completion of the program, graduates will demonstrate technical proficiency in all the skills necessary to fulfill their role as sleep disorder specialists (psychomotor domain).
• Upon completion of the program, graduates will demonstrate professional behavior consistent with employer expectations as sleep disorder specialists (affective domain).