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When you think about degrees offered at Clarion University in the health sciences field, what comes to mind? Nursing, pre-med, medical imaging? One of Clarion’s degree programs that perhaps is not as well known is Respiratory Care.
Offered at Venango College, Clarion University's Associate of Science in Respiratory Care prepares students to become Registered Respiratory Therapists (RRTs), evaluating and caring for individuals with breathing and other moderate to life-threatening cardiopulmonary diseases.
Clarion’s accredited program gives graduates a thorough clinical knowledge in respiratory care as well as a sound liberal arts education.
Following successful completion of the program, graduates are eligible to take the Therapist Multiple-Choice Examination (TMC) and the Clinical Simulation Examination (CSE) administered by the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC). Individuals who attempt and pass these exams will be awarded the Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) credential, considered the “standard of excellence” in respiratory care.
Because of an ever-increasing aging population and rise in the incidence of respiratory disease in the nation, the need for advanced-level graduates who earn the RRT credential is anticipated to experience continued growth over the next several years. To meet this demand, Clarion provides students with a degree that prepares them well for an exciting future in health care.
From hospital- or home health agency-based care of neonatal, pediatric and intensive care patients, to polysomnography (diagnosis of sleep disorders), to education and administration, opportunities abound. Positions in physician practices and medical sales are also potential career paths for those in the field of respiratory care.
Chris Harancher, director of the Respiratory Care program at Venango College says, “Clarion’s program, from the classroom instruction to the clinical rotations, gives our students the foundation for great success in the respiratory care field.”
“We are extremely proud of the students that come out of our program, and are confident that they are well-prepared to enter the job market with a high level of competence,” she adds.
Students interested in applying for admission to the program, or transferring from their current school or major can visit Clarion University’s website or contact Chris Harancher or Shellie Moore, Respiratory Care faculty, at Venango College at 814-393-1253 or 814-393-1267.