Gwynedd Mercy University
AY2020-2021 / Undergraduate Academic Catalog
Prerequisites : High school or college chemistry or physics , satisfaction of English and mathematics placement test requirement , tour of respiratory care department ( desired but viewing of professional videos can satisfy requirement ).
Corequisites : BIO 107 , 107L , 108 , 108L , 111 ; ENG 101 , 200 ; FYE 1000 , 1001 ; MTH 136 ; PSY 100 ; 111 ; 1 Seminar Course ; PHY 111 ; CHM 111 or CHM 115 ; RS elective and CIS 101 .
Major Requirements : RC , 200 , 210 , 230 , 231 , 232 , 233 , 234 , 240 , 241 , 242 , 250 , 251 , 330 , 331 , 332 , 333 or 336 , 334 , 335 or 337 , 340 , 341 , 342 , 350 and 351 .
The Associate of Science Degree in Respiratory Care is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care ( CoARC ) and is an Entry into Respiratory Care Professional Practice Program . It consists of three years and is broken down as follows :
The first year consist of general studies rich in the natural science , mathematics , and liberal arts disciplines . It is designed to prepare students for the respiratory care concentration courses taken in the second and third year .
The second year entails course work in the art and science of respiratory care coupled with a chemistry course in the Fall and microbiology in the Spring . Respiratory care courses are didactic ( classroom ), laboratory , and clinical in nature . The didactic classes are designed to address the principles and concepts of the particular subject in question . The laboratory is designed for demonstration and practice and serves as an environment where the student can first experience the procedures and practices of respiratory care in a controlled and closely supervised manner . Many of the laboratory sessions are selfdirected with assistance provided by the faculty as needed . The clinical courses are both observational and performance in nature . The student will first observe procedures and modalities with the intention of gaining confidence and familiarity .
After exposure and observation , the student will perform procedures and modalities until competency is assessed . Competency is followed by repeated practice and skill refinement . The ultimate goal is mastery and a high degree of expertise .
The clinical component will entail : clinical rotations in between semesters ( approximately two weeks but varies with academic calendar ) that will serve as orientation to the hospital and to the respiratory therapy department , two days a week of clinical rotation during the second semester , and eight weeks of clinical rotations during the summer . The clinical component is competency- based which means that the student must successfully complete all designated procedures to satisfy the course requirements . Upon completion of the second year of the program , the student will continue on to the third year , which is where credentialing-eligibility can be obtained .
The third year consists of advanced topics in respiratory care coupled with statistics in the Fall and a basic communication course in the Spring . The third year of the program is modeled after the second and consists of didactic ( classroom ), laboratory , and clinical courses . The didactic classes are designed to address the advanced principles and concepts in a classroom environment while the laboratory is
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