Respiratory therapy

WELCOME

We are so glad you're here! Fletcher's Associate of Science Respiratory Therapy degree can be obtained in as little as two years. The Respiratory Therapy program admits a new cohort of students into the clinical component of the program once a year in the summer.

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

Respiratory Therapy prepares individuals to treat patients ranging from premature infants to the elderly with acute and chronic cardiopulmonary illnesses. Graduates of the program work with patients on mechanical ventilation to maintain life support such as oxygenation, ventilation, and airway management. They treat patients with pulmonary disease who have under-developed lungs and patients with chronic lung disease. They play a vital role in many areas of health care.

The Respiratory Therapy program encourages and challenges students to develop critical-thinking and decision-making skills to improve their marketability and job security. First and foremost, however, the program fosters these skills to improve patient care. The program is dedicated to continuous quality improvement through systematic assessment of program outcomes and prepares graduates with demonstrated competence in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains of respiratory care as performed by registered respiratory therapists (RRTs). Emphasis is placed on producing graduates to function as professionals in various venues wherein the practice of respiratory therapy occurs.

The Respiratory Therapy program at Fletcher Technical Community College is a six semester, 72 credit hour program. It consists of two semesters of pre-requisite coursework and four semesters of clinical. The prerequisite courses are offered face-to-face days, evenings, days, or online. Graduates who receive this Associate of Science degree will be eligible to receive their credential through the National Board for Respiratory Care.

The program curriculum and course descriptions can be found in the college catalog.

Salary & Career Outlook

ADMISSIONS

APPLICATION DEADLINE FOR SUMMER 2025 CLINICAL COHORT IS MAY 12, 2025

Specific clinical application and admission requirements can be found in the Admission Guide. Students must review the Admission Guide, found below in LINKS, prior to applying to the clinical component of the program. Here are a few important things to note regarding applying to the clinical component of the Respiratory Therapy program:

The following 31 hours of Fletcher Technical Community College’s Respiratory Therapy curriculum must be completed by the end of the spring semester.

BIOL 1140, 1150, 1160, 1170, (8 credit hours); ENGL 1010, 1020 (6 credit hours); MATH 1214/1213 OR MATH 1104/1103 (6 credit hours); PHSC 1000 (3 credit hours); CHEM 1010 (3 credit hours); CPCS 1010 (2 credit hours); PSYC 2010 (3 credit hours).

Applicants must achieve a minimum 2.50 GPA in those courses and 2.0 overall GPA. For more information regarding GPA requirements, see program Admission Guide.
All courses in the Respiratory Therapy curriculum must be completed with a minimum grade of “C.”
Minimum composite score of 80% on the HESI (Health Education System, Inc.) Admissions Assessment Test (A2). Required components are: Anatomy/Physiology, Chemistry, Reading, Math, Grammar and Vocabulary.
Admission into the Respiratory Therapy program is based on GPA and HESI scores. Seating is limited to 17 students. A student’s eligibility to apply is not a guarantee of acceptance into the clinical component of the Respiratory Therapy program.

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

Federal Grants
Student Loans
TOPS
MJ Foster Promise Program
Louisiana Workforce Commission

PROGRAM OUTCOMES

Programmatic outcomes are performance indicators that reflect the extent to which the goals of the program are achieved and by which program effectiveness is documented. Programmatic outcomes data reported on the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC) website include:

3-year time period being reported
RRT credentialing success
Attrition
Job placement
Overall graduate satisfaction
Overall employer satisfaction
Total number of program enrollees
Total number of program graduates
Maximum annual enrollment.

CoARC Program Outcomes Website: 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. Fletcher’s CoARC number is 200410.

The Respiratory Therapy program, CoARC program number 200410, Associate of Science Degree, at Fletcher Technical Community College in Thibodaux is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (www.coarc.com).

264 Precision Blvd Telford, TN 37690 USA

Telephone: 817-283-2835

**This program has a clinical component to complete the program. Please be advised that Fletcher’s Nursing and Allied Health faculty members work closely with many clinical sites to provide an optimal clinical experience for all of its students. Fletcher must follow policies and guidelines set forth by programmatic accreditation boards as well as hospital policies. We must abide by the federal, state, local, college and health care facility mandates and your program completion date is dependent upon our ability to enter and complete training in clinical facilities. Fletcher’s faculty and administration will work with all of our partners to complete clinical hours in a safe and timely manner. We thank you for choosing Fletcher for your career goals and look forward to working with you to achieve success.

CONTACT

Alisha Aucoin
Program Director/Assistant Professor
Phone: 985-448-5942
Email: alisha.aucoin@fletcher.edu
Thibodaux Facility

Lauren Sanders
Enrollment Specialist
Phone:985-448-7914
Email: Lauren.Sanders@fletcher.edu
Office: 100D Main Campus