Southeast Missouri State University is celebrating one year since signing an agreement with the Cape Girardeau Career and Technology Center to provide a bachelor's degree in respiratory therapy, a venture that welcomed the first cohort of students this fall.
There was previously a certificate program offered, but future changes in the field will require the undergraduate degree. The new degree path includes 51 credit hours of state general education and science focused courses at SEMO, followed by 69 credit hours of coursework/technical training at the Cape CTC.
Respiratory therapy is a field in healthcare that focuses on pulmonary care, treatments, and respiratory diseases from infants through adulthood. The Southeast bachelor's degree focuses on clinical experience to help students prepare for any healthcare situation.
“Our major is set up with real, hands-on experiences as a core part of the learning process,” said Director of Clinical Education for Respiratory Therapy Kyle Kern. “We allow students in the clinical site eight weeks after starting the program, which we believe is what separates us from many other fields. Students who are accepted into our program will perform clinicals in routine respiratory therapy, adult intensive care units, neonatal intensive care units, rehabilitation facilities, and emergency departments, to name a few.”
Students also attend the Missouri Society for Respiratory Care's state conference every year at Lake of the Ozarks. Here, students get to meet and network with professionals in the field.
Kern says there's been a lot of interest in the respiratory therapy program in its infancy. The program is accredited through the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC).
“Local hospitals are in need of hiring more respiratory therapists and currently have job openings,” Kern said. “This is not confined as a local issue but a national issue. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 13% job growth rate for respiratory therapy over the next ten years. We hope to be able to provide our local hospitals and beyond with quality respiratory therapists who are ready for what lies ahead.”
The Respiratory Therapy program is a part of the Department of Allied Health, Kinesiology, and Sport Sciences at Southeast. In this department, 98% of students report being employed or furthering their education within six months of graduation.