Lake Superior College Respiratory Care Practitioner Program Description Respiratory Care Practitioner 76 Credits Associate in Applied Science Degree Program Respiratory care practitioners are health care specialists who work with a variety of patients suffering from cardiopulmonary disorders. Working under the direction of a physician, respiratory care practitioners assist in the evaluation, treatment, management, and rehabilitation of these disorders. Patients treated by respiratory care practitioners range from premature infants to the elderly.
Practitioners enjoy tremendous opportunity for diversity in their practices.
Working in diagnostic labs, hospitals, clinics, home care and industry, respiratory care practitioners fill a vital role in our nation's health care system. The clinical experience is diverse, with opportunities to train in a variety of areas and hospitals in our region. Upon graduation, the student will receive an Associate in Applied Science Degree in Respiratory Care. The graduate is then eligible to sit for the NBRC credentialing exams, which are required for licensure. An individual who is disqualified from having direct patient contact as a result of the background study, and whose disqualification is not set aside by the Commissioner of Health, will not be permitted to participate in a clinical placement in a Minnesota licensed health care facility.