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Respiratory Care

About Respiratory Care

Breathing is a privilege many people may take for granted. However, those with cardiopulmonary diseases know just how hard breathing can be. At SDSU, students can become a registered respiratory therapist (RRT) and help patients breathe easier.

Now is a good time to become respiratory therapist in South à£à£Ö±²¥Ðã. South à£à£Ö±²¥Ðã’s health care industry is projected to add 6,472 workers to the state’s economy between 2018 and 2028. The rate of growth is projected to be 11.3%, much faster than the 7.1% projected for all industries. Additionally, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 14% growth in the respiratory therapy from 2021 to 2031, with about 9,400 job openings projected each year. Median Pay for a respiratory therapist is $70,540 per year or $33.91 per hour.

BREATHE banner logo with yellow

BREATHE-SD Scholarship for students pursuing the A.S. in respiratory care

BREATHE-SD is an HRSA grant-funded project focused on increasing and strengthening the respiratory care and public health workforce in South à£à£Ö±²¥Ðã.

Through BREATHE-SD, half-tuition scholarships are available to students pursuing an A.S. in respiratory care at SDSU. All A.S. degree requirements also count toward the B.S. in respiratory care.

There is no separate application for the BREATHE-SD scholarship. Students simply need to apply to the A.S. in respiratory care program and they will be automatically considered for the half-tuition BREATHE-SD scholarship.

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The respiratory care program offers associate and baccalaureate respiratory care degrees. Graduates demonstrate competence in the cognitive, psychomotor and affective learning domains of respiratory care practice, to prepare and perform as registered respiratory therapists.

FAQs

Enrollment for the respiratory care program is limited to 40 students. There is no limit for enrollment in the pre-respiratory care program.

Labor department statistics major growth in the health care industry and the report on respiratory therapy should really put wind in the sails of potential respiratory therapists.

South à£à£Ö±²¥Ðã’s health care industry is projected to be among the largest growth industries through 2028, according to the Labor Market Information Center within the South à£à£Ö±²¥Ðã Department of Labor and Regulation. The industry is projected to add 6,472 workers to the state’s economy between 2018 and 2028. The rate of growth is projected to be 11.3%, much faster than the 7.1% projected for all industries. Further information on are available online.

Respiratory therapist in the news.

You will also have access to seminars and conferences, like the South à£à£Ö±²¥Ðã Society for Respiratory Care (SDSRC). You can build your resume and network with potential employers by sitting on the SDSRC board of directors as a student representative. In addition, SDSRC offers scholarships and opportunities to attend the American Association for Respiratory Care conferences.

Students complete their second professional year at Monument Health in Rapid City, or Avera McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls, Sanford USD Medical Center in Sioux Falls, Huron Regional Medical Center in Huron, Madison Regional Health System in Madison or Brookings Health System in Brookings.

Students will develop skills and master concepts in:

  • Patient assessment
  • Neonatal care
  • Hemodynamic analysis
  • Ventilator management
  • Emergency and trauma
  • Pulmonary diagnostic testing
  • Disease management
  • Respiratory pharmacology

Students in the respiratory care program are exposed to advanced technology and the latest respiratory equipment, including:

  • Ventilators
  • Ultrasound
  • Blood analyzing machines
  • Medical charting systems

BREATHE-SD is an HRSA grant-funded project focused on increasing and strengthening the respiratory care and public health workforce in South à£à£Ö±²¥Ðã.

Through BREATHE-SD, half-tuition scholarships are available to students pursuing an A.S. in respiratory care at SDSU. All A.S. degree requirements also count toward the B.S. in respiratory care.

There is no separate application for the BREATHE-SD scholarship. Students simply need to apply to the A.S. in respiratory care program and they will be automatically considered for the half-tuition BREATHE-SD scholarship.

More about the BREATHE-SD program.

Avera Health, Monument Health, Sanford Health and SDSU, partnering with the Northern Plains Health Network, are each providing unique incentives including scholarships, sponsorships and sign-on bonuses for those wanting to become a respiratory therapist.

Accreditation

The South à£à£Ö±²¥Ðã State University Respiratory Care Program, program numbers 200070 (Base Program) and 300015 (Satellite Program), granting the degree of Associate of Science in Respiratory Care, base program located on the campus of South à£à£Ö±²¥Ðã State University and satellite program located on the campus of Monument Health Rapid City, is accredited by the .

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. Program outcomes data is available on .

For more information, contact:

Respiratory Care News

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Respiratory care students and a mannequin.

Incentives available for new respiratory therapists in South à£à£Ö±²¥Ðã

There is currently a shortage of respiratory therapists in the nation, including in South à£à£Ö±²¥Ðã. The profession is projected to grow 14% from 2021, according to the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics. To combat this shortage, each year, South à£à£Ö±²¥Ðã State University and the health systems in South à£à£Ö±²¥Ðã offer a variety of incentives for new and in-training respiratory therapists.

SDSU’s BREATHE-SD project to improve respiratory care and public health in South à£à£Ö±²¥Ðã featured on The Prairie Doc

The BREATHE-SD project was recently featured on a segment of The Prairie Doc, which airs on SDPB. BREATHE-SD is a new grant-funded project to increase the respiratory therapy and public health workforce in South à£à£Ö±²¥Ðã.

SDSU to lead $1.545 million BREATHE-SD project, partner with area hospitals

South à£à£Ö±²¥Ðã State University is partnering with hospitals in Brookings, Huron and Madison to expand the public health and respiratory therapy workforce. The Community Practice Innovation Center within the College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions at SDSU has received a three-year, $1.545 million federal grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration.