Join us for the next RT Connect!
It is a great opportunity to connect with other RTs and prospective students while also learning about our programs, curriculum, tuition and fees, and more! opportunities. Our next session is February 23, 2023, at 7:00 p.m. (EST).
Breathe Life into the Patients You Care For
You can be the one who literally helps breathe new life into a patient. Respiratory therapists are critical health care workers who possess the skills to assess, diagnose and treat patients who have difficulty breathing. This includes everything from helping patients with respiratory conditions, like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma, to attending to emergency situations that require the use of a life support machine. Respiratory care is a growing health care field that is rewarding professionally and personally.
Nova Southeastern University’s entry-level Respiratory Therapy program covers the fundamentals of respiratory therapy, cardiopulmonary physiology and other specialized areas. As a student in this program, you’ll learn in high-tech simulation suites equipped with the same mechanical ventilators and equipment you’ll find at hospitals and other health care facilities around the country. A 10-bed intensive care unit with video conferencing features helps to prepare you to handle the most critical situations—you’ll experience real-life hospital emergencies in these simulation suites without the pressure of having a professor over your shoulder. You’ll be prepared for an emergency situation before you ever touch a real patient.
Why Should You Major in Respiratory Therapy at NSU?
An In-Demand Health Care Field with Multiple Options
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, careers in respiratory care are expected to grow at a much faster rate than the average for all occupations, due to an aging population. With your respiratory therapist degree, you can care for patients of different ages and clinical conditions. Your options for practice range from neonates to geriatrics, hospitals to community centers and research to education.
The average annual salary for respiratory therapists in May 2019 was $61,330. *
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
You’ll find alumni of NSU’s respiratory therapy program at health care facilities like Holtz Children's Hospital and Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital. *
*Data provided by NSU’s Office of Career Development.
The World Needs More RTs
Aging populations, greater access to health insurance, advancements in pharmaceuticals and diagnostics, and respiratory illnesses, like COVID-19 — all of these factors are creating an enormous demand for respiratory therapists.
Lori Tinkler, National Board for Respiratory Care CEO
During your undergraduate studies, you’ll have a number of hands-on opportunities to gain real world experience in clinical rotations and in NSU’s simulation suites.
Additionally, NSU’s Clinic Exploration Program (CEP) offers students the opportunity to shadow medical professionals on the job in many of NSU’s medical and health clinics. Program participants gain a broad perspective that shows how various medical fields work together and a practical, up-close review of several medical career options.
All undergraduate students may take part in CEP, no matter what major they pursue. Each rotation lasts two hours per week, for three weeks. Because this is a volunteer program, member commitments are flexible and voluntary.
Who Can Participate
Any NSU undergraduate student in good standing who wants to participate in CEP must:
- have a 2.5 GPA or higher
- be registered for classes
- complete OSHA and HIPAA trainings
- be curious about various health professions
- conform to scheduled assignments, dress codes, and other professional responsibilities
How to Enroll
- complete the Clinic Exploration Program Application
- schedule and complete OSHA blood-borne pathogen safety training
- take HIPAA Privacy and Security training
- turn in completed application to program coordinator in Parker building, suite 367
- Students are offered the opportunity to participate in CEP each semester. Registration for the program is open during the previous semester.
Participating Clinics
- Athletic Training
- Audiology
- Dentistry
- Internal Medicine
- Optometry
- Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine
- Pediatrics
Your NSU professors are dedicated to ensuring that you have a great academic experience. They regularly review the curriculum to make updates that give you an edge in today’s ever-changing world. As an NSU Respiratory Therapy major, some courses that you could take include Mechanical Ventilation, Pulmonary Disease, Cardiopulmonary Diagnostics and PFT, Neonatal/Pediatric Respiratory Care and Alternate Respiratory Disciplines.
