BACCALAUREATE DEGREE IN RESPIRATORY THERAPY

Click here for a Respiratory Therapy Brochure.

OCCUPATIONAL DESCRIPTION
Respiratory Therapists help diagnose, treat, rehabilitate, and educate to prevent and manage cardiopulmonary diseases. Procedures performed by therapists include: environmental control, drug therapy, bronchopulmonary clearance techniques, and administration of medical gases. Practitioners also provide ventilator support, pulmonary rehabilitation, and CPR. They are skilled in airway maintanence, procurement and analysis of arterial blood gas samples and in the performance of pulmonary function tests.

Respiratory Therapists work primarily in hospitals caring for patients in nurseries, medical and surgical units, adult and pediatric intensive care units, and emergency rooms. Employment opportunities also are available in nursing homes and rehabilitation hospitals, in organizations providing home care, physicians' offices and clinics, and in commercial organizations that manufacture and distribute medical supplies.

AN OVERVIEW OF THE BALL STATE UNIVERSITY PROGRAM
This baccalaureate degree program prepares students for careers in Respiratory Therapy. The Ball State University program is offered in cooperation with Clarian Health in Indianapolis. The program is divided into two components. The first (General Studies) component is completed on the Ball State campus in Muncie, Indiana. The second (Professional Studies) component is offered in Indianapolis at Methodist Hospital with clinical sites throughout Central Indiana.

CLARIAN HEALTH AND AFFILIATED UNIVERSITIES RESPIRATORY THERAPY PROGRAM ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
The following essential functions are required of all students enrolled in the Respiratory Therapy Program.  Respiratory Therapists are responsible for the care of patients, some of whom are critically ill.  They are often required to manage highly complex pieces of equipment, as well as interact with patients in order to make therapeutic assessments.  Respiratory Therapists must also be able to communicate with other health care professionals.  Therefore, in order to be successful in the Respiratory Therapy Program, all applicants should be able to perform, or learn to perform, the following essential functions:

1. Spend much of the day traveling between patient rooms, various patient care areas, and the Respiratory Care Department.
2. Move and position bedridden patients.
3. Perform physically demanding procedures such as chest physiotherapy and chest compression.
4. Communicate effectively with patients and staff.
5. Possess sufficient auditory perception in order to hear normal levels of speech of patients and staff, assess patient care needs by the use of devices such as a stethoscope, and respond to alarms.
6. Possess sufficient visual acuity so as to accurately measure medications, read patient records, evaluate information displayed on patient monitors, and make observations of patients as required for Respiratory Therapy.
7. Manipulate small pieces of equipment and perform complex skills such as arterial puncture and endotracheal intubation.
8. Apply sufficient intellectual and emotional skills in order to plan and exercise independent judgment for patient care, and to respond quickly to medical emergencies.

The program reserves the right to require applicants or students to demonstrate the ability to perform any of these essential functions.  Applicants who believe that they may need special accommodation in order to perform one or more of these functions must contact the appropriate office listed below for assessment:

Ball State University: Office of Disabled Student Development, (765) 285-5293

IUPUI:  Adaptive Educational Services, (317) 274-3241

University of Indianapolis:  Vice President for Student Affairs, (317) 788-3297

PROGRAM ADMISSION, APPLICATION PROCESS, AND ACCEPTANCE
Students may enter the General Studies portion of the program upon admission to the university; however, admission to the university does not guarantee acceptance to the Professional Studies phase of the program. Students may apply for admission to the Professional Studies portion of the program when the following requirements are met:

• 28 hours of required courses are completed
• 10 of these completed hours are in required math/science courses
• "C" or better in required math/science courses
• 2.5 overall GPA
• completion and documentation of at least three hours of clinical observation

Applications may be obtained in the Department of Physiology and Health Science office in CL 325. Complete this application, attach a copy of your Ball State University DAPR (Degree Audit Progress Report), and copies of transcripts from any other colleges and universities (other than BSU) you have attended. The application deadline is January 1 of each year. Upon receiving your application, personnel from the Department will request a copy of your transcript and forward the application to the Respiratory Therapy Program Director. Applicants will be contacted to schedule a required meeting with the Program Director in Indianapolis. Because of the limited number of clinical positions available, it may be the case that not all of the students meeting the minimum admission requirements will be admitted to the Professional Studies portion of the program.

SELECTION
Qualified applicants will be ranked based on their cumulative GPA. ALL undergraduate college credit attempted will be included in the computation of the GPA, including all attempted transfer hours.

GENERAL STUDIES
The General Studies component includes 67 semester hours taken at Ball State University in Muncie, Ind. This phase of the program may be started during any semester; however, some courses are offered only during certain semesters each year. All required courses must be taken for credit on a letter-grade basis.

Fine Arts or Social/Behavioral Science elective (3)

PROFESSIONAL STUDIES
The clinical phase of the program, which includes 70 semester hours, begins at Clarian Health in Indianapolis each August and runs five semesters. Students attend courses taught in classrooms and laboratories at Methodist Hospital. Extensive clinical experience is obtained at hospitals and healthcare facilities throughout central Indiana. If, due to remedial courses, major change, etc., a student is unable to complete the General Studies component by the time the Professional Studies courses begin, it will be necessary to reapply the following year.

For more information about the Baccalaureate Degree in Respiratory Therapy, contact undergraduate departmental advisor Terrie Greenwalt at (765) 285-8368.