Respiratory Therapist

Description

The Respiratory Therapist program teaches how to assess and treat patients, monitor and evaluate cardiopulmonary function, perform diagnostic testing, and maintain life-support systems for patients in critical care settings.

Degrees & Certificates

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Due to limited seating, the Respiratory Therapist program requires you to complete a screening process before registering for classes in the program. Learn more about the screening criteria and deadlines from Coordinated Program Entry.

Top Respiratory Therapist Jobs

Note: Some jobs require education or training beyond the CNM degree/certificate.

Program Information

Respiratory Therapists are allied health professionals specializing in diagnostic testing, therapeutic treatment, and critical care support for patients with life-threatening or chronic cardiopulmonary diseases. Under medical direction, Respiratory Therapists assess and treat patients, monitor and evaluate cardiopulmonary function, perform diagnostic testing, and maintain life-support systems for patients in critical care settings.

The curriculum includes classroom, laboratory, and supervised clinical instruction covering cardiopulmonary anatomy, physiology and pathophysiology, therapeutic treatments, cardiopulmonary diagnostic technology, critical care and life-support technology for adults, children and infants, respiratory home care, and pulmonary rehabilitation.

Respiratory Therapist Program Overview 

Related Information

Accreditation 

The CNM Respiratory Therapist Program, CoARC program number 200345, Respiratory Therapy, Associate of Applied Science in Albuquerque, NM is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC). CoARC accredits respiratory therapist 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.

View Programmatic Outcomes Data provided CoARC.

The School of Health, Wellness & Public Safety 

The School of Health, Wellness & Public Safety (HWPS) provides both entry and advanced-level training and skills upgrading in a variety of healthcare, wellness, public safety, and community service fields. Learn more about HWPS and the programs we offer at CNM. 

Academic Links

A Promising Career

Image of Brandon Casey

Brandon Casey used what he learned in CNM's Respiratory Therapist program to provide critical care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Learn more about his rewarding career in healthcare and how his time at CNM inspired him to grow.

Why Become a Respiratory Therapist? 

There has never been a better time to enter the healthcare field. Learn more about the benefits of becoming a Respiratory Therapist by watching the video below.