Respiratory Therapy

Respiratory Therapy is a specialized area of healthcare that focuses on the assessment, management, and treatment of patients with cardiopulmonary disorders. It involves a range of therapeutic and diagnostic services which are essential for both in-patient and out-patient settings.

Respiratory Therapists are highly trained healthcare professionals who:

  1.  Assess patients with breathing or cardiopulmonary disorders, ranging from premature infants with underdeveloped lungs to elderly individuals with lung diseases.
  2. Develop and Implement Treatment Plans: This can include therapies like aerosol medications, chest physiotherapy, and mechanical ventilation.
  3. Operate and Maintain Equipment: RTs are proficient with a variety of tools such as ventilators, therapeutic gas administration apparatus, and aerosol generators.
  4. Provide Emergency Care: They are vital team members in critical care settings, emergency rooms, and during patient transport to manage life-support activities.
  5. Education and Counseling: RTs often educate patients and their families about treatments, helping them manage their respiratory illnesses at home.

With the escalating prevalence of chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and interstitial lung diseases, the role of the respiratory therapist is more crucial than ever. Their expertise is also pivotal in acute settings, especially given the recent global challenges with respiratory illnesses.

About the Program

The Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) in Respiratory Therapy is designed to prepare graduates with demonstrated competence in cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains of respiratory care practice as performed by registered respiratory therapists (RRTs). To prepare leaders for the field of respiratory care by including curricular content with objectives related to the acquisition of skills in one or more of the following: management, education, research, and advanced clinical practice (which may include an area of clinical specialization). The program combines a rigorous academic curriculum with hands-on clinical training to ensure students develop both theoretical knowledge and practical skills in respiratory therapy. Instruction occurs at the CBC Health Science Center in Richland, WA, as well as in partnering clinical facilities across the region.

Students receive instruction in cardiopulmonary anatomy and physiology, respiratory assessment, ventilator management, pulmonary diagnostic, pharmacology, and patient education. Graduates of the program will be eligible to sit for the national credentialing examinations offered by the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC).

Columbia Basin College is currently in the process of seeking CoARC accreditation for a respiratory care program. However, Columbia Basin College can provide no assurance that accreditation will be granted by CoARC.

Information Sessions

Students should attend at least one Respiratory Therapy Information Session prior to meeting with a completion coach. At these sessions, you will have the opportunity to meet with the  program director and CBC's completion coaches. Information is provided about required prerequisites, the application process and how to progress through the program curriculum. 

Visit the CBC Information Sessions webpage to find the next available session.

Information sessions are open to anyone interested in a CBC Health Sciences program.


Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care

www.coarc.com

 

Application Process

Columbia Basin College is approved by the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC) and our regional accreditor, the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU), to offer a Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) in Respiratory Therapy.

We are currently pursuing programmatic accreditation through the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC), with approval anticipated in Fall 2026. (pending accreditation approval)

The application for program admission is now open for classes starting in the fall working towards the degree. The last day to submit an application is May 10, 2026.

Interested students are encouraged to review the program prerequisites listed in the College Catalog and meet with a Completion Coach to begin planning their application.

 

Cumulative Grade Point

The cumulative grade point of the following courses will be calculated for the Admission Index Score. 

  • BIOL& 241/241L (Anatomy & Physiology I)
  • BIOL& 242/242L (Anatomy & Physiology II)
  • BIOL& 260
  • MATH& 146
  • CHEM& 122
  • ENGL& 101, 102, or 235 (English)

    The cumulative GPA (from a total possible cumulative score of 4.0) will be multiplied by a factor of 2.5 for 10 total possible points.

    Letter grades (including those received from transferring colleges or universities) will be assigned the following decimal scores according to our campus policy:
    A = 4.0, A- = 3.7, B+ = 3.3, B = 3.0, B- + 2.7, C+ = 2.3, C = 2.0, C- + 1.7, D+ =1.3, D= 1.0,     D-= 0.7

Program Prerequisites

It is strongly encouraged to complete the prerequisite courses before applying to the program. Each prerequisite course must be completed with a grade of 2.0 or better. 

• Introduction to Stats, MATH& 146

• Human A&P 1, BIOL& 241
• Human A&P 2, BIOL& 242

• Intro to Chemistry w/Lab, CHEM&121
• Intro to Organic Chemistry w/Lab, CHEM& 122

• English Composition - ENGL& 101 or ENGL& 102 or Technical Writing, ENGL& 235

• Psychology - General Psychology PSYC& 100 or   Lifespan Psychology, PSYC& 200

• Microbiology w/Lab, BIOL& 260

• Communication Studies - CMST& 101 or 210 or 220, or CMST 260 (5 credits)

• Medical Terminology, HSCI 147 (5 credits)

Obtaining a 2.0 GPA is required for major courses, major support courses and general education requirements. 

Prerequisite Course Completion Score

The following points can be awarded for the following prerequisites: 

Course Number        Points
BIOL& 241                      5
BIOL& 242                      5
BIOL& 160                      5
CHEM& 121                    5
CHEM& 122                    5
PSYC& 100 or 200         3
HSCI 147                         3
ENGL& 101,102,235      3
MATH& 146                    3

Points will also be awarded according to the GPA earned.

Biology & Chemistry:
4.0 - 3.4  (5 points)
3.3 - 2.7  (4 points)
2.6 - 2.0  (3 points)

General Education:
4.0 - 3.4  (3 points)
3.3 - 2.7  (2 points)
2.6 - 2.0  (1 point)

The prerequisite GPA score will be total earned divided by a factor of 3.7 for a total of 10 possible points.

Program Application

The program application for the Respiratory Therapy program is now available! This process will be for a potential Fall 2026 program start, pending approval from the credentialing body. The last day to submit an application is May 10, 2026.

The application is a fillable PDF. It will need to be downloaded to your device, filled out and saved. Please be sure to sign the required signature pages. The saved version of the application and required documentation will need to be submitted in a PDF via email to healthsciencesFREECOLUMBIA_BASIN.

Applicants are admitted to the program by utilizing an Admission Index Score. The Admission Index Score includes completion of the required prerequisites and a decimal grade of 2.0 or better for each prerequisite course. Applicants with the highest index scores will be accepted into the program. Admission into the program is limited and completion of entrance requirements does not ensure admission into the program. The program starts every fall quarter.


Apply Today!

Steps in Application Process

  1. Attend an information session (highly recommended).
  2. Apply for Admission to Columbia Basin College.
  3. Make an appointment with a completion coach to create an education plan to complete the prerequisites so it coincides with your intended application date.
  4. Achieve a grade of 2.0 or better in each prerequisite course.
  5. Request official transcripts from all colleges attended to be sent to CBC Records (your official transcripts will not be evaluated unless there is a current CBC application on file).

Potential Bonus Points

Applicants may earn bonus points toward their Admission Index Score by meeting one or more of the following criteria. 

  1. Completion of the Tri-Tech Skills Center Pre-Physical Therapy program
  2. Employed as a Respiratory Therapy Intern at a sponsoring medical center
  3. Achieving a qualifying ALTA exam score of 8 or greater in:
     - ALTA Exam Reading OR
     - ALTA Exam Speaking & Listening
  4. Holding an earned bachelor’s degree from another institution
  5. Honorable discharge from or currently serving in the U.S. Military

    Maximum of two possible bonus points.

Example Admission Index Score Computation

Example Computation

Element          Raw      Function    Factor   Total
GPA                   4           Multiply       2.5      10.00
Prereq Pts.       7          Divide by      3.7      10.00

Example Student 1
Element            Raw      Function    Factor   Total
GPA                    3.76      Multiply       2.5       9.400
Prereq Pts.        33          Divide by    3.7       8.891
Total Admission Score                                 18.291

Example Student 2
Element            Raw      Function    Factor   Total
GPA                    3.98      Multiply       2.5       9.943
Prereq Pts.        31          Divide by    3.7       8.337
Total Admission Score                                 18.280

Example Student 3
Element            Raw      Function    Factor   Total
GPA                    2.79      Multiply       2.5      6.975 
Prereq Pts.        28          Divide by    3.7       7.567
Total Admission Score                                 14.542

Washington State Credentialing

Education
Applicants must be a graduate of at least a two-year respiratory therapy educational program. Programs must be Accredited by the Committee on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC) or by the American Medical Association’s Committee on Allied Health Education and Accreditation, or its successor, the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP).

Examination
Applicants must successfully complete both the Therapist Multiple-Choice Examination and Clinical Simulation Examination by the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC). An active Registered Respiratory Therapist credential with NBRC is considered proof of meeting the minimum examination requirements.

Washington State Department of Health

National Background Search & Drug Screen Requirements

As part of the admission requirements for Health Science programs, applicants must successfully pass a criminal background check and drug screen prior to working with patients in clinical areas. The background check and drug screen are paid by the student and administered through a third party company, CastleBranch. In addition to the background check required by CBC, each clinical facility reserves the right to conduct its own criminal background check prior to allowing a student to enter its health care facilities for clinical participation.

Certain criminal convictions, pending charges, or negative actions may automatically disqualify a person from having unsupervised access to vulnerable adults, juveniles and children. Clinical facilities reserve the right to accept or decline a student’s placement in its facility

Program Learning Outcomes

Program learning outcomes are the knowledge, skills, and abilities that students will achieve before they graduate. The outcomes below were developed by the faculty in the Respiratory Therapy Program with input from accrediting bodies, advisory committees, employers, etc. This collaboration ensures that the outcomes are relevant for careers that this degree leads to.

Students who graduate with a Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) in Respiratory Therapy will be able to:

1. Clinical Competence: Graduates will demonstrate advanced skills and practices essential to respiratory care, ensuring patient-centered, safe, and effective delivery of respiratory therapy in diverse healthcare settings.

2. Critical Thinking and Problem Solving: Graduates will utilize critical thinking and decision-making skills to accurately assess patients' respiratory care needs, interpret diagnostic results, and develop comprehensive care plans.

3. Interprofessional Collaboration: Graduates will exhibit effective communication and teamwork, working collaboratively within healthcare teams to provide coordinated patient care.

4. Ethical and Professional Conduct: Graduates will adhere to the highest standards of ethical and professional behavior in all aspects of respiratory therapy, ensuring the advocacy of patients' rights and well-being.

5. Evidence-Based Practice: Graduates will incorporate evidence-based practices and proficient data analysis into patient care, emphasizing safety, quality improvement, and ethical standards to ensure optimal patient outcomes in respiratory therapy.

6. Cultural Competence and Patient Advocacy: Graduates will provide culturally responsive care and actively advocate for the needs of diverse patient populations to ensure equitable respiratory care services.

contact

  • Phone:509-547-0511

  • Address:2600 N. 20th Ave., Pasco, WA 99301

Students walking around CBC's Pasco campus