Respiratory Therapy (Associate of Applied Science) - Memphis

Program offered at: Memphis, Tennessee

Respiratory Therapy (Associate of Applied Science) Mission Statement

The purpose of the Respiratory Therapy program is to prepare graduates with demonstrated competence in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains of respiratory care practice as performed by Registered Respiratory Therapists (RRTs). Graduates will earn an Associate of Applied Science degree.

Graduates of this program will be eligible to sit for the new Respiratory Therapy Examination (RTE) administered by the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC), beginning January 2027. The RTE will be taken to achieve both the Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT) and Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) credentials.  Refer to the NBRC website for exam information.  

Achieving the minimum acceptable score on the RTE will allow the candidate to receive the CRT credential. Candidates who meet the RRT-level score on the RTE will be eligible to sit for the Clinical Simulation Examination (CSE) of the NBRC. Successful completion of the RTE at the RRT level and the CSE is required to obtain the RRT credential. In addition, the Texas Medical Board requires successful completion of the jurisprudence exam.

Registration and certification requirements for taking and passing these examinations are not controlled by Concorde, but by outside agencies, and are subject to change by the agency without notice. Therefore, Concorde cannot guarantee that graduates will be eligible to take these exams, at all or at any specific time, regardless of their eligibility status upon enrollment.

Learning Objectives / Instructional Outcomes

The program includes general education courses covering mathematics, written, verbal and nonverbal communications; interpersonal skills; critical thinking; the sciences; and the humanities. Learning objectives include achievement of sufficient theoretical knowledge and practical skills in initiation and conduction of therapeutic procedures, maintenance of patient records, equipment management, patient education, and specializations related to respiratory therapy.

Career Overview

Respiratory Therapists assess, treat, and care for patients with breathing disorders. They assume primary responsibility for all respiratory care modalities, including the supervision of respiratory therapy technicians. Respiratory Therapists initiate and conduct therapeutic procedures; maintain patient records; and select, assemble, check, and operate equipment. They also may serve as asthma educators, patient educators, case managers, Hyperbaric Oxygen Specialists, Extra Corporeal Membrane Oxygenation Specialists and Sleep Specialists. Respiratory Therapists work in hospitals, clinics, skilled nursing facilities, home care, and diagnostic labs. The Respiratory Care Practitioner (RCP) deals with patients of all ages who may be gravely injured or ill. The RCP is among the first on the medical team called to provide treatment in cardiopulmonary emergencies. The RCP also cares for patients in all aspects of their treatment and recovery.