Public is Invited to Information Sessions This Fall
Connecticut State Community College (CT State) joins health care partners across the state and nationally in celebrating National Respiratory Care Week Oct. 19-25, recognizing the work of respiratory therapists and providing information on educational pathways for this growing health care field.
CT State Manchester, Naugatuck Valley, and Norwalk offer an accredited respiratory care program where students learn to evaluate, treat, and care for patients with lung and breathing disorders using advanced technology. They manage ventilators for patients who can’t breathe independently and respond to respiratory and cardiac emergencies in patient care areas, intensive care units, and emergency departments.
Working in this field is a calling that requires compassion, expertise, and a deep commitment to patient care.
Through CT State’s associate degree program, students gain hands-on education in diverse settings, including human patient simulation, adult and neonatal/pediatric critical care, emergency care, long-term care, pulmonary rehabilitation, and diagnostic services.
Demand in Connecticut for respiratory therapists is strong and expected to grow much faster than average over the next decade due to an aging population and increasing rates of chronic respiratory conditions, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Average annual starting salaries for respiratory therapists in Connecticut is approximately $80,000.
To help prospective students learn more about this high-demand field, CT State will host information sessions this fall.
• CT State Manchester:
Nov. 12, 2-3 p.m.
Dec. 9, 11 a.m.-12 p.m.
• CT State Naugatuck Valley (Waterbury):
Oct. 28, 4-5 p.m., Founders Hall, Room F 349
Nov. 18, 4 - 5 p.m., Founders Hall, Room F 349
• CT State Norwalk:
Nov. 7, 10-10:30 a.m. (virtually, through Microsoft Teams)
The respiratory care program meets state of Connecticut education requirements for a Respiratory Care Practitioner license and is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care. Students who successfully complete the program are eligible to take the national credentialing examinations offered by the National Board for Respiratory Care.
There are prerequisites to apply to this selective admissions program, which can be taken at many CT State campuses. The respiratory care application is currently available, with a priority application deadline of May 1.
For more on the program and information sessions, visit ctstate.edu/academics/programs/respiratory-care, or contact a program coordinator:
Manchester: Nancy LaRoche-Shovak - nancy.larocheshovak@ctstate.edu
Naugatuck Valley: Betty Joseph-Jerome - betty.josephjerome@ctstate.edu
Norwalk: Tracy Walker - tracy.walker@ctstate.edu
