Polk State Respiratory Care application for 2024-2025 open April 1 – May 31

The application for Polk State College’s Respiratory Care Program will be open from April 1 through May 31 for the 2024-2025 Academic Year.

The Associate in Science in Respiratory Care prepares students to become highly skilled respiratory therapists (RT) who work with patients with a variety of heart and/or lung disorders. Graduates of the program are eligible for credentialing by the National Board for Respiratory Care and for licensure in the State of Florida.

Polk State Respiratory Care boasts a 100% pass rate on the entry-level national board exam as well as a 100% employment rate (2019-2021). The program has also received the Distinguished Registered Respiratory Therapist Credentialing Success Award for nine consecutive years, illustrating Polk State’s effectiveness in preparing highly skilled respiratory therapists to meet workforce demands in this critical field predicted to grow 13% (2022-2032), much faster than the average occupation, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

In July 2023, the program was presented with the Distinguished Registered Respiratory Care Credential Award at the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC) Awards Ceremony in Fort Lauderdale. Of the 473 Respiratory Care schools in the U.S., fewer than 80 – less than one in every six – earned that distinction. The award recognizes programs with three or more years of outcome data, hold accreditation without a progress report at the end of the year, have at least a 90% Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) credentialing success rate, and meet or exceed CoARC thresholds for scores and retention.

More information and the online application are available at polk.edu/respiratory-care.