Respiratory Therapy

Program Overview

If you work well under pressure and have a desire to save lives, our three-year Respiratory Therapy program prepares you for work in a hospital or clinical environment. Be ready to assist physicians with the diagnosis, treatment and care of patients with breathing disorders or cardiovascular problems. Respiratory Therapists treat all types of patients, from premature infants with underdeveloped lungs to elderly patients with lung disease. They provide treatment and manage care for patients with chronic asthma or emphysema, as well as emergency care to victims of heart attack, stroke, drowning or shock. As a graduate, you may apply to write the Canadian Board for Respiratory Care (CBRC) national entry to practice examination.

Career Possibilities

As a graduate of this program, you may be employed in hospitals within respiratory therapy departments, pulmonary function labs, the operating room environment, homecare or private sales. Specialty training is possible after graduation in such areas as anesthesia assistance, neonatology and pediatrics, perfusion medicine and cardiopulmonary diagnostics.

Find career possibilities related to this program in Career Coach.

Specific Considerations

The Respiratory Therapy Program is committed to educating Respiratory Therapists who will fulfill the National Alliance of Respiratory Therapy Regulatory Bodies (The Alliance) clinical practice competencies for entry to practice and who will pursue certification by the NB Association of Respiratory Therapists. Those skills, representing the required competencies an entry-level respiratory therapist is expected to be able to perform in the workplace, will provide patient-focused respiratory care while working alongside other health professionals as a member of the integrated health care team.

For information regarding these competencies, please visit the Canadian Society of Respiratory Therapists website under National Competency Framework.

For information regarding relevant accreditation standards, see the Accreditation Canada website. Accreditation Canada is responsible for the accreditation of respiratory therapy schools across Canada and one internationally.

See here for information regarding the Health Professionals Testing Canada Inc.

See here for further information regarding the Respiratory Therapy profession. Details on student memberships and required personal liability insurance for graduates will also be found on this site by clicking on "Membership Information" and "Student Members".

For details on the process of regulation, scope of practice and benefits to the health care system, refer to the "New Brunswick Association of Respiratory Therapists Standards of Practice" and "Bill 51", both documents that can be found on the New Brunswick Association of Respiratory Therapists website. Details on the student license fee will also be found on the NBART (pdf) website.

Prior to the beginning of the applied workplace experience, host facilities throughout the province may require the completion of an Immunization and Medical Form (pdf) as well as proof of valid CPR (Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers) and specific immunizations. It is the student's responsibility to ensure that he or she has met these requirements.

Host agencies require students to provide a current criminal record check and vulnerable sector check from a recognized police service in order to be considered for an applied workplace experience. The workplace experiences begin in the Respiratory Therapy Program in the spring of the first year. Individuals who have been convicted criminally and not pardoned may be prohibited from proceeding to a work placement. It is the student's responsibility to ensure that he or she is eligible to participate.

Mandatory Clearance Requirements

To protect the health and safety of students during their clinical/practicum placements, as well as anyone they may encounter, students will be obligated to complete mandatory clearance requirements as a part of the process of being assigned a placement. There will be a cost associated with completing these requirements, which has been calculated as part of the Material Cost of this program. Students who do not complete the requirements will be unable to attend their clinical/practicum placements, which could impact eligibility for the required courses or industry facility visits needed to complete their program. See Clinical/Practicum Placement Requirements for more details.

Students are responsible for their own transportation to and from the practicum settings. Students must also assume costs of accommodations if part, or all, of the practicum placement is outside their hometown or campus location.

International applicants are not currently eligible for this program.

Technology Requirements
NBCC is a connected learning environment. All programs require a minimum specification, including access to the internet and a laptop. Your computer should meet your program technology requirements to ensure the software required for your program operates effectively. Free wifi is provided on all campuses.

External Certifications

Respiratory Therapy graduates may have an opportunity to acquire the following external certifications upon meeting the external agencies certification requirements and paying any required fees to the external agency:

Institution: New Brunswick Association of Respiratory Therapists
External Certification: Registered Respiratory Therapist
Information: Passing the Health Professionals Testing Canada Inc. examination may permit the student to be licensed and practice in New Brunswick and other jurisdictions in Canada except in those provinces that may require their own provincial examination. Students are responsible to pay for the fee to write the national entry to practice examination.