Broward College Respiratory Program Receives Distinguished RRT Credentialing Success Award

Broward College Respiratory Program Receives Distinguished RRT Credentialing Success Award for Third Straight Year

Coconut Creek, FL (Wednesday, July 20, 2016) – The Broward College Respiratory Care Program was recently awarded the Distinguished RRT Credentialing Success Award by the Commission on Accreditation (CoARC) for Respiratory Care. The program was recognized for the 100 percent pass rate received by its 2015 graduates in the therapist multiple choice respiratory therapist and the clinical simulation examinations. The national pass rate for new candidates taking the therapist multiple choice exam is 77 percent and 60 percent for the clinical simulation examination.

The CoARC board requires potential award recipients to have three or more years of outcomes data, hold accreditation without a progress report, documentation of RRT credentialing success of 90 percent or above, and meet or exceed the established thresholds for CRT credentialing success, attrition and positive job placement. The College has received recognition for its students’ outstanding performance for three consecutive years, from 2014 to 2016, and has received the award a total of four times.

“We are proud to have been presented with this award for the third consecutive time,” said Lloyd Holness, associate dean for the respiratory care program, said. “This recognition is a testament to the faculty who do everything to prepare the students for this very rigorous program.”

The therapist multiple-choice examination consists of 160 multiple-choice questions. The three major areas of testing include patient data evaluation and recommendations, troubleshooting with quality control of equipment and infection control and initiation and modification of interventions. Kettering National Seminars come in to review for the national exam with students. The use of the state-of-the-art Health Sciences Simulation Center has also played a role in student success rates.

Students who pass the exam qualify to take the clinical simulation examination, which tests their knowledge attained in a clinical setting with patient scenarios indicative of what they would potentially encounter. 

“We have a really motivated group of students who work hard,” said Yvonne Simone, program manager. “When combined with faculty who are very dedicated and spend a lot of time one-on-one with their students, the results speak for themselves. Many of the managers around the hospitals in the area have graduates from Broward College running the departments.” Simone accepted the award on behalf of the College at the American Association for Respiratory Care Summer Forum in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.

The Broward College Associate of Science in Respiratory Care program is a two-year degree which accommodates thirty students annually. The curriculum has been widely regarded throughout the local health care community, and boasts more than 40 years of proven success. Students from the program have graduated and sought careers at institutions such as Memorial Healthcare System, Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital and Broward Health.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor predicts a 12 percent growth for respiratory therapists by 2024, equating to 14,900 jobs. The average starting salary is more than $43,000. More than 90 percent of the students are hired after graduation from the College program.

For information about the Respiratory Care program offered at Broward College, visit the program’s website (www.broward.edu/academics/programs/respiratory) or call 954-201-2148.