The Respiratory Therapy program at YTI Career Institute (YTI) is currently offered with all didactic (lecture) instruction online and with clinical rotations at approved sites. The program contains 120 quarter credit hours and can be completed in 20 months. Graduates earn an Associate in Specialized Technology degree and will also receive prep for the National Board for Respiratory Care exam.

The Respiratory Therapy program in Altoona, Pennsylvania has earned Continuing Accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC). It is also recognized by the National Board of Respiratory Care (NBRC) and graduates are eligible to sit for the Respiratory Care Credentialing Examination(s).

While enrolled in the Respiratory Therapy programs, students will learn skills like:

• Blood gas analysis
• Patient assessment
• Newborn and pediatric care
• Oxygen therapy delivery
• Smoking cessation
• Airway management
• Asthma management

Also within the program, students may take classes such as:

• Medical Terminology
• Computers in Healthcare
• Respiratory Therapy Fundamentals
• Cardiopulmonary Pharmacology
• Dynamics of Medical Ventilation
• Medical Law and Ethics
• Pulmonary Rehab and Home Health Care
• Essentials of Anatomy and Physiology
• Applied Respiratory Sciences

Students in this program will also use tools such as a stethoscope, nebulizer, endotracheal tube, and stylette. Students will learn the correct ways to use these tools, the situations in which to use them in, and more.

To learn more about the Respiratory Therapy program, visit the program description page or listen to a podcast with Carl Keyon, the program director, and Jim Bologa, the president and CEO of YTI. If you're ready to get started, go to the online application portal to enroll.