Respiratory therapists serve an immensely important role within the allied healthcare framework. We cannot live without breathing, so respiratory therapy is a truly life-saving profession.
In addition to pursuing a noble profession, you may be seeking the kind of financial stability that a career in allied healthcare can provide. You have undoubtedly worked hard in pursuit of a degree in respiratory care, and you deserve the reward of a fulfilling, well-paying career.
As an attorney-advisor who helps students overcome various issues during their schooling and professional training, Joseph D. Lento knows that respiratory therapy students are vulnerable to academic hardship, allegations of misconduct, and other challenges that could compromise their degree and career. If you find yourself facing any student issues, hire the Lento Law Firm to resolve the matter quickly and effectively.
The Value and Importance of a Respiratory Therapy Degree
You may have chosen to pursue a respiratory therapy degree (and career) because of this pursuit:
- Allows you to provide life-saving care without incurring the debt associated with the medical school tract
- Potentially allows you to earn a six-figure annual salary
- Provides a stimulating, fulfilling career
- Enhances your professional and financial security
Respiratory therapists occupy an essential niche within the broader healthcare system. Mayo Clinic explains that respiratory therapists help a range of patients, from newborns to the elderly, breathe and sustain life.
Our firm is proud to help students like you work towards their goals in the field of respiratory therapy. The road to professional success may become precarious, and you can rely on the Lento Law Firm during these challenging times.
What You'll Need to Become a Licensed Respiratory Therapist
The requirements you will need to practice respiratory therapy depend on the role you want to occupy in the allied health field. The American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC) explains that, in order to become a practicing respiratory therapist, you will need:
- An associate degree at the very least, and a Bachelor's or Master's degree to practice certain types of respiratory therapy
- To graduate from an institution accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC)
- To successfully complete the Therapist Multiple Choice (TMC) Examination
Your score on the TMC Exam could affect your opportunities as a respiratory therapist. If you earn a "low-cut" score, as the AARC explains, you'll be eligible for a Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT) credential. If you earn a "high-cut" score, you can earn the same credential and be eligible for a Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) credential, so long as you pass the Clinical Simulation Exam (CSE).
An RRT credential may open many professional doors that a CRT credential does not. If you are having any issues related to the TMC or CSE examinations, we can assist you.
For now, you may be working towards your degree and may have yet to take the TMC or CSE exam. Even at this stage, there are many issues that could stand in the way of a future in respiratory therapy.
What Happens if Student Issues Prevent You from Graduating or Mar Your Academic Record?
The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported median pay of more than $61,000 for respiratory therapists in 2021. This is only the middle of the salary range, meaning that a respiratory therapist can earn significantly more than this. This income is just one of the benefits that you may lose if you fail to graduate or graduate with demerits that affect your accreditation.
If you are unable to resolve your student issue, you may:
- Have to abandon your aspirations of becoming a respiratory therapist
- Have to settle for a lower-paying and less fulfilling career path
- Suffer psychological, emotional, and personal issues because of the stress and shame of losing your desired career in respiratory therapy
These are not exaggerated consequences. Every difficult situation in life can spark a domino effect of unwanted consequences, and losing your potential career in respiratory therapy is no different.
Potential Challenges to Getting Your Respiratory Therapist Certification
Even getting an Associate of Science in Respiratory Therapy requires discipline, academic intensity, time management, and a strong knowledge of academic and professional concepts. To get this degree at Keiser University, a student has to complete 76 credit hours with a "C" or higher in each course. These are not easy courses either, with Pediatric and Neonatal Respiratory Therapy, Pharmacology for Respiratory Care, and Respiratory Therapy Management among the required courses.
As you progress further beyond an associate degree, the challenges may become more daunting. In addition to academic rigor, you may also face:
- Financial stress as you split your time between working and getting a degree
- Personal problems that affect your ability to focus on academics
- Difficulties caused by learning disabilities
- False allegations of misconduct
- Other challenges that impeded your academic success
Life can get in the way of you earning your degree, but problems do not have to be the end of your dreams. Our team will work to help you overcome any degree- or career-threatening challenges you encounter.
Academic Standards
All accredited respiratory therapy programs have academic standards. At the University of Hartford (p.15), students pursuing a degree in respiratory therapy must earn a C+ or better in Respiratory Care Professional (RCP) courses and maintain an overall GPA of 2.7 or better. Your program may have similar requirements.
Your school may also hold you responsible for any academic misconduct a professor, administrator, or fellow student accuses you of, though you deserve due process for any such allegations.
Academic Misconduct
Most schools, regardless of the specific program you are enrolled in, forbid academic misconduct including:
- Plagiarism or falsification of data
- Enabling another student to cheat
- Using unauthorized aids during examinations
- Using the internet in a prohibited manner
- Obtaining an unauthorized copy of a test or assignment
- Any other activity that gives you or another student an unfair academic advantage
Each program may have a unique protocol for handling allegations of academic misconduct. At Salt Lake Community College, those pursuing an associate degree in Respiratory Therapy may face "immediate dismissal from the program" (p.41) for a credible allegation of academic misconduct.
Before a respiratory therapy program takes punitive action, it must generally allow you the opportunity to:
- Accept or reject proposed sanctions
- Address the allegation(s) against you, perhaps in a hearing-style format
- Present any evidence and testimony that suggests your innocence
- Appeal sanctions
Our firm can take an additional step, meeting with your school's Office of General Counsel (OGC), which is the university's attorneys. Even if you have already faced sanctions from your program, the OGC may have the authority to resolve your issue in a more favorable manner.
Behavioral and Professionalism Standards
Respiratory therapists may not receive a medical degree, but they play a pivotal role in the medical ecosystem. Institutions that issue associate, Bachelor's, and Master's degrees to respiratory therapy students will vet them for professional and behavioral red flags.
If you violate your program's standards for professionalism and behavior, you could face suspension, dismissal, and other harmful consequences. Students who seek a Respiratory Therapy degree from Bellarmine University, for example, must:
- Engage in "professional" communication with patients
- Engage in "safe, ethical, and legal" in all activities specific to their Respiratory Therapy degree
- Use "universal precautions" to ensure the safety of patients
- Treat patients "in a manner that is appropriate to the patient's status and desired goals."
In addition to these treatment-specific requirements, any student pursuing a degree in Respiratory Therapy may need to abide by other, more general guidelines.
Behavioral and Professional Misconduct
A university may sanction you for violating its behavioral and professional standards. These standards should reflect the American Physical Therapy Association's (APTA) Code of Ethics for Physical Therapists, though some rules may fall outside the scope of this Code of Ethics.
You may face probation, suspension, dismissal, or other consequences if you're accused of:
- Being intoxicated or under the influence of drugs
- Possessing illicit drugs
- Being disrespectful toward professors, fellow students, or others associated with your respiratory therapy program
- Perpetrating physical violence toward others
- Violating accepted standards of patient care and professionalism
- Engaging in any other behavior that violates your program's behavioral policies
Your educational institution must grant you due process, regardless of the allegations levied against you. You may have the right to confront an accuser, present exculpatory evidence, file an appeal, and take other steps in your own defense.
Each school has unique policies and procedures. Our firm will quickly identify how your school adjudicates alleged misconduct. We'll develop your defense and fight to protect you from any pending sanctions you face.
Title IX and Non-Title IX Sexual Misconduct
Allegations of sexual misconduct are a threat to all university students' success. Federal Title IX regulations provide a universal framework for adjudicating allegations of sexual misconduct, gender-based discrimination, and other offenses governed by Title IX.
Any alleged sexual offense may lead to a Title IX investigation. At the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW) (p.19), respiratory therapy students may face a Title IX complaint if they're accused of:
- Unwelcome sexual advances
- Requests for sexual acts
- "Other verbal, nonverbal, or physical conduct of a sexual nature"
The Director of Title IX at UNCW processes all complaints regarding alleged sexual misconduct. Any school that receives federal funding must abide by Title IX. If you face any allegation of sexual misconduct while pursuing your Respiratory Therapy degree, your institution's Office of Title IX may:
- Investigate the complaint against you
- Require that you undergo an interview as part of the investigation
- Conduct a hearing
- Issue formal sanctions against you for an alleged act of sexual misconduct
Attorney-advisor Joseph Lento can accompany you to interviews, hearings, and other stages of the Title IX process. We can also promptly file and complete your appeal if your case proceeds to the appeals stage.
Progression Issues
Failure to progress academically can spell the end of your goals in respiratory therapy. Different programs have unique requirements for students to move further towards their degree, but at the very minimum, you'll likely need to:
- Maintain a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.0 or greater
- Complete the minimum course load per semester
- Display proficiency in respiratory therapy concepts and practices
As you progress into more rigorous degree tracts, the academic requirements may become stricter. At the University of Texas Health - San Antonio, for example, students seeking a Master of Science in Respiratory Care must:
- Earn a grade of 75% or better in all Respiratory Care courses
- Maintain an overall GPA of 3.0 or better
- Complete all university-wide graduation requirements
Academic struggles can expose you to formal sanctions, but an attorney-advisor may take preventative measures. A grade change, hardship waiver, leave of absence, or other solution could protect you and your transcript.
Hire an Attorney-Advisor to Help You Overcome Respiratory Therapist Student Issues
Regardless of where you currently stand with respect to your career in respiratory therapy, you likely face rigorous academic and personal demands. If you face potential academic progression issues, allegations of misconduct, or another student issue, you may have little time to spend seeking a resolution.
Attorney-advisor Joseph D. Lento has helped many health students move past issues as a student and proceed to successful careers in allied health. Lento and his team can:
- Guide you through your school's framework for resolving your particular student issue
- Protect your rights during interviews, hearings, appeals, and other steps in your case
- Negotiate with your program's Office of General Counsel (OGC) in pursuit of an immediate and final resolution
- Advise you throughout your case
You have invested far too much in your education to let a student issue dash your ambitions in respiratory therapy. It is never too early or too late in the process to let an attorney-advisor fight for you.
Call the Lento Law Firm today at 888-535-3686 or submit your case information online. Once we complete your consultation, we'll seek a resolution to your respiratory therapy student issue.
