Your High-Impact, High-Demand Respiratory Care Career Starts at MSSU
Everyone has lungs. It’s simple, but it’s exactly why respiratory therapy will always be a high-demand, high-impact field. As interest grows, more students are exploring what a respiratory therapy degree involves and how this major prepares them for meaningful clinical careers.
What is Respiratory Therapy?
Respiratory therapists (RTs) care for patients of all ages experiencing pulmonary complications to aid or maintain their lung function, health, and subsequently, their quality of life. These diseases include asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cystic fibrosis, pneumonia, sleep apnea, and other conditions causing respiratory distress. Respiratory therapists are required to complete an associate or bachelor’s program to practice, including clinical experience.
RTs are essential members of emergency and critical-care teams, working alongside physicians to ensure positive patient health outcomes. The American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC) notes that RTs play a vital role in neonatal care, pulmonary diagnostics, mechanical ventilation, and life-support technologies. In day-to-day care, respiratory therapists can expect to:
- Administer oxygen and manage artificial airway devices
- Analyze biological specimens to determine modes of care
- Diagnose pulmonary complications
- Collaborate with care teams to provide effective therapies
- Educate patients’ loved ones about lung disease to maximize recovery
This broad skillset makes them indispensable across hospitals and other clinical settings. Additionally, respiratory therapists’ diverse skills are essential in tackling healthcare’s most urgent challenges. In fact, the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation cites chronic respiratory disease, namely COPD, as the third leading cause of death globally. This means the need for skilled practitioners is rising every day, with employment for respiratory therapists projected to grow 12% from 2024–2034—much faster than average.
Significant need solidifies respiratory therapy as a career path that offers job security just as much as it does purpose. Not only that, but the field is also financially fulfilling. Overall, the median pay for respiratory therapists with a bachelor’s degree is $80,450 per year, with entry-level salaries for RTs with an associate degree starting at $60,000 annually.
A Program With Real-World Impact: Missouri Southern Respiratory Therapy
Missouri Southern’s Respiratory Therapy program graduates students ready to make a difference with successful careers in this tremendously rewarding field.
MSSU’s Associate of Science in Respiratory Therapy, offered in partnership with Franklin Technology Center, prepares students for national credentialing exams and immediate entry into the workforce. The program combines rigorous science coursework with extensive clinical training. Students in the program learn to perform advanced respiratory care procedures, assess and monitor acute and chronic respiratory conditions, communicate effectively with patients and healthcare teams, apply critical thinking in fast-paced medical environments, and uphold ethical and professional standards in patient care—giving them all the skills necessary to become confident, skilled RTs.
Graduates of MSSU’s Respiratory Care program can continue their higher education with the Baccalaureate Degree in Health Sciences, further advancing their abilities. Earning a bachelor’s degree with a respiratory therapy emphasis broadens professional opportunities and secures higher salaries, opening doors for positions in management and specialized clinical practices.
MSSU’s Clinical Instructor, Meredith Moritz, emphasizes the program’s positive reputation, “We have extremely high expectations of our students, and clinical sites know that. We offer many certifications from neonatal to adult advanced life support before students even graduate.”
The program’s clinical partnerships expose students to hospitals, setting them apart with a broad understanding of patient populations and care settings through immersive learning. Students in MSSU’s respiratory therapy courses practice airway management, ventilator operation, pulmonary diagnostics, and emergency response skills in real-world environments. Respiratory care is a hands-on profession, and these practices ensure MSSU students are prepared long before they enter the field.
Aldridge credits this immersive approach for her own success.
“The program gave me everything I needed to pass all four board exams on the first try and start working immediately, even as a student RT in my final semester.”
MSSU’s Respiratory Therapy program opens doors for students. Graduates of the program pursue careers as:
- Respiratory Therapists
- Pulmonary Function Technologists
- Neonatal/Pediatric RTs
- Critical Care RTs
- Home Care RTs
Respiratory Therapy Program Director, Alyssa Taylor, affirms the program’s excellence.
“The instructors care deeply about the students and the success of their education. Our students have 100% job placement rates as a result. MSSU has several clinical sites throughout the 4-states for our students to experience the job responsibilities at hospitals of all sizes, meaning they are prepared for a variety of healthcare settings.”
Why Respiratory Therapy Matters More Than Ever
Like many clinicians, respiratory therapists support people through some of the most critical and vulnerable moments of their lives.
As MSSU’s Director of Clinical Education, Hannah Aldridge, explains, “We are in every emergent situation that arises, always using our versatile skills. COVID-19 put a spotlight on this career and the necessity of a respiratory therapist. We are always there, helping from the beginning of patients’ lives in delivery to the end of one’s life as we remove a patients’ ventilator—all in one shift. This broad scope is powerful and uniquely ours.”
Take the First Step with MSSU
If you’re passionate about health sciences and strive for a career that blends advanced technology with compassionate patient care, MSSU Respiratory Therapy is the best place to be. Our respiratory care courses give you the training, experience, and support to succeed—and lead—in one of today’s most essential healthcare professions.
Your future in respiratory care starts here. Explore the MSSU Respiratory Therapy program and discover how you can improve patients’ lives every day, one breath at a time. Visit the MSSU Respiratory Care Program page for more information.
