Clinical Compliance for Respiratory Therapy Programs

Respiratory therapy students rotate through clinical sites that each need a current affiliation agreement, and they work close to the procedures that create the most airborne exposure. That makes immunizations, TB screening and N95 fit testing central to getting a cohort cleared.

Respiratory Therapy programs are accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC). Your clinical sites and affiliation agreements decide the exact list, so treat this as a starting point, not a substitute for your own standards.

What respiratory therapy students usually need before clinical rotations

Immunizations. CDC recommends hepatitis B, MMR, varicella, Tdap and annual influenza vaccination for healthcare personnel, proven by records or titers. (source) See titer testing explained.
TB screening. CDC recommends baseline screening for all healthcare personnel and no routine annual testing without an exposure, but many clinical sites still set their own schedule. (source) See TB testing requirements.
CPR / BLS certification, tracked to its expiration so a lapse is caught before a rotation, not during it.
Background check, often with healthcare sanctions screening for hospital placements. See student background checks.
Drug screen, usually a 10-panel urine screen (ours includes oxycodone) before the first placement.
N95 fit testing where a site requires respirators. Students aren't employees under OSHA, so the requirement comes from the site; when it applies, OSHA's standard calls for a fit test before first use and at least annually. (source) See N95 fit testing.

What's specific to Respiratory Therapy programs

Immunization policy based on CDC. CoARC's standards list program policies on immunization of students based on current CDC recommendations as evidence of compliance, and the 2027 standards require documentation of immunizations, screenings and health clearances consistent with clinical affiliate requirements. (source)
TB screening. CDC's 2019 update names respiratory therapists as a group facilities might consider for serial TB screening, even though routine annual testing is no longer recommended for most healthcare personnel. (source)
N95 respirators. CDC's TB guidelines link healthcare-associated transmission to procedures such as intubation, suctioning, sputum induction and aerosol treatments, and call for at least N95 respirators in airborne infection isolation rooms. A respirator only protects if it has been fit tested. (source)

CoARC reported 437 accredited entry-level respiratory care programs and satellites as of December 31, 2024. (source)

How Drug Free Schools handles it

One portal, your requirement list. Set how each item renews: flu by season, CPR through the end of the printed month, Tdap every ten years. Add another way to meet a requirement, or a declination pathway.
Every upload reviewed within 24 hours. If something is wrong, the student sees the exact reason and what to upload instead.
Upload guides for every requirement: an example of the right document, the common reasons for rejection, and a blank form to download.
Deadlines and reminders by email and text, and a dashboard that shows anyone not cleared for an upcoming rotation.
Clinical sites built in. Track affiliation agreements, assign students to rotations, log clinical hours, and block anyone who isn't cleared from being placed. Send a site exactly the records it needs through a secure link with an access code that expires in 30 days.

For respiratory therapy: Set N95 fit testing to renew annually, and let each clinical site see exactly the records it asks for through a secure link.

$30

per student portal, one time for the whole program. Free staff accounts.

From $25

per student for on-campus drug screening (by cohort size); $25 in-house kits for small groups

$40–$55

10-panel, 11-panel with alcohol or 12-panel at Quest locations nationwide

$35/$70

background checks; N95 fit testing on campus $25–$35

Family owned since 1995 in Memphis, with support 7 days a week by phone, text or email for students and school staff.

Want your own demo portal? We’ll email you a login.

Set up in about 5 minutes with your program’s requirements. No meeting needed.

Support 7 days a week by phone, text or email, for students and school staff: call or text (901) 517-7450 · josh.smith@drugfreeschools.net

See the director dashboard (3:06)

Recorded in the live portal: the rotation check dashboard, document review, requirement rules, clinical sites and rotations, and secure links for sending records to a site.

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Frequently asked questions

What do respiratory therapy students need before clinical rotations?

Most sites ask for the immunizations CDC recommends for healthcare personnel (hepatitis B, MMR, varicella, Tdap and annual flu), TB screening, CPR, a background check and a drug screen, plus N95 fit testing where respirators are used. Respiratory Therapy programs also document the items their accreditor names; the exact list comes from your clinical sites and affiliation agreements.

Do respiratory therapy students need an N95 fit test every year?

Students aren't employees, so the requirement comes from your clinical sites. When a site requires it, OSHA's respirator standard calls for a fit test before first use and at least annually after that. We run fit testing on campus for $25 to $35 per student.

How much does the compliance portal cost?

$30 per student, one time for the whole program, not a yearly fee. Administrator and faculty accounts are free, and the school can pay instead of the student.

Can one portal cover all of our health science programs?

Yes. Each program gets its own requirement list and renewal rules, while the school has one portal and one support line, 7 days a week by phone, text or email, for students and school staff.

Sources

This page summarizes public accreditor, CDC and OSHA documents as of September 2026. Requirements vary by school, clinical site and state; confirm against your current standards and affiliation agreements. Quest Diagnostics is a trademark of its owner.