RCT 101 - Fundamentals of Respiratory Care I

Credits: 4

Fundamentals of Respiratory Care I provides an introduction to respiratory care as a profession, credentialing and licensure. Basic respiratory care procedures, medical terminology, communication, legal and ethical aspects of patient care, patient's rights, vital signs, body mechanics, isolation, disinfection, and sterilization will be presented. The course will also review the production, storage, and safety of medical gases and piping systems. Gas laws and gas physics will be discussed as they relate to respiratory care. Oxygen, hyperbaric, helium-oxygen, and carbon dioxide-oxygen therapies will be presented as well as humidity and aerosolized medication therapies, basic patient assessment, the effects of altitude on patient care and the effects of smoking. (NT)

3 hrs. lecture 3 hrs. lab per week.