RESPIRATORY THERAPY PROGRAM

OVERVIEW

Respiratory Therapy is the allied health profession that cares for patients with deficiencies and abnormalities of the cardiopulmonary system. The respiratory therapist sees a diverse group of patients ranging from newborn and pediatric patients to adults and the elderly. Disease states or conditions often requiring respiratory care include asthma, emphysema, chronic obstructive lung disease, pneumonia, cystic fibrosis, infant respiratory distress syndrome, and conditions brought on by shock, trauma or postoperative surgical complications. In addition to working in hospitals, respiratory therapists have job opportunities in home care, rehabilitation agencies, nursing homes, emergency transport teams, sleep centers, pulmonary function laboratories, outpatient clinics, and physician offices.

Our respiratory therapist program is two years in length and upon completion, awards the Associate of Science degree with a major in Respiratory Therapy. This qualifies the graduate to then challenge the National Board for Respiratory Care’s (NBRC) Entry Level, Written Registry, and Clinical Simulation Examinations to earn the Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT) and Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) credentials.

The field of respiratory therapy provides excellent opportunities for those interested in a dynamic and exciting career in cardiopulmonary sciences.

Program Goals:
To prepare graduates to:

1. Assume professional roles in a variety of healthcare settings by integrating discipline-specific and general education course work.
2. Use clinical decision-making and analytical skills to evaluate the health status of patients.
3. Collaborate with other members of the health care team to improve the quality of health care delivered and services provided for patient care.
4. Adhere to professional, ethical and legal standards.
5. Maintain effective quality assurance, scholarship in clinical practice and lifelong learning.
6. Prepare competent Respiratory Therapists in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains.
7. Consistently demonstrate competence at the level for which they were prepared, as periodically defined by nationally accepted standards of practitioner roles, functions and behaviors.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

1. Two units of high school Algebra or Intermediate Algebra proficiency

2. One unit of high school Biology

3. ACT of 21 or SAT of 1000

4. Cumulative GPA of 2.75 or greater (on a 4.0 scale) from high school or in college level course work from each regionally accredited institution attended

5. TOEFL score required for applicants whose native language is not English

6. Graduation from high school or 250 or higher on GED

DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

1. Attain a "C" or above in all required courses in the curriculum plan

2. Complete the equivalent of 73 semester hour credits, 42 hours in general education, 20 didactic and 11 clinical credits

3. Complete a minimum of 24 credits in residence at Jewish Hospital College

4. Attain a GPA of 2.0 or greater (on a 4.0 scale) with a minimum of a "C" in each course

Sample Course Sequence - ASRT Degree

Freshman Year

Fall Semester  Terms 1 and 2

Fall Semester  Term 1

Fall Semester  Term 2

Spring Semester  Terms 1 and 2

Spring Semester  Term 1

Spring Semester  Term 2

Summer Semester

Sophomore Year

Fall Semester

Spring Semester

Summer Semester

ASRT - RESPIRATORY THERAPY COURSES

For ASRT program, one unit of credit is equal to 16 hours of instruction. For clinical practicum, one unit of credit is equal to 192 clinical contact hours.

RES- 1000 - Respiratory Care Practices & Procedures I
2 credit hours (1 didactic/ 1 lab)
Prerequisites: Admission into the Respiratory Therapy Program
Provides an introduction to the role of a respiratory therapist in the health care setting. Basic principles of respiratory care and respiratory equipment will be explored. Emphasis will be placed on providing safe, effective and appropriate care.

RES- 1010 - Respiratory Care Practices & Procedures II
3 credit hours (2 didactic/ 1 lab)
Prerequisites: RES-1000, RES-1100, HS-1010
Or Concurrent: RES-1105, RES-1400, RES-1410, HS 1010
Introduces the theory and application of respiratory pharmacology, arterial blood gases, and non invasive bedside monitoring for the treatment of cardiopulmonary disease and other critical care conditions.

RES- 1100 - Patient Assessment in Respiratory Care
1 credit hour (1 didactic/ 0 lab)
Prerequisites: Admission into the Respiratory Therapy Program
Provides students with the necessary knowledge and basic skills used to assess a patient’s pulmonary status. Students will use these skills to assist in the evaluation and effectiveness of administered therapies and the development of patient care plans.

RES- 1105 - Foundations of Mechanical Ventilation & Airway Management
2 credit hours (1 didactic/ 1 lab)
Prerequisites: RES-1000, RES-1100
Or Concurrent: RES-1010, RES-1400, RES-1410
Provides a basic understanding of the mechanics of ventilation and an introduction to the use of mechanical ventilators. Students will practice safe and effective skills needed when providing airway management for patients with artificial airways.

RES-1400 - Clinical Practicum I
1 credit hour (0 didactic/ 1 practicum)
Prerequisites: RES-1000, RES-1100
Or Concurrent: RES-1010, RES-1105
Provides students with the opportunity to practice basic clinical skills for the adult, pediatric, and neonatal patient under the direction of staff respiratory therapists. Emphasis will be placed on infection control, basic respiratory therapeutic techniques and basic CPR application.

RES-1410 - Clinical Practicum II
1 credit hour (0 didactic/ 1 practicum)
Prerequisite: RES-1400
Or Concurrent: RES-1105, RES-1010
This course is the second clinical practicum and provides students with the continuation of the development, application and integration of patient assessment skills. Students will practice basic respiratory therapeutics with emphasis on airway clearance techniques, airway management and aerosolized medication therapy.

RES-1420 - Clinical Practicum III
2 credit hour (0 didactic/ 2 practicum)
Prerequisites: RES-1410, RES-1105, RES-1010
A continuation of development, application, integration and analysis of respiratory therapy clinical practices. Students will be introduced to the intensive care unit (ICU) and demonstrate assessment of patients’ cardiopulmonary status, interpretation of clinical data and development of patient care plans.

RES-2000 - Respiratory Care Practices & Procedures III
2 credit hours (2 didactic/ 0 lab)
Prerequisite: RES-1010, RES 1105, RES-1420
Or Concurrent: RES-2100, RES-2400
Provide the physiology of mechanical ventilatory support. Students will be introduced to the theory and initiation of invasive and non- invasive ventilation using current applicable practices and state of the art equipment.

RES-2010 - Respiratory Care Practices & Procedures IV
2 credit hours (2 didactic/ 0 lab)
Prerequisite: RES-2100, RES-2000, RES-2400
Or Concurrent: RES-2105, RES-2410
Provide advanced techniques of mechanical ventilatory support utilizing the enhanced capabilities of mechanical ventilators. Students will discuss monitoring of the patient’s cardiopulmonary status for the purpose of improving clinical management.

RES-2020 - Respiratory Care Practices & Procedures V
2 credit hours (2 didactic/ 0 lab)
Prerequisites: RES-2105, RES-2010, RES-2410
Or Concurrent: RES-2420, RES-2110
Provide an evaluation of pulmonary function testing and the clinical and technical aspects of fiberoptic bronchoscopy. Students will discuss pulmonary rehabilitation and will examine quality assurance parameters related to respiratory care.

RES-2100 - Pulmonary Diseases & Respiratory Therapy Modalities
3 credit hours (3 didactic/ 0 lab)
Prerequisites: RES-1105, RES-1010, RES-1420
Or Concurrent: RES-2000, RES-2400
Provide students with knowledge of how various pulmonary diseases affect the lungs. Discussions will include recommended treatment modalities that will result in short and long term measured patient outcomes.

RES-2105 - Neonatal/ Pediatric Respiratory Care
2 credit hour (1 didactic/ 1 lab)
Prerequisite: RES-2100, RES-2000, RES-2400
Or Concurrent: RES-2010, RES-2410
Examines the theory and application of neonatal and pediatric respiratory care. Students will strengthen their assessment and critical thinking skills to provide respiratory care and support to this population.

RES-2110 - Respiratory Therapy Synthesis
1 credit hour (1 didactic/ 0 practicum)
Prerequisites: RES-2105, RES2010, RES-2410
Or Concurrent: RES-2020, RES-2420
Integrates previous knowledge and skills with selected concepts of respiratory care. Students will review all previous course work through multiple examinations on patient data evaluation and recommendations, equipment application and cleanliness, and therapeutic procedure initiation and modification. In addition, students will discuss job opportunities and educational advancement.

RES-2400 - Clinical Practicum IV
2 credit hour (0 didactic/ 2 practicum)
Prerequisite: RES-1420
Or Concurrent: RES-2000, RES-2100
A continuation of the development, application, integration and analysis of respiratory therapy clinical practices in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) setting. Emphasis will be placed on ventilator monitoring, effects, complication, and management of the adult, pediatric and neonatal patient.

RES-2410 - Clinical Practicum V
3 credit hour (0 didactic/ 3 practicum)
Prerequisite: RES-2000, RES-2100, RES-2400
Or Concurrent: RES-2105, RES-2010
A continuation of clinical practices for respiratory therapy students in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) setting. Students will become familiar with the techniques, equipment, hazards, and complications of special ventilatory procedures for the adult, pediatric, and neonatal patient.

RES-2420 - Clinical Practicum VI
2 credit hour (0 didactic/ 2 practicum)
Prerequisites: RES 2105, RES-2010, RES-2410
Or Concurrent: RES-2020, RES-2110
A continuation of clinical practices for respiratory therapy students. Students will be assigned a special rotation in management, bronchoscopy, pulmonary rehabilitation, pulmonary function, and home care.

The Respiratory Therapy program at Barnes-Jewish College of Nursing and Allied Health is committed to preparing competent, highly technical, caring and socially responsible respiratory therapists.