RET 2876L - Clinical Practice III

College of Health Sciences

Credit(s): 4
Contact Hours: 182
Effective Term Spring 2018 (540)

Requisites

Prerequisite RET 1875L with a minimum grade of C

Course Description

This is a modular course reviewing the principles and practice of basic respiratory care techniques. Airway care and critical respiratory care will be introduced. In addition, X-ray and EKG services will be surveyed. Laboratory practice precedes actual patient care. This course may also be taken to fulfill transitional program requirements.

Learning Outcomes and Objectives

  1. The student will list the data contained in a patient record by
    1. identifying the admission data
    2. evaluating the physician's orders and progress notes
    3. explaining a patient's prescribed medications
    4. discussing a patient's advanced directives, social history, and smoking history
  2. The student will demonstrate the proper technique for general and intensive care respiratory care procedures by:
    1. identifying gross abnormalities on chest x-ray, and explaining the use of a chest radiograph to identify patient positioning and image quality, tube and catheter presence and placement, heart size and position, presence of foreign bodies
    2. identifying common cardiac arrhythmias
    3. demonstrating the use of selected manual resuscitator bags on patients and explaining how each functions, including its advantages and disadvantages
    4. explaining the purpose for, hazards and complications of chest drainage systems and the emergent treatment of a pneumothorax
    5. describing the procedure for oral, nasal tracheal, endotracheal, and tracheostomy tube suctioning on hospitalized patients
    6. administering oxygen, aerosol, intermittent positive pressure breathing (IPPB), chest physiotherapy (CPT), incentive spirometry (IS), positive expiratory pressure (PEP), flutter valve therapy, airway clearance therapy, and mechanical ventilation, including basic assembly and troubleshooting of the equipment involved
    7. participating in cardiopulmonary resuscitation as available
    8. describing the procedure for performing tracheostomy tube care on hospitalized patients
    9. performing a radial arterial puncture, running an arterial sample on a blood gas analyzer, and explaining the clinical significance of the results
    10. explaining the initiation and maintenance of low and high flow oxygen therapy to prevent hypoxemia
    11. describing the function of and identify the components of a pleural drainage system
    12. identifying the role of the respiratory therapist in a moderate sedation and cardioversion
    13. performing the set-up, maintenance, and monitoring of heated high flow oxygen systems
    14. explaining the procedures for conducting a 6-minute walk test
  3. The student will describe the skills and techniques required to safely care for a patient receiving invasive or non invasive mechanical ventilation by
    1. explaining the settings and displays on Draeger, Servo, and Puritan Bennet ventilators
    2. listing the steps required to set up an invasive or non invasive ventilator including the appropriate pre use checks
    3. describing the proper use of a heat and moisture exchanger (HME) and heated humidifier
    4. performing invasive and noninvasive ventilator monitoring and maintenance on critically ill patients, including tidal volume, leak test assessment, minute volume and vital capacity, and the performance of a spontaneous breathing trial
    5. explaining the mechanics used to assess the readiness of a patient to be weaned from mechanical ventilation, including negative inspiratory force (NIF), forced vital capacity (FVC), rapid shallow breathing index (RSBI), and spontaneous breathing trial (SBT)
    6. describing the procedures used to determine and the clinical significance of pulmonary compliance, airway resistance, plateau pressure, and auto positive end expiratory pressure (auto PEEP) determination
    7. performing extubation on hospitalized patients
    8. analyzing the fractional concentration of inspired O2 (Fio2) delivered by a ventilator or continuous aerosol mask (CAM)
    9. demonstrating the procedure for monitoring tracheal tube cuff pressure and volume
    10. performing endotracheal tube assessment, stabilization, and cuff monitoring and maintenance on hospitalized patients
    11. administering a meter dose inhaler (MDI) and nebulizer treatment inline to a mechanically ventilated patient
    12. explaining the application of evidence based and clinical practice guidelines, including, but not limited to the ARDSNet and NAEPP protocols
    13. describing the indications, contraindications, and hazards of land air transports and intra facility transports, and assist in the transport of critically ill patients, requiring manual ventilation
    14. explaining the clinical significance of common ventilator graphics
    15. discussing the protocols and procedures involved in the prevention of ventilator associated pneumonias and ventilator related adverse events
    16. describing the role of proper position in preventing hypoxemia and in the care of a mechanically ventilated patient
  4. The student will demonstrate professional characteristics consistent with job performance by
    1. adhering to the code of ethics of the American Association of Respiratory Care
    2. complying with all hospital policies and procedures
    3. limiting procedures to the scope of practice of a respiratory therapist
    4. describing the importance of respecting the impact of culture, age, learning styles, and literacy on patient education, communication, and care
    5. identifying the purpose of a rapid response team and the role of the team members
    6. contrasting the protocols used in disaster management, and explaining the role of the respiratory therapist in disaster management
    7. participating in physician rounds

Criteria Performance Standard

Upon successful completion of the course the student will, with a minimum of 75% accuracy, demonstrate mastery of each of the above stated objectives through classroom measures developed by individual course instructors.

History of Changes

Revised 8/84 Revised 7/85 Revised 1/90 3 YR C&I Review 1993-94 DBT 10/17/95 Effective Session 19961 3 Year Review 2000. (contact hrs corrected to 182 11/20/03). 3 Year Review 2004. 3 Year Review 2008. C&I Approval: , BOT Approval: , Effective Term: Fall 2008 (400).
C&I Approval: 08/17/2017, BOT Approval: 09/19/2017, Effective Term: Spring 2018 (540)

Related Programs

  1. Respiratory Care (RESC-AS) (640) (Active)