Academic Catalog

RSPT 50B: INTRODUCTION TO PATIENT CARE PROCEDURES

Foothill College Course Outline of Record

Foothill College Course Outline of Record
Heading Value
Effective Term: Summer 2025
Units: 5
Hours: 3 lecture, 6 laboratory per week (108 total per quarter)
Prerequisite: RSPT 50A.
Degree & Credit Status: Degree-Applicable Credit Course
Foothill GE: Non-GE
Transferable: CSU
Grade Type: Letter Grade Only
Repeatability: Not Repeatable

Student Learning Outcomes

  • Explain the indications, contraindications and hazards for invasive and noninvasive respiratory procedures administered.
  • The student will be able to demonstrate both invasive and noninvasive respiratory procedures as lab competencies, and must complete all lab competencies with a score of 70% or higher.

Description

Introduction to patient care procedures. Includes suctioning, artificial airways, tracheostomy, bronchoscopy, administration of hyperinflation therapy, airway pharmacology, bronchial hygiene therapy, aerosol drug therapy, non-invasive ventilation, basic and advanced airway care, and nutrition assessment. Intended for students in the Respiratory Therapy Program; enrollment is limited to students accepted in the program.

Course Objectives

The student will be able to:

  1. Describe how to safely perform endotracheal and nasotracheal suctioning
  2. Assess the need for and select an artificial airway
  3. Identify indications for a tracheostomy and bronchoscopy procedure
  4. Demonstrate how to perform hyperinflation therapy
  5. Demonstrate how to perform bronchial hygiene and chest physiotherapy
  6. Describe the aerosol drug therapy and medications used for airway pharmacology
  7. Describe the indications for non-invasive ventilation
  8. Identify indications, complications, and hazards for arterial blood sampling
  9. Discuss the effects of nutrition on the body from a respiratory standpoint

Course Content

  1. Endotracheal and nasotracheal suctioning
    1. Causes of secretion retention
    2. Indication for suctioning
    3. Hazards of suctioning
    4. Methods of evaluating effectiveness
    5. Oropharyngeal, nasopharyngeal, endotracheal, and tracheostomy suctioning procedures
    6. Adult vs. child vs. infant suctioning
  2. Selecting an artificial airway
    1. Endotracheal tube
    2. Tracheostomy tube
    3. Hazards and complications
  3. Tracheostomy and bronchoscopy
    1. Prolonged intubation
    2. Aspiration of secretions
    3. Tissue and secretion samples
  4. Hyperinflation therapy
    1. Incentive spirometry equipment
    2. Incentive spirometry administration procedure
    3. Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) therapy
    4. Indications, contraindications, and hazards for therapy
    5. Methods of evaluating therapy effectiveness
  5. Bronchial hygiene and chest physiotherapy (CPT)
    1. Normal airway clearance mechanisms
    2. Pulmonary diseases and abnormal clearance of secretions
    3. Goals of bronchial hygiene therapy
    4. Bronchial hygiene techniques
      1. Postural drainage
      2. Directed cough and expulsion techniques
      3. PEP therapy
      4. High frequency and oscillation methods
      5. Mobilization and exercise
    5. Patient's response to bronchial hygiene therapy
  6. Aerosol drug therapy and medications used for airway pharmacology
    1. Definition of aerosol
    2. Aerosol deposition
    3. Drug delivery systems
    4. Bronchodilator therapy
    5. Exposure to aerosolized drugs
    6. Classes of drugs
    7. Aerosol route
    8. Mode of action
    9. Indication
    10. Dosages
    11. Outcome of each drug therapy
  7. Indications for non-invasive ventilation
    1. Concept of non-invasive positive pressure ventilation
    2. Goals of Noninvasive Positive Pressure Ventilation (NPPV)
    3. Selecting patients for Noninvasive Positive Pressure Ventilation (NPPV)
    4. Types of ventilators used and modes to deliver Noninvasive Positive Pressure Ventilation (NPPV)
    5. Complications associated with Noninvasive Positive Pressure Ventilation (NPPV)
  8. Arterial blood gases
    1. Arterial blood sampling indications and contraindications
    2. Arterial blood gas equipment
    3. Arterial line draws
    4. Allen's test
  9. Nutritional effect on the respiratory system
    1. Malnutrition
    2. Observation of malnourished patient
    3. Calorimetry
    4. Energy expenditure
    5. Effects of malnutrition on respiratory system
    6. Nutritional guidelines and pulmonary diseases
    7. Effects of respiratory medications on nutrition

Lab Content

  1. Suctioning
    1. Suctioning equipment
    2. Oral suctioning
    3. Endotracheal suctioning
    4. Tracheal suctioning
  2. Providing and maintaining artificial airways
    1. Endotracheal tubes
    2. Tracheostomy tubes
    3. Intubation models and equipment
    4. Resuscitation bags/masks
    5. Suction equipment
    6. Endotracheal and tracheostomy care
  3. Tracheostomy and bronchoscopy
    1. Tracheostomy procedures
    2. Tracheostomy equipment
    3. Tracheostomy care
    4. Introduction to bronchoscopy equipment
  4. Hyperinflation therapy
    1. Hyperinflation equipment
  5. Bronchial hygiene procedures
    1. Vest therapy
    2. Intrapulmonary percussive ventilation (IPV) therapy
    3. Positive expiratory pressure (PEP) therapy
    4. Cough assist
    5. Chest Physiotherapy (CPT)
    6. Postural drainage
    7. Sputum inductions
  6. Aerosol drug therapy
    1. Metered dose inhaler (MDI)
    2. Dry powder inhaler (DPI)
    3. Spacers
    4. Small volume nebulizer (SVN)
    5. Aerosolized medication
  7. Non-invasive positive pressure ventilation (NPPV)
    1. Non-invasive positive pressure ventilation (NPPV) equipment
    2. Non-invasive positive pressure ventilation (NPPV)  interface options
  8. Arterial blood gases
    1. Perform Allen's test
    2. Perform arterial blood gas sampling
    3. Administer subcutaneous lidocaine
  9. Nutrition
    1. Indirect calorimetry

Special Facilities and/or Equipment

Hyperinflation therapy equipment, humidity and aerosol therapy equipment, MDIs and spacers, adult intubation models, intubation equipment, suctioning equipment, hospital bed, arterial blood sampling equipment.

Method(s) of Evaluation

Methods of Evaluation may include but are not limited to the following:

Assessments
Lab competencies and demonstration

Method(s) of Instruction

Methods of Instruction may include but are not limited to the following:

Lecture and discussion
Laboratory demonstration
Videos and online webinars

Representative Text(s) and Other Materials

Kacmarek, Stoller, and Heuer. Egan's Fundamentals of Respiratory Care, 12th ed.. 2021.

Kacmarek, Stoller, and Heuer. Workbook for Egan's Fundamentals of Respiratory Care, 12th ed.. 2021.

Hinski, Sandra T.. Respiratory Care Clinical Competency Lab Manual. 2014.

Although the Hinski text is older than the suggested "5 years or newer" standard, it remains a seminal text in this area of study.

Types and/or Examples of Required Reading, Writing, and Outside of Class Assignments

  1. Reading assignments from textbook, Egan's Fundamentals of Respiratory Care
  2. Workbook assignments from Workbook for Egan's Fundamentals of Respiratory Care
  3. Competencies related to course content
  4. Respiratory-related practice seminars and webinars
  5. Tutor assignments - STEM learning resources

Discipline(s)

Respiratory Technologies