Academic Catalog

RSPT 54: ORIENTATION TO RESPIRATORY CARE

Foothill College Course Outline of Record

Foothill College Course Outline of Record
Heading Value
Effective Term: Summer 2025
Units: 2
Hours: 2 lecture per week (24 total per quarter)
Corequisite: 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

  • State the differences between acute, preventative and supportive care.
  • Explain patient confidentiality, and consent.

Description

Orientation to the Respiratory Therapy Program and health care. Current issues in American medical care, professionalism, death, dying and loss, communication skills, cultural diversity, HIPAA, ethics, legal issues, and patient's rights. 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. Explain the origins of respiratory care and identify local, state, and national organizations involved in the respiratory therapy profession.
  2. List professional behaviors and demonstrate actions consistent with being a professional.
  3. Describe the principles of ethics and how they relate to respiratory care.
  4. Describe the various ways health care is administered and various types of healthcare organizations and facilities.
  5. State the emotional responses to death, dying, losses, illness, and hospitalization.
  6. List methods to improve interpersonal communication skills.
  7. State the importance of understanding cultural differences.
  8. State the differences between acute, preventative, and supportive care.
  9. Explain HIPAA, including patient confidentiality and consent.
  10. Define malpractice and negligence.
  11. Differentiate between guardianship, living will, and durable power of attorney.
  12. Locate information in a patient's paper and electronic chart.

Course Content

  1. Orientation to respiratory care
    1. Definition of respiratory care
    2. History of respiratory care
    3. Accreditation organizations
    4. State licensing board
    5. National registry
    6. Professional organizations
    7. Future trends
  2. Professionalism
    1. Definition
      1. Empathy
      2. Decorum
      3. Promptness
      4. Receptivity
      5. Cooperation
      6. Resourcefulness
    2. Ethical theories and principles
      1. Autonomy
      2. Veracity
      3. Nonmaleficence
      4. Beneficence
      5. Confidentiality
      6. Justice
      7. Role duty
    3. Ethical viewpoints
      1. Formalism
      2. Consequentialism
      3. Mixed approaches
      4. Virtue ethics
      5. Intuitionism
  3. Healthcare organizations and facilities
    1. DRGs
    2. HMO
    3. PPO
    4. Acute care facilities
    5. Rehabilitation
    6. Home care
    7. Subacute care facilities
    8. Convalescent homes
  4. Psychological and emotional issues
    1. Stress management
    2. Stress-related disorders
    3. Death and dying
    4. Responses to loss
    5. Responses to illness and hospitalization
    6. Coping techniques
  5. Communication
    1. Active listening skills
    2. Speaking skills
    3. Verbal expression
    4. Non-verbal expression
    5. Receiving
    6. Feedback
    7. Conflict resolution
    8. Patient interview
    9. Difficult patients
  6. Cultural diversity
    1. Definition
    2. Multiculturalism
    3. Beliefs
    4. Attitudes
    5. Behaviors
    6. Customs
    7. Treating culturally diverse patients
  7. Acute, preventative, and supportive care
    1. Emergency care
    2. Wellness
    3. Smoking cessation
    4. Palliative care
  8. HIPAA and consent
    1. Introduction
      1. History
      2. Privacy rule and standards
      3. Documentation
      4. Policies and procedures
      5. Practicality
      6. Application
  9. Legal issues
    1. Criminal and administrative law
    2. Civil law
    3. Tort law
    4. Negligence
    5. Malpractice
    6. Intentional torts
    7. Scope of practice
    8. Avoiding lawsuits
  10. Patient's rights and advance directives
    1. Respiratory care patients' rights
    2. Guardianship
    3. Living will
    4. Durable power of attorney
    5. Withdrawal of life support
  11. Medical charts
    1. Proper charting procedure
    2. Medical records
    3. Electronic medical charts

Lab Content

Not applicable.

Special Facilities and/or Equipment

When taught online, students must have access to a computer with internet access.

Method(s) of Evaluation

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

Assessments
Group projects
Class participation

Method(s) of Instruction

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

Lecture
Discussion on the history of respiratory care, professionalism, ethics, and current issues that affect the profession

Representative Text(s) and Other Materials

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

Respiratory Therapy Program Student Manual.
Hanning, Brenda. Respiratory Therapy 54 Course Syllabus.

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

  1. Weekly reading assignments from the required textbook.
  2. Completion of professional hours.

Discipline(s)

Respiratory Technologies