0.00 - 4.00 Credits
Students must be admitted into the Respiratory Care program before registering for this course. This course 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 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.