Revised 08/2022

RTH 151 - Fundamental Clinical Procedures I (3 CR.)

Course Description

Offers clinical instruction in basic patient care practices. Lecture 2 hours. Laboratory 3 hours. Total 5 hours per week.

General Course Purpose

Presents theory and techniques used for assessing patients with cardiopulmonary disease, communication skills in conducting patient interviews, and introduces the students to oxygen therapy, humidification devices, Hyperexpansion therapy, positive airway pressure (PAP) and positive expiratory pressure (PEP) devices and their use. It is offered in the first semester of the program.

Course Prerequisites/Corequisites

Prerequisites: BIO 141, BIO 142, ENG 111 and HLT 141.

Course Objectives

Upon completing the course, the student will be able to:

• Demonstrate effective communication skills in conducting a patient interview
• Perform patient assessment techniques essential to the practice of respiratory therapy
• Recognize normal and interpret abnormal physical assessment findings
• Write a SOAP note
• Properly use a stethoscope, blood pressure cuff, pulse oximeter and oxygen analyzer
• Describe proper storage of medical gases
• Use safe techniques to set up regulators for H and E gas cylinders
• Explain the principles of and demonstrate the use of medical gas storage and delivery systems
• Apply principles of and demonstrate the use of the low flow and high flow oxygen administration devices
• Explain the principles of and demonstrate the use of the humidity and aerosol and generators
• Perform chest physical therapy, Hyperexpansion therapy and positive expiratory pressure (PEP) therapy
• Apply specific gas laws and physical principles to pulmonary physiology and respiratory therapy instrumentation

Major Topics to Be Included

• Patient assessment and history
• Medical gas storage and delivery systems
• Oxygen administration devices and analyzers
• Humidifiers and aerosol generators
• Hyperexpansion and positive expiratory pressure therapy