RSPC A278: Pulmonary Case Assessment

Course Outline of Record
Item	Value
Eff Term	Fall 2026
Curriculum Committee Approval Date	11/12/2025
Top Code	121000 - Respiratory Care/Therapy (CTE)
Units	1 Total Units (Lecture Units 0.5; Lab/Other Units 0.5)
Hours	36 Total Hours (Lecture Hours 9; Lab Hours 27)
Total Outside of Class Hours	18
Total Student Learning Hours	54
Course Credit Status	Credit: Degree Applicable (D)
Material Fee	No
Basic Skills	Not Basic Skills (N)
Repeatable	No
Open Entry/Open Exit	No
Grading Policy	Standard Letter (S)

Course Description

Assessment of critical pulmonary patients with emphasis on assessment techniques, critical care procedures, and management techniques as applied to case studies. Includes use of both actual and simulated patient scenarios using information gathering and decision making by the Respiratory Care Practitioner. PREREQUISITE: RSPC A276. Transfer Credit: CSU.

Course Level Student Learning Outcome(s)

Apply knowledge of advanced critical care to patient case scenarios to determine etiology, assessment, diagnostic techniques, therapeutic requirements and outcomes.

Course Objectives

1. Perform an assessment of the patient history in relation to current condition.
2. Assess the course of patient current condition:
3. Evaluate patient?s condition through both verbal and non-verbal assessment techniques.
4. Select and utilize equipment in assessment techniques.
5. Compile information to assess patient pulmonary, cardiac, vascular, and metabolic status.
6. Assess patient condition using lab data, physical examination findings, and equipment physiologic measurements.
7. Apply decision making to determine patient plan of care.
8. Analyze ethics involved with decision making.
9. Assess the plan of care using patient outcomes.

Lecture Content

Medical history and physical review.
Historical context of the patient
Review of the electronic medical record.
Evidence Based Medicine utilization in Plan of Care
Communication assessment: verbal vs non-verbal assessment (observation)
Essential listening and attention
Ethics in decision making
Overview of assessment techniques
Determining and assessing the plan of care Critical Care management: artificial airway, ventilatory and oxygenation support, cardiac support, vascular support
Blood chemistry and ABG s
Radiologic assessment
Pulmonary assessment: auscultation, ventilation, compliance, oxygenation, deadspace, shunt
Cardiac assessment: B/P, Rate, C.O., arrhythmias, diagnostic testing
Evaluation of treatment outcomes
Case study presentation and discussion
Application of information gathering to case studies as determined by individual case study review.
Case study presentation and discussion

Lab Content

Practice Clinical Simulations
1. Hoag Lag Software
2. Kettering Simulations
  1. Individual
  2. Group
3. Sills Clinical Simulation
Basic Patient Assessment
Evidence Based Practice and Plan of Care
Ethics in Respiratory Care
Radiologic and Laboratory Assessments
Oxygenation and Ventilation Assessments
Cardiac Assessments
Oral Case Presentations
Clinical Simulation Self-Assessment Exam

Method(s) of Instruction

Lecture (02)
DE Live Online Lecture (02S)
DE Online Lecture (02X)
Lab (04)
DE Live Online Lab (04S)
DE Online Lab (04X)
Work Experience (20)

Instructional Techniques

1. Discussions involving all aspects of patient care scenarios involving both information gathering and decision making. 2. Student investigation of actual patient cases for presentation in both oral and written formats. 3. Human patient simulator case scenarios.

Reading Assignments

Students will demonstrate and apply written skills to patient case presentations. (0.5 hrs/week)

Writing Assignments

Students will demonstrate and apply written skills to patient case presentations.

Out-of-class Assignments

Students will demonstrate and apply written skills to patient case presentations. (0.5 -0.75 hrs/week)

Study Non-Contact Hours Recommended

Methods of Student Evaluation

Short Quizzes
Written Assignments
Problem Solving Exercises
Oral Presentations

Demonstration of Critical Thinking

Oral case study presentationsWritten case study presentationsWritten quizzesHuman patient simulator case scenarios.

Required Writing, Problem Solving, Skills Demonstration