Respiratory Care

• 4 credits

This course will explore the usage and purpose of supportive treatments for patients with pulmonary diseases and disorders using the American Association of Respiratory Care (AARC) clinical practice guidelines and protocols. The fundamentals of respiratory care covered will include but are not limited to: history, the profession of respiratory care, patient assessment, qualify, patient safety, and communication, ethical and legal implications, principles of infection control and prevention, storage and delivery of medical gases, medical gas therapy, regulation of breathing, patient bedside assessment, ventilation, gas exchange, solution body fluids, electrolytes, acid/base balance, interpreting clinical lab data, monitoring gas exchange, airway pharmacology, aerosol drug therapy, humidity therapy, and e-medicine. 

• 1 credit

This course provides introductory knowledge of the clinical setting and delivery of respiratory care with an emphasis on the scope of therapeutic modalities delivered to the patients. Included are patient assessment, medication devices, oxygen therapy, aerosol therapy, humidification therapy, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and related life-saving maneuvers.

• 4 credits

This course is the continuation of essential procedures which respiratory therapists perform in the clinical setting including but not limited to: airway management including the use of various artificial airways, pulmonary function testing, bedside pulmonary mechanics, arterial blood gas interpretation, bronchial hygiene, lung inflation techniques, chest physiotherapy, and NIPPV.

• 3 credits

Continuation of Clinical Applications I, increasing knowledge of the clinical setting and delivery of respiratory care, with an increase in the emphasis on the scope of therapy delivered. Included here are oxygen therapy, medication delivery, bronchial hygiene, airway management, artificial airways, CXRs, electrocardiograms, bronchial hygiene, lung inflation techniques, chest physiotherapy, and NIPPV.

• 3 credits

This course is a comprehensive study of the etiology, diagnosis, pathogens, pathophysiology, treatment, and prognosis of various types of pulmonary pathologies. Prerequisite: admission to the Respiratory Care program.

• 3 credits

Continuation of Clinical Applications II with increasing knowledge of the clinical setting and delivery of respiratory care with an emphasis on mechanical ventilation, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, life-saving maneuvers, and airway management including the use of various airways.

• 4 credits

This course will teach the basics and parameters or continuous mechanical ventilation, including special procedures. Students will learn acid-base physiology as it applies to ventilator changes, infection prevention, monitoring cardiopulmonary hemodynamics, ventilation monitoring in ICU settings, discontinuation of ventilator support, pharmacology for sedatives, analgesics, and paralytics.

• 3 credits

This course is a continuation of the practical application of theories previously presented with emphasis on the care and management of the critically ill and long-term management of mechanically ventilated patients.

• 4 credits

This course will build the student's understanding of mechanical ventilation, advanced cardiac life support, cardiopulmonary hemodynamics, and special response teams. Pediatrics and neonatology, pulmonary rehabilitation, long-term care, home care, and NBRC board examinations review will also be included in this course.

• 3 credits

This course is a continuation of the practical applications of theories previously presented with emphasis on the care and management of the critically ill and long-term management of mechanically ventilated patients with an introduction to pediatrics.

• 3 credits

This course will apply concepts studied in relation to pediatrics and neonates, and will focus on the intensive care and management of this patient population.

• 4 credits

This course examines gross and microscopic anatomy, function, and inter-relationships of the body systems. Laboratory sessions emphasize basic physiologic principles as well as gross and microscopic mammalian anatomy. The expected outcome of the course is that students will have a working knowledge of the component parts of the body, from cells to organ systems. At the end of the course, students will be able to integrate this knowledge into an overall understanding of how the body functions in health and in disease states.

• 4 credits
• PREREQUISITE: ANA 1010

This course continues the examination of gross and microscopic anatomy, function, and inter-relationships of the body systems. Laboratory sessions further emphasize basic physiologic principles as well as gross and microscopic mammalian anatomy. The expected outcome of the course is that students will have a working knowledge of the component parts of the body, from cells to organ systems. At the end of the course, students will be able to integrate this knowledge into an overall understanding of how the body functions in health and in disease states.

• 3 credits

This course provides a critical academic exploration of healthcare ethics and seeks to foster a community of learners engaged in the pursuit of ethical knowledge. This pursuit embraces diversity and cross-cultural competency as it tries to envision a just society committed to the common good. As such this course seeks to answer the question, “What is the good life and human flourishing in relation to healthcare ethics?” The course proceeds in two parts: 1) introducing students to the normative ethical theories of consequentialism, deontology, virtue, human rights, theories of justice, and Catholic social ethics; and 2) applying these theories to the ethical domain of the health care professional. Special attention will be paid to the question of how advances of biotechnology and medicine benefit the most vulnerable members of society. Furthermore, this course aims to develop the critical thinking skills of students and help form them into ethical leaders within the healthcare professions.

• 3 credits

HUM 1010 is an introductory writing course that teaches students to compose college-level essays in response to readings in the Arts and Humanities, with an emphasis on conventions of standard English. This course explores knowledge of language, using language and vocabulary to express ideas in writing. By completing frequent writing assignments, students learn to craft written products that are clear, critically thoughtful, organized, coherent, and persuasive.

• 3 Credits 
• PREREQUISITE: ENG 1010

Choose 1 of 2 options below:

Option 1: ENG 2050 World Literature

World Literature introduces students to influential literary works from around the world. Students will consider the role of literature in shaping and responding to the ideology of both the time and place in which the text appears as well as the time and place in which we read the text. The course also examines the relationship between literature and other forms of cultural production. Students learn to use different types of literary theory to contextualize their interpretations of these literary and cultural texts. Students demonstrate their understanding of the aesthetic works and critical concepts of the course by composing thesis-driven essays that analyze specific works of literature from a theoretical perspective.

Option 2: ENG 2060 American Literature

American Literature introduces students to influential literary works from the American Revolution to the present. Students will consider the role of literature in shaping and responding to the history and ideology of the United States. The course also examines the relationship between American literature and other forms of cultural production in the United States. Students learn to use different types of literary theory to contextualize their interpretations of these literary and cultural texts. Students demonstrate their understanding of the aesthetic works and critical concepts of the course by composing thesis-driven essays that analyze specific works of literature from a theoretical perspective.

• 4 credits
• PREREQUISITES: All 1000 level general education courses or permission of Division Chair

Integrative Seminar I is a multidisciplinary course that brings together insights from various modes of analysis (historical, social, economic, ethical, theological, and aesthetical) to examine a specific topic. This integrated approach acknowledges that human beings and human knowledge are holistic; that is, that the intellectual, physical, emotional, psychological, social, and spiritual dimensions of humanity are all intimately connected. Therefore, any effort to analyze complex human behavior requires an integrative approach. Sample topics include History of the Civil Rights Movement and Physical, Psychological, and Spiritual Dimensions of Health and Wellness.

• 3 credits

This course will present a broad array of topics studied in the field of psychology. Major theorists’ attempts to explain what makes human beings “tick” will be critiqued and the contradictions of their theories are highlighted. The interactions of the body and the psyche will be explored as well as motivation, sexuality, and abnormal behavior. Students will be required to participate in an interactive class, to look critically at the assumptions that underlie many theories in psychology, and to draw conclusions as to their validity. As one of the aims of the College is to prepare health professionals for evidence-based practice, research skills are introduced (or reinforced) in this course. Upon completion of this course, students will demonstrate an understanding of the major concepts from a broad array of psychological fields; apply and analyze concepts studied; will use a variety of tools to locate current and reliable research data; evaluate the validity of data resources; and prioritize and synthesize research data to develop a theory and a hypothesis.

• 3 credits

This course provides a summary of physical, cognitive, and psychosocial development from birth to death. Major theorists in the field of human development are studied and critiqued and the contradictions of their theories are highlighted. The important tasks for each period of development are examined. Students also look closely at the inter-relationship between physical, cognitive, and psychological changes in each period of life. Students will be required to apply theoretical concepts to personal experience as part of the process of evaluating the validity of those concepts. As one of the aims of the college is to prepare health professionals for evidence-based practice, research skills are reinforced in this course.

Choose 1 of 3 options below:

Option 1: THE 2050: Religions of the World

In an increasingly interconnected world, and especially in the religiously plural context of the United States, it is crucial that healthcare professionals become acquainted with the beliefs and practices of people from the diverse religious traditions that make up the American landscape. This course examines the world’s religious traditions and, in particular, the ways they conceptualize the person, health, and healing. Study of world religions can offer important and challenging insights into Western medicine. By the end of the course, students will be able to demonstrate knowledge of the basic concepts, beliefs, and practices of a variety of religious traditions; analyze primary sources drawn from religious traditions, such as sacred texts, images, ethical and dietary codes, first-person accounts, and the like; make comparisons between religious traditions based on evidence from primary sources; and use a variety of tools (online databases, journals, books, newspapers, web sites) to develop and research questions regarding the connection between a particular religious tradition and healthcare issues. Because one of the aims of the College is to prepare health professionals for evidence-based practice, research skills are reinforced in this class.

Option 2: THE 2070: Christianity

Christianity is concerned primarily with the life, teaching, and historical setting of Jesus of Nazareth. This course also investigates the development of the New Testament and the subsequent development of the Christian faith, including the early Christian period, the Middle Ages, the Reformation, and Christianity in the New World. The Eastern and Western Churches and the Protestant tradition are examined. Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to describe the important religious and political themes at the time of Jesus, identify significant historical figures in the 59 Christian story, and comprehend the different elements which led to the development of the Christian faith within the Roman Empire. Critical-thinking skills and evidence-based practice are introduced and reinforced.

Option 3: THE 2090: Dying in the Human Life Cycle

This course is a critical academic exploration of issues surrounding the human experience of death. The course examines the topic of death through information gathered from the medical, psychological, social/cultural, theological, and visual arts perspectives. These diverse approaches to the dying process will be analyzed as they pertain to what happens in the lives of patients, their families and friends, those who accompany the patients, and healthcare providers. Current issues and materials concerning the topic of death and dying will form the foundation for class discussion and reflection. As a course in theology, analysis of the dying process will be situated within the Catholic framework of emphasis on the inherent dignity of the human person. Special attention will be paid to the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services, 5th Edition, in order to explore ways human dignity flourishes and diminishes within the contemporary milieu as it pertains to end of life issues. Upon successful completion of this course, students will be afforded the opportunity to identify relevant concerns about the end of human life through informed personal reflection; develop and articulate an informed approach to death and dying as they impact healthcare delivery; and describe and evaluate the Roman Catholic Church’s moral stance on end-of-life issues.