The Respiratory Therapy Gateway: Bridging Academia and Bedside Clinical Practice

Course description

The first course for the respiratory therapy program graduates is designed to transition the newly graduated Respiratory Therapist (RT) from academic knowledge to high-stakes clinical decision making. The course provides key tips to deal with hypoxic patients focusing on the physiological complexities of oxygenation failure, the precision required in selecting oxygen delivery systems, and how to protect patients from oxygen toxicity. A significant part of the course is dedicated to clarify the mathematical foundations of respiratory care ensuring that practitioners can accurately quantify patient status and ventilator performance in real-time.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:

1. Analyze the mechanisms of hypoxemia and apply the Alveolar Gas Equation to differentiate between them.
2. Distinguish between the four types of hypoxia (Hypoxemic, Anemic, Stagnant, and Histotoxic) through clinical presentation and laboratory data.
3. Evaluate the clinical significance of central and peripheral cyanosis, accounting for variables such as hemoglobin concentration and perfusion status.
4. Prescribe and Titrate oxygen delivery devices based on patient inspiratory demand, stability of FiO2 requirements, and anatomical considerations.
5. Execute complex respiratory calculations with 100% accuracy to help patient monitoring and guide mechanical ventilation monitoring.

Targeted Audience:

1. Respiratory therapy students, trainees and graduates
2. Healthcare practitioners interested in the course scope