Respiratory Therapy - Jefferson College of Health Sciences

Respiratory Therapy from Jefferson College of Health Sciences is a Campus Associate Respiratory Care degree that prepares you for a Healthcare career. You can live without food for a few weeks. You can live without water for few days. But if you are deprived of air, you will die within minutes. Most people take breathing for granted. It's second nature, an involuntary reflex. Yet for millions of Americans who suffer from breathing problems, each breath is a major accomplishment. Those people include patients with chronic lung problems, such as asthma, bronchitis and emphysema, yet may also include heart attack and accident victims; and premature infants. Respiratory therapists work with physicians and allied health professionals to diagnose and treat patients with disorders associated with the respiratory and cardiovascular systems. Therapists may be required to exercise considerable independent clinical judgment under the direct or indirect supervision of a physician. They are trained to act as technical resource persons for both physicians and other health care professionals. Respiratory therapists are members of the response teams that handle patient emergencies in the hospital. Respiratory care is a dynamic and exciting health profession with a large number of job opportunities in Virginia, as well as, all the other States in the USA, Canada, Mexico, Japan, and other countries around the world. Some employers are offering very lucrative incentive packages to our students, including assistance with tuition and textbook costs, and relocation packages once they have graduated. Our graduates are prepared to function as extremely knowledgeable and highly skilled professional clinicians who have problem-solving and decision-making skills. Our program stands apart because we have experienced faculty who have been teaching in the field of respiratory therapy for many years. Our faculty have brought to our program experience teaching in respiratory therapy programs in California, Colorado, Georgia, Indiana, Maine, New York, North Carolina and Pennsylvania. The practice of respiratory care requires extensive knowledge of many technical and physiological concepts. Therapists administer many medical gases and cardiopulmonary medications. Respiratory care practitioners are often responsible for the evaluation of patients and assist in the development of the respiratory care plan. Respiratory therapists are trained to perform and evaluate the results of diagnostic tests such as arterial blood gases and pulmonary function studies. The maintenance of mechanical ventilation for critically ill patients is a major task the therapist is expected to perform. Therapists often assist physicians with procedures such as bronchoscopies, arterial cannula insertions, and heart catheterizations. What Students Learn Diagnostic Procedures: Draw and analyze blood samples to determine the levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide and other gases in order to assess the best course of treatment for a patient Measure the capacity and efficiency of a patient's lungs to determine if there is impaired function. Perform stress tests and other studies of the cardiopulmonary system. Study disorders of people with disruptive sleep patterns. Obtain and analyze sputum and breath specimens. Read and analyze chest x-rays and electrocardiograms Treatment: Operate and maintain various types of highly sophisticated equipment to administer oxygen or to assist with breathing. Employ mechanical ventilation for treating patients who cannot breathe adequately on their own. Monitor and manage therapy that will help a patient recover lung function. Administer medications in aerosol form to help alleviate breathing problems and to help prevent respiratory infections. Monitor equipment and patient response to therapy Conduct rehabilitation activities, such as low-impact aerobic exercise classes to help patients who suffer from chronic lung problems. Maintain a patient's artificial airway, one that may be in place to help the patient who can not breathe through normal means. Stand by in labor and delivery rooms to monitor and treat pre-mature infants who have difficulty in breathing on their own Conduct smoking cessation programs for the hospital patients and other patients in the community who want to kick the tobacco habit. (Young teens to adult to elderly population.) View more details on Jefferson College of Health Sciences . Ask your questions and apply online for this program or find other related Respiratory Care courses.