Respiratory Care
20 courses · El Camino College · 2026-2027 Catalog
Classes: Fall 2026 · Spring 2027
RC 170 Introduction to Respiratory Care Sciences and the Profession
- Units
- 2
- Hours
- 2 hours lecture
This course provides students an opportunity to see if their attitudes, aptitudes and interests are matched to those needed by successful respiratory care practitioners. The course reviews all the requirements for successful completion of the program and entrance into the health care industry. The course will also provide the student with an introduction to the basic sciences as they apply in the Respiratory Care profession.
RC 172 Fundamentals of Cardiopulmonary Physiology and Pharmacology in Respiratory Care
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 3 hours lecture
- Prerequisite
- ANAT 30 with a minimum grade of C or concurrent enrollment
- Advisory
- RC 170 or concurrent enrollment
- Transfers to
- CSU
This course will cover the fundamental cardiopulmonary anatomy, physiology, and pharmacology required for entry-level practice in the Respiratory Care profession. In addition, emphasis will be placed on the achievement and maintenance of bronchial hygiene in patients with respiratory disorders through the use of airway care, aerosols, and chest physiotherapy.
RC 174 Introduction to Respiratory Care Equipment and Patient Care Procedures
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 1 hour lecture, 6 hours lab
- Advisory
- RC 170
This course will review operational concepts and procedures for respiratory care equipment. The student will get hands-on experience selecting, assembling and checking respiratory care equipment for proper function, operation and cleanliness. The course will also provide experience performing and understanding the purpose of basic care procedures such as charting, vital signs, bed operation and other respiratory care related basic patient care procedures.
RC 176 Introduction to the Respiratory Care of the Non-Critically III Patient
- Units
- 6
- Hours
- 3 hours lecture, 9 hours lab per week to be arranged
- Prerequisite
- RC 172 and RC 174 with a minimum grade of C
- Advisory
- CIS 13 and PSYC 101
- Transfers to
- CSU
This course deals primarily with the non-critically ill adult patient. It will provide the student with cognitive and psychomotor practice performing basic respiratory care in health service organizations in the South Bay area. Students receive most of their classroom/cognitive instruction at El Camino College and are rotated during the day, evening and/or night shifts to clinical affiliates.
RC 178 Respiratory Care of the Critically Ill Patient I
- Units
- 8
- Hours
- 4 hours lecture, 12 hours lab per week to be arranged
- Prerequisite
- RC 176 with a minimum grade of C
This course is an introduction to the practice of respiratory care in intensive care units with an emphasis on patient ventilator interaction. The student will manage critically ill patients on prolonged artificial ventilation using microprocessor-driven ventilators, alarms, arterial blood gases and other appropriate techniques and equipment. Students are rotated through evening, night and day critical care units in hospitals.
RC 280 Respiratory Care of the Critically Ill Patient II
- Units
- 9
- Hours
- 4 hours lecture, 15 hours lab per week to be arranged
- Prerequisite
- RC 178 with a minimum grade of C
This course continues with the treatment and management of adult patients who are critically ill. The course provides the student with the opportunity to develop more complex reasoning and patient care skills. Problem-oriented use of patient data including intermediate respiratory care assessment and decision-making using blood gases, x-rays, response to therapy and other appropriate clinical indicators will be emphasized.
RC 282 Fundamentals of Perinatal and Pediatric Respiratory Care
- Units
- 4
- Hours
- 2 hours lecture, 6 hours lab per week to be arranged
This course will introduce the student to the basic anatomy and physiology of the fetus, neonate and pediatric patient. The student will learn the fundamental therapeutic procedures, equipment and data used to provide pediatric and perinatal respiratory care. Pediatric basic and advanced life support will also be taught in the classroom, lab and clinical setting.
RC 284 Respiratory Care of the Critically Ill Patient III
- Units
- 9
- Hours
- 4 hours lecture, 15 hours lab per week to be arranged
- Prerequisite
- RC 280 with a minimum grade of C
This course continues with the treatment and management of adult patients who are critically ill. The course provides the student with the opportunity to develop more complex reasoning and patient care skills. A disease-directed approach is used with emphasis on respiratory failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and related respiratory conditions and deadspace problems. The course reviews the problems of nosocomial infections in respiratory care and systematic methods for identifying and correcting patient-therapist equipment contamination. Communication skills are introduced that will help the therapist relay suggestions and information to other members of the health care team.
RC 286 Fundamentals of Pulmonary Rehabilitation and Home Respiratory Care
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 2 hours lecture, 3 hours lab per week to be arranged
This course focuses on the treatment and management of adult patients who have chronic respiratory conditions and diseases. The course provides the student with the opportunity to develop skills managing patients requiring pulmonary rehabilitation and home respiratory care. The problem-oriented approach to developing a Respiratory Care plan will be covered emphasizing the use of, and the ability to collect, patient data. Skills to be learned will include performance of a physical exam of the patient, arterial puncture, establishment of intravenous fluid lines, exercise evaluation, patient education and prevention of infection.
RC 288 Fundamentals of Pulmonary Function Testing
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 2 hours lecture, 3 hours lab per week to be arranged
This course will review the fundamental procedures and equipment used to measure pulmonary function in non-symptomatic populations and in populations of people with chronic pulmonary diseases. Experience with exhaled air data collection will be provided through hands-on procedures at the college and at health service organizations' diagnostic laboratories. Skills to be learned will include performance of public health screening and diagnostic pulmonary function testing.
RC 289 Advanced Respiratory Care of the Asthmatic Patient
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 2 hours lecture, 3 hours lab per week to be arranged
This course provides instruction in asthma management associated with advanced respiratory care. Topics include diagnosing and assessing the severity of asthma; medications; ability to treat asthma in an ambulatory setting; special considerations in childhood asthma; the use of pulmonary function testing and peak flow monitoring to diagnosis and manage asthma; identifying allergic sensitivities and promoting allergen avoidance; as well as being able to develop and implement asthma action plans.
RC 290 Advanced Specialty Respiratory Gases
- Units
- 2
- Hours
- 1 hour lecture, 3 hours lab per week to be arranged
This course provides instruction in respiratory specialty gases. Topics include the physiology of nitric oxide and heliox specialty gases, indications for use, contraindications, dose and dose titration, hazards, as well as the delivery and monitoring of each gas.
RC 291 Advanced Specialty Ventilators and Specialized Oxygen Delivery Devices
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 2 hours lecture, 3 hours lab per week to be arranged
This course provides instruction in specialty ventilators and oxygen delivery devices. Topics include high frequency oscillatory ventilation; high frequency jet ventilation; Vapotherm; SiPAP; and T-Piece Resuscitation. The indications, contraindications, and appropriate delivery will be discussed and reviewed for multiple patient populations.
RC 292 Advanced Clinical Application and Interpretation of Blood Gases
- Units
- 2
- Hours
- 2 hours lecture
This course provides instruction in respiratory clinical application of blood gases. Topics include the fundamentals of acid-base and respiratory physiology assessment and interpretation of blood gas values blood gas values applied to patient care validation of results with other modalities and appropriate methods to collect, analyze, and report blood gas results.
RC 293 Cardiac Monitoring in Advanced Respiratory Care
- Units
- 4
- Hours
- 3 hours lecture, 3 hours lab per week to be arranged
This course provides instruction in cardiac monitoring associated with advanced respiratory care. Topics include twelve-lead Electrocardiogram interpretation central venous pressure Pulmonary Artery Pressure Cardiac Index and usage of pressure transducers, pulmonary and arterial catheters, as well as treatment of cardiac conditions using electrolytes, cardiac medications and diuretics. Laboratory experiments and clinical visitation will be used to complement the didactic instruction.
RC 294 Pulmonary Function Testing in Advanced Respiratory Care
- Units
- 4
- Hours
- 3 hours lecture, 3 hours lab
This course provides instruction in pulmonary function testing associated with advanced respiratory care. Topics include metabolic measurements using indirect calorimetry; pediatric pulmonary function testing; cardiopulmonary exercise testing; sleep studies; and bronchoscopy. Laboratory experiments and clinical visitation will be used to complement didactic instruction.
RC 295 Pharmacology in Advanced Respiratory Care
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 3 hours lecture
This course provides instruction in pharmacology associated with advanced respiratory care. Topics include current trends in respiratory pharmacology; the use of sedatives, analgesics, antibiotics, and paralytic agents in various delivery forms during advanced therapeutic modalities; as well as other pharmacological agents used during specialized testing regimens.
RC 296 Physical Examination in Advanced Respiratory Care
- Units
- 4
- Hours
- 3 hours lecture, 3 hours lab per week to be arranged
This course provides instruction in physical examination associated with advanced respiratory care. Topics include physical assessment; collection of lab data; the interview process; and current imaging studies.
RC 297 Perinatal and Pediatric Care in Advanced Respiratory Care
- Units
- 4
- Hours
- 3 hours lecture, 3 hours lab per week to be arranged
This course provides instruction in perinatology and pediatrics associated with advanced respiratory care. Topics include respiratory care monitoring; diagnostics; advanced concepts in emergency procedures; and current topics in perinatal and pediatric respiratory care. Laboratory experiments and clinical visitation will be used to complement lectures.
RC 298 Advanced Emergency Management
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 2 hours lecture, 3 hours lab per week to be arranged
This course provides instruction on the role of the respiratory therapist during disaster management. Topics include intra-hospital transport; land and air transport; rapid response teams; distinguishing the various color codes within a hospital; disaster preparedness at the federal, state, and local levels; and the requirements for disaster preparedness within the hospital.