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Degree Overview
Course Descriptions
Admissions Information
Tuition & Financial Aid
Days until classes:
Next classes start
Feb 13th
Program Length: 22 months
Available at the following locations:
Available Online: This program is delivered fully online.
Degree Overview
For over 30 years, Independence University, formerly California College for Health Sciences, has graduated more respiratory care professionals than any other private career college. Today, IU continues to meet the needs of respiratory therapists who wish to gain advanced education in their field through our Bachelor of Science in Respiratory Care with a Clinical Practice concentration.
The Bachelor of Science in Respiratory Care degree with the choice of concentration in Clinical Practice or Management provides students with the necessary skills to advance into a supervisory/management, patient education, clinical specialist, case management or advanced clinical practitioner position in various healthcare facilities (e.g. hospital, clinic, medical office, home care, LTC) or in an environment specific to the field of respiratory care
The curriculum contains information on management, advanced clinical care, and current issues and trends in healthcare, exposing students to the latest developments in respiratory care. The program includes a general education component, a foundation in cardiopulmonary sciences, and coursework in the respiratory care specialties of acute and critical care, emergency care, perinatal and pediatrics, research and Evidence Based Medicine (EMB), patient education, case management and cardiopulmonary diagnostics.
| Program Information | Bachelor of Science Completion in Respiratory Care |
|---|---|
| Occupations Degree Prepares For (and SOC code of occupation) |
Health Specialties Teachers, Post-secondary - 25-1071.00 |
| Respiratory Therapists - 29-1126.00 | |
| Respiratory Therapy Technicians - 29-2054.00 | |
| Tuition and Fees | $25,000 |
| Cost of Books | Included |
| Room and Board | N/A |
| Job Placement Rate * | N/A% |
| On-Time Completion Rate | N/A |
| Median Title IV Debt | N/A |
| Median Non-Title IV Debt | N/A |
| Median Loan Debt | N/A |
Course Descriptions
CourseCourse NameCredits
Course Description
Click a course to the left to see the course description here.
Tip: Reading course descriptions is a great way to help you decide if a degree is right for you.
Advanced Interpersonal Communication
This course is designed to provide students with the skills they need to be effective communicators. Students will apply interpersonal communication skills theory to various situations in order to understand the clear connection among theory, skills, and the life situations they will encounter.
Credits: 4.0
U.S. History Since the Civil War
This course offers students an overview of how America transformed itself, in a relatively short time, from a land inhabited by hunter-gatherer and agricultural Native American societies into the most powerful industrial nation on earth. The student will learn how dominant and subordinate groups have affected the shifting balance of power in America since 1863. Major topics include: reconstruction, the frontier, the 1890s, America?s transition to an industrial society, Progressivism, World War I, the 1920s, the Great Depression and the New Deal, World War II, the Cold War, Vietnam, economic and social change in the late 20th century, and power and politics since 1974.
Credits: 4.0
Critical Thinking
This course is designed to provide an interdisciplinary approach to critical thinking and challenges the student to question his/her own assumptions through analysis of the most common problems associated with everyday reasoning. The course explains fundamental concepts, describes the most common barriers to critical thinking, and offers strategies for overcoming those barriers.
Credits: 4.0
Modern Issues in Ethics
This course provides students with a comprehensive introduction to a broad array of the most pressing contemporary debates in medical ethics. Students will examine the social contexts within which these debates arise. Topics include the foundation of bioethics, research ethics and informed consent, truth telling and confidentiality (medical record confidentiality), genetic control, application of scarce medical resources, impaired infants and medical futility, and euthanasia.
Credits: 4.0
Respiratory Care Management Boot Camp
Respiratory Care Management Boot Camp applies specific management/leadership theories and practices to the direction and management of a respiratory care or cardiopulmonary department, including the managerial functions of department organization/structure, budgeting, controlling, staffing, coordinating, measuring performance, and developing staff members. Leadership and skills pertinent to these functions, as well as effective communication and professionalism, are included in the course. The practical topic of how to prepare oneself for a position in respiratory care management is also addressed.
Credits: 4.5
Introduction to Healthcare Research
This course is an introduction to evidence-based medicine in the context of respiratory care research. Topics covered in this course include basic research principles such as the scientific method, the ethical considerations involving research, conducting literature searches, and critically evaluating published reports.
Credits: 4.5
Healthcare Research in Practice
This course is a continuation of evidence-based medicine in the context of respiratory care research. Focusing on quantitative analysis, topics covered in this course are writing the protocol, data collection, basic statistical concepts, and basic methodology including correlation, t-Tests, ANOVA and regression.
Credits: 4.5
Health Professional as Educator I
Part I of this course on the Health Professional as Educator is a comprehensive examination the practical issues health professionals confront as they strive to provide effective patient and family education. The course focuses on issues such as perspectives on teaching and learning, and the characteristics of the learner.
Credits: 4.5
Health Professional as Educator II
The second part of this course continues the focus on practical issues health professionals face in providing effective patient and family education. The course continues with a focus on the characteristics of the learner, as well as techniques and strategies for teaching and learning.
Credits: 4.5
Advanced Patient Assessment
This course is to provide knowledge to build and develop a strong foundation of assessment skills necessary in daily clinical practice. Course content will present a knowledge base of major respiratory diseases and competency in the patient assessment process through a case study approach.
Credits: 4.5
Advanced Cardiopulmonary Diagnostics
This course presents Advanced Cardiopulmonary Diagnostics, including Respiratory Monitoring, Hemodynamic Monitoring, Cardiac Assessment, Blood Chemistry, Hematology, Imaging of the Thorax, Specialized Pulmonary Function Testing, Interventional Pulmonary Procedures, Polysomnography, Nutritional Assessment and Cardiopulmonary Exercise Assessment. Special emphasis is placed on advanced aspects of these diagnostics, which are not typically presented, in ASRT level Respiratory Care training programs.
Credits: 4.5
Advanced Cardiopulmonary Pathology I
This course presents a detailed discussion of the etiology, pathogenesis, pathology, diagnosis, history, prognosis, manifestations, detection and treatment of cardiopulmonary diseases. The Advanced Respiratory Care Practitioner presents diseases and disorders in a “Grand Rounds” Case Study approach with strong emphasis on assessment and treatment recommendations.
Credits: 4.5
Advanced Cardiopulmonary Pathology II
This course continues from Advanced Cardiopulmonary Pathology I the detailed discussion of the etiology, pathogenesis, pathology, diagnosis, history, prognosis, manifestations, detection and treatment of cardiopulmonary diseases. The Advanced Respiratory Care Practitioner presents a new group of diseases and disorders in a “Grand Rounds” Case Study approach with strong emphasis on assessment and treatment recommendations.
Credits: 4.5
Advanced Neonatal-Pediatric Pathology
This course covers the diversity of respiratory problems encountered by neonates and children. Each disorder is discussed in terms of presentation, pathophysiology and diagnosis. Aspects of treatment are also introduced to prepare the student for the Advanced Neonatal/Pediatric Therapeutics course, which follows. Emphasis in Advanced Neonatal/Pediatric Pathology is placed on recent innovations in neonatal/pediatric respiratory diagnosis and treatment. Congenital cardiac and pulmonary anomalies, which occur in roughly 4% of all live births, are also addressed herein.
Credits: 4.5
Advanced Neonatal-Pediatric Diagnostics/Therapeutics
This course covers the diversity of respiratory therapeutics and procedures now available for the treatment of infants and children. Special problems in the treatment of premature neonates are also presented. Emphasis is placed on advances in Oxygenation, Continuous Positive Airway Pressure, Mechanical Ventilation, Noninvasive Positive Pressure Ventilation, High Frequency Ventilation, High Frequency Oscillatory Ventilation, Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation and Surfactant Therapy. Congenital cardiac and pulmonary anomalies and their treatment are also addressed herein. For each therapeutic modality, the indications, benefits, contraindications, monitoring considerations and adverse effects are thoroughly presented. Clinical Practice Guidelines for each modality are included in this discussion.
Credits: 4.5
Principles and Practices of Disease Management
This course presents principles and practices of Disease Management, and explores the role for Advanced Respiratory Care Practitioners in this growing field of medicine. Also considered are expanding roles for RTs in establishing and implementing protocols, clinical practice guidelines and pathways for care.
Credits: 4.5
Case Management in Acute and Critical Care
This course presents principles and practices of Case Management and Disease Management, with emphasis on the acute care setting. It includes clinical, legal, and ethical responsibilities of those involved in managing patient care. Specific examples of Case Management and Disease Management in respiratory disorders are presented. Readings from the AARC Respiratory Care Journal are utilized in the discussion forum for this course.
Credits: 4.5
Case Management across the Continuum of Care
This course continues the discussion of Case Management and Disease Management. In this course the continuum of care is emphasized to include home care settings, long-term care settings, LTACH hospitals and other sites of care. Specific examples of Case Management and Disease Management in respiratory disorders are presented. Readings from the AARC Respiratory Care Journal are utilized in the discussion forum for this course.
Credits: 4.5
Advances in Emergency Response and Preparedness
This course is designed to help healthcare workers understand their role in providing continuous care for patients in the event of an emergency and recognizing types of emergencies and disasters. The course will also demonstrate the importance and knowledge to implement a Rapid Response Team within a hospital.
Credits: 4.5
Advances in Critical Care Medicine
This course presents advances in Critical Care Medicine, and the role of the Advanced Respiratory Care Practitioner in this setting. It includes advanced respiratory/hemodynamic monitoring, state-of-the-art mechanical ventilation practices, noninvasive ventilation, as well as treatment of acute lung injury, ARDS, cardiac failure, trauma, burn/inhalation injury and other disorders commonly seen in the critical care environment. A new credential being offered by the National Board for Respiratory Care, Adult Critical Care specialization, is also presented for those interested in pursuing this professional designation.
Credits: 4.5
Sociology of Aging
This course focuses on an interdisciplinary approach that provides the concepts, the information and the examples students need to achieve a basic understanding of aging as a social process. The course addresses a broad range of societal issues and covers concepts associated with an aging population. It examines the concept of aging on both an individual and a societal level. Major topics include the history of aging in America; physical aging; psychological aspects of aging; personal adaptation to aging; death and dying; community social services; how aging affects personal needs and resources; and government responses to the needs of the aging.
Credits: 4.0
Statistics
This course focuses on the practical skills needed in statistics analysis. Topics covered include distributions, relationships, randomness, inference, proportions, regression, and variance. Emphasis is placed on understanding the use of statistical methods and the demands of statistical practice. (Prerequisite: MAT101)
Credits: 4.0
Total Courses: 22Total Credits: 96
Admissions Information
Applicants for admission to Independence University must have graduated from an accredited high school, private secondary school, or have completed the equivalent (GED). All students who graduate after January 2006 must provide a high school transcript to check eligibility for the new Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG). In addition, applicants must have Internet access and successfully complete the online readiness test.
The Respiratory Care (BS) degree program is a baccalaureate degree completion program. The school requires students, prior to entering the program, to have an associate degree in a related area, have completed at least 90 quarter credit hours or equivalent, and be a Certified or Registered Respiratory Therapist (CRT or RRT).
Getting started is as simple as making a phone call-we're happy to answer any questions you may have and can get you on your way to enrollment as soon as you're ready. Click here for more information about the admissions process.
Tuition & Financial Aid
Some people have the idea that they cannot afford college. You may even be one of them. The truth is, once you know the facts, college may be much more affordable than you think. Financial aid is available if you qualify. In fact, many students are amazed at the financial aid they're eligible to receive. Visit our Tuition & Financial Aid section for more information.
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