Kettering College - Pacemaker Yearbook (Kettering, OH)

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Respiratory therapy is an allied health field specializing in the diagnosis, treatment and preven- tive care of patients with car- diopulmonary problems. The first year student spends much of their time in the classroom setting. The student learns the uses and administration of oxygen, anatomy and physiology of respiration and the sterilization of equipment. Along with those classes, the respiratory therapist studies chemistry, mathematics and physics. Another area is pharmacology. In this course the general principles and actions of major drugs are stressed. Also included is an in-depth study of respiratory therapy drugs. The freshman spends two days a week on the floor learning the basic skills of the therapist. Treatments such as IPPB are given by the students. Seniors spend most of their year studying procedures in intensive care units with emphasis on the use and maintenance of ventilators and other equipment. The seniors find more independence by carry- ing out patient assessment and concerning themselves with diagnostic procedures. As seniors, they find more time to do research and continue studies in a specializ- ed field of interest. Unique to the senior therapist is a program studied in the last semester of the year. Here the senior may choose any area in which he would like to review. At the end of the study the student will submit a report to his instructor. To become a respiratory therapist the student must take a written test and after one year of experience take a clinical simula- tion test.