Allied Health Department

Clinical Education

One of the most important aspects of the respiratory care education is the development of clinical competence.  It is in the clinical setting that the respiratory care students learn and demonstrate the ability to integrate and apply the theoretical concepts acquired in their studies.  Washburn University's Respiratory Therapy program has affiliations with a total of eighteen hospitals and home care agencies throughout a 120-mile radius from Topeka, Kansas.

Some of the rotations the student will be involved in include: 

• Physician contact
• Home care
• Cardiopulmonary rehabilitation
• Ectrocardiogram procedures
• Heart catheterization
• Intensive care and neonatal intensive care in a level 3 nursery
• Sleep disorders

These clinical courses provide for a progressive process of developing cognitive levels at the recall, application, and analysis levels as a respiratory therapist.  They are configured to provide the student a clinical environment to demonstrate learned procedures from entry level to advanced level respiratory care competencies.

First Year - Clinical I

AL 187 - Respiratory Therapy Clinical I (Spring)

Clinical Objectives	Procedural Evaluations
Orientation to Clinical Practice  Charting and Medical Terminology  Infection Control  Incentive Spirometry  Medication Therapy (Adult)  Emergency Procedures   Gas Administration  Humidity/Aerosol Therapy  Pulmonary Function Studies  Pulmonary Rehabilitation  Homecare  Bronchial Hygiene and Lung Expansion	Handwashing  Isolation  Patient Positioning  Vital Signs  Patient Assessment  Incentive Spirometry  Aerosol Therapy  O2 Therapy  Continuous Aerosol Therapy

First Year - Clinical II

AL 289 - Respiratory Therapy Clinical II (Summer)

Clinical Objectives

Procedural Evaluation

Incentive Spirometry  Medication Therapy (Adult)  Emergency Procedures  Gas Administration  Humidity/Aerosol Therapy (Adult)  IPPB Therapy  C.P.T. (Adult)  Patient Assessment  Airway Care (Adult)  Pathophysiology (Primary)  Arterial Blood Gases  Pulmonary Function Studies - Spirometry     and Diffusion  Sleep Disorders   Bronchoscopy  Bronchial Hygiene and Lung Expansion  Orientation to Intensive Care Unit

Orientation to Critical Care  Incentive Spirometry  Aerosol Therapy (Adult)  Continuous Aerosol Therapy (Adult)  Oxygen Therapy (Adult)  C.P.T. (Adult)  Tracheal Suctioning  IPPB Therapy  Radial Artery Puncture  Care and Cleaning of Bronchoscope  Appropriateness of Therapy  Patient Assessment  Flutter Valve Therapy  PEP Therapy

Second Year - Clinical III

AL 293 - Respiratory Therapy Clinical III (Fall)

Clinical Objectives

Procedural Evaluations

Airway Care (Adult)  Pathophysiology  Arterial Blood Gases  Monitoring  Mechanical Ventilation  Pulmonary Function Studies - Lung Volumes      and Pulmonary Gas  EKG  Pulmonary Rehabilitation  Homecare/Pulmonary Rehab  Endotracheal Intubation  Hemodynamics/Airway Dynamics  Bronchoscopy  Oximetry  Orientation to Neonatal Intensive Care

Mechanical Ventilation (Adult)  Tracheal Suctioning   Endotracheal Intubation  Hemodynamics/Airway Dynamics  Oximetry  Incentive Spirometry  Aerosol Therapy (Adult)  Continuous Aerosol Therapy (Adult)  Oxygen Therapy (Adult)  C.P.T. (Adult)  IPPB Therapy  Radial Artery Puncture  Care and Cleaning of Bronchoscope  Appropriateness of Therapy  Patient Assessment  Arterial Line Sampling  ECG  Extubation  Flutter Valve Therapy  PEP Therapy

Second Year - Clinical IV

AL 295 - Respiratory Therapy Clinical IV (Spring)

Clinical Objectives

Procedural Evaluations

Monitoring  Mechanical Ventilation  ECG  Pulmonary Rehabilitation  Neonatal Procedures  Pathophysiology (Pediatric/Neonatal)  Medical Therapy (Pediatric)  Gas Administration  CPT (Pediatric)  Airway Care (Pediatric/Neonatal)  Computer Simulations  Hemodynamics/Airway Dynamics  Bronchoscopy  Oximetry  High Frequency Jet/Oscillatory Ventilation

Mechanical Ventilation (Adult)  E.T. Endotracheal Intubation  Hemodynamics/Airway Dynamics  Mechanical Ventilation (Neonatal)  Aerosol Therapy (Pediatric)  Oxygen Therapy (Pediatric/Neonatal)  C.P.T. (Neonatal/Pediatric)  Tracheal Suctioning (Neonatal)  Incentive Spirometry  Aerosol Therapy (Adult)  Continuous Aerosol Therapy (Adult)  Oxygen Therapy (Adult)  C.P.T. (Adult)  Tracheal Suctioning  IPPB Therapy  Radial Artery Puncture  Care and Cleaning of Bronchoscope  Appropriateness of Therapy  Patient Assessment  Arterial Line Sampling  ECG  Extubation  Oximetry  PEP Therapy  Flutter Valve Therapy