Mission Statement

To prepare graduates with demonstrated competence in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills) and affective (behavior) learning domains of respiratory care practice as performed by registered respiratory therapists and who are ready to assume patient care responsibilities in all the different settings where respiratory therapy is practiced. To provide our service community with adequate numbers of qualified Respiratory Care graduates to meet the current and burgeoning needs of the industry.

Program Description

The Respiratory Care Program at Butte College has been successful in meeting the goals of its mission statement by providing our service community with graduates that are highly sought after. The program has had an excellent reputation throughout Northern California and beyond since its first graduating class in 1970. The program grew from its traditional pedagogical cap of twenty-four students to forty students from 2007-2011.  The program reduced enrollment to thirty-two with the class entering the program in the fall of 2011 due to required budget cuts in the Health Occupations area.  This growth has been supported by equipment grant money through the Chancellor�s Office, an adequate associate faculty pool, an ongoing need in the industry of new graduates, and an increased student interest in the program.  A waiting list continues to exist for the program on the main campus.  To reduce the impact on the local clinical sites, rotations are being conducted in both the Redding and Yuba City/Marysville areas.  Currently there are 47 students enrolled in the first and second years of the program.  The program made the decision to reduce enrollment to sixteen students in the Fall of 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic and associated limitations with student clinical placement.  We made the decision, with the assistance of our program advisory committee, to maintain our enrollment at 24 students maximum for the fall of 2021 and beyond.  

Accountability for Previously Funded Items

Student Learning/Administrative Unit Outcomes

All of the SLOs were assessed for the following courses:  RT 125, RT 135, and RT 145
RT 125 SLO

Demonstrate knowledge of appropriateness of therapy in relation to diagnosis and patient condition, the ability to explain the rationale for specific therapeutic modalities, and how to appropriately educate the patient on each of the above.
Describe the hazards/complications associated with arterial blood gas sampling procedures through program testing and competency assessment.
Demonstrate selected clinical competencies appropriate to each student experience level, and available clinical patient care.
Employ clinical decision making in the care of acute and chronic medical/surgical, and patients with respiratory disorders.
Employ basic patient interaction, education, assessment, and treatment skills used in bedside respiratory patient care.
Distinguish basic principles of health care ethics, as they apply to the respiratory care practitioner (RCP).
Demonstrate competency in hand washing, isolation and infection control procedures, vital signs assessment, chest assessment, small volume nebulizer (SVN) therapy, incentive spirometry (IS), pulse oximetry, AccuPAP or EzPAP, mucus clearing adjuncts, and metered dose inhaler (MDI) or dry powder inhaler (DPI).
Gather and interpret clinical data from a patient care chart through the correct completion of a written Patient Care Worksheet (PCW).
Demonstrate effective patient assessment through the completion and presentation of Situation, Background, Assessment and Recommendation (SBAR) tool.  –

PLAN:  combine 8 and 9, 4, 5 and 6.  Remove 3
RT 135 SLO

Differentiate the appropriateness of therapy in relation to diagnosis and patient condition and explain the rationale for specific therapeutic modalities administered to the patient and RCP faculty/staff.
Apply clinical decision making in the care of acute and chronic non-ICU and ICU patients.
Apply the basic concepts of mechanical ventilation to their use in the critical care setting.
Recognize basic cardiac arrhythmias through the interpretation of ECG monitoring.
Demonstrate competency levels in the following areas: Oxygen Administration - HFNC 10-60 LPM, Arterial Blood Gas (ABG) sampling, Arterial Line sampling, Tracheostomy Care, Inline Suctioning, Non-Invasive Ventilation Set Up and Inline Small Volume Nebulizer or Metered Dose Inhaler (MDI); and, when available, Nasotracheal Suctioning, Tracheal Suctioning, Non-Invasive Ventilation Check.
Demonstrate clinical data gathering, interpretation, and understanding of patient pathophysiology through the completion of patient assessment presentations.
Apply the basic assessment, patient education, and treatment skills introduced in RT 120 and RT 125 to the care of acute and chronic non-ICU patients and ICU patients.

PLAN:  no changes were recommended
RT 145 SLO

Schedule respiratory care to be delivered to critically ill patients, based on the acuity of need.
Apply previously learned concepts of respiratory care modalities, patient education, and medications to patients who are critically ill.
Perform cardiopulmonary assessment of critically ill patients.
Demonstrate a fundamental knowledge of the operation of mechanical ventilators.
Demonstrate competency in Non-Invasive Positive Pressure Ventilation (NIPPV) Check, Arterial Blood Gas collection and analysis, Ventilator Set-up (optional), Waveform Graphics Analysis, Ventilator Parameter Change, Weaning Parameters (optional), Intubation, Extubation, Weaning, Ventilator Check, End-Tidal C02 Monitoring (optional), Heat Moisture Exchanger (HME) use, and Manual Ventilation during Transport or Transport Ventilator Set-up.

PLAN:  no changes were recommended

Standards/Goals for Student Achievement (Instruction Departments)

Program success has averaged 100% from 2018 to 2019.  Degrees/certificates awarded in Respiratory Care averaged around 28 each spring over the last four years.  On average, 91% of program graduates have obtained the RRT credential and licesnure from 2017-2019, which is higher than the past. Since January of 2015, the Respiratory Care Board of California has been requiring the RRT credential for licensure which is why our RRT credential numbers have risen and continue to rise.  Employment rates for the program have averaged 90% from 2017-2019. For a variety of reasons, a portion of program graduates from each cohort do not complete the process for licensure which lowers our overall employment rates.

Standards/Goals for Student Achievement (All Other Departments)

Strategic Direction

The Respiratory Care program suports the college in meeting the following Strategic Direction and Priority themes:
Closing equity gaps and meeting student achievement goals  - over a four year period (2015-2019) 52% of our graduates were economically disadvantaged.  In spring of 2018, Butte Community College (Butte College) received the Strong Workforce Stars Gold recognition in the Health sector for its Respiratory Care (RT) program; students who participate in this program boost their earnings by 157%; 100% of students in this program get a job in their field of study, and 78% of students attained the regional living wage. Program success has averaged 98.5% and program retention has averaged 98.7% over a four year period from 2015 to 2019. 
Fostering a culture of inclusiveness - all qualified students who apply to the Respiratory Care program have an equal opportunity to be placed in the program through the lottery process. 
 

Program Review

RECOMMENDATIONS STILL OUTSTANDING:
1. Funding sources be identified for the software, laptops and tablets needed for the program. Ideally, Perkins funding will be identified. Alternatively, other (possibly district) funding should be pursued.
 
2.  That the Respiratory Care Program add a full time faculty member to help reduce the significant overload currently required of the two full time faculty and to provide the opportunity for program expansion if needed. 
3. Augmentation of the department budget to allow for reimbursement of all travel necessary to assure proper evaluation of all clinical sites. Mileage has also been funded through the Dean's budget. 
ACTIONS STILL TO BE ADDRESSED FROM ABOVE:
1. We are requesting 6 more laptops to be shared with the Aliied Health Programs.  These will be utilized for online testing, clinical simulations, etc. We currently do not have enough laptops to allow every student in our classes to use one at the same time. 
2. That the Respiratory Care Program add a full time faculty member to help reduce the significant overload currently required of the two full time faculty and to provide the opportunity for program expansion if needed.
3. There have been no augmentations made at this time to allow the DCE to travel to clinical sites.  This visit is needed to maintain clinical relationships and ensure that students are having the most appropriate training at their clinical sites. These visits have primarily been paid for by the faculty member out of their own pocket.  

Department Goals

Establish a preceptor process for evaluation of students in clinical rotations without assigned clinical instructors in the Winter and Spring of 2022.
Replace current gas manifold systems for air and oxygen with a dual compressor system.  This will reduce operating costs for the program as we will no longer need to pay for compressed oxygen and air.  
 

Future Development Strategies

Requested Non-Financial Resources

Current Financial Resources

Augmentation Requests