Respiratory Therapy
28 courses · Napa Valley College · 2026-2027 Catalog
Classes: Fall 2026 · Spring 2027
RESP-120 Respiratory Care Theory I
- Units
- 6
- Hours
- 108 hours lecture; 108 hours total
- Prerequisite
- Completion of CHEM-110, BIOL-218, BIOL-219, BIOL-220, and MATH-106 or STAT-C1000 with a minimum grade of C.
- Advisory
- Completion of PHYS-110 with a minimum grade of C.
- Transfers to
- CSU
Students will receive instruction in the theoretical foundations of respiratory care. The course will cover the anatomy and physiology of the respiratory system, the mechanics of breathing, and acid-base balance.
RESP-130 Respiratory Care Laboratory I
- Units
- 4
- Hours
- 54 hours lecture; 54 hours lab; 108 hours total
- Corequisite
- Concurrent enrollment in RESP-120 or equivalent.
- Transfers to
- CSU
This course covers basic patient assessment, oxygen therapy, bronchial hygiene techniques, and arterial blood gas punctures. Students' knowledge and technical skills will be developed through integrated laboratory work.
RESP-140 Preparation for Clinical
- Units
- 1.5
- Hours
- 54 hours activity; 54 hours total
- Corequisite
- Concurrent enrollment in RESP-120 and RESP-130.
- Transfers to
- CSU
This course prepares the student for entrance into the clinical portion of the Respiratory Care program. The course will cover patient and practitioner safety, infection control, and legal and ethical issues.
RESP-150 Respiratory Care Theory II
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 54 hours lecture; 54 hours total
- Prerequisite
- Completion of RESP-130 with a minimum grade of C.
- Transfers to
- CSU
Students will receive instruction in the treatment of patients with cardiopulmonary disease. The course will cover advanced techniques in patient assessment, pulmonary diseases, and beginning concepts of the coronary system.
RESP-160 Respiratory Care Pharmacology
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 54 hours lecture; 54 hours total
- Prerequisite
- Completion of RESP-130 with a minimum grade of C.
- Transfers to
- CSU
Students will receive instruction in the pharmacology of respiratory care. The course will cover medication calculations, inhaled bronchodilators, steroids and aerosolized antimicrobials.
RESP-170 Respiratory Care Clinical I
- Units
- 2.5
- Hours
- 135 hours lab; 135 hours total
- Corequisite
- Concurrent enrollment in RESP-150 and RESP-160.
- Transfers to
- CSU
Students will receive supervised clinical experience in the care of patients with cardiopulmonary disease. The course will cover the practical application of theory and techniques. Students will work primarily in the non-critical care areas of the hospital.
RESP-175 Resp Care Laboratory II
- Units
- 1.5
- Hours
- 9 hours lecture; 54 hours lab; 63 hours total
- Prerequisite
- Completion of RESP-120 with a minimum grade of C.
- Transfers to
- CSU
The course will cover airway management, positive pressure ventilation, non-invasive ventilation, Introduction to mechanical ventilation and beginning critical care concepts.
RESP-185 Respiratory Care Clinical II
- Units
- 2.5
- Hours
- 135 hours lab; 135 hours total
- Prerequisite
- Completion of RESP-170 with a minimum grade of C.
- Transfers to
- CSU
Students will receive respiratory therapy supervised clinical experience. Students are transitioning from the first year basic clinical experience to the advanced critical care clinical experience. It will prepare them for the critical care rotations in the second year.
RESP-200 Respiratory Care Theory III
- Units
- 2
- Hours
- 36 hours lecture; 36 hours total
- Prerequisite
- Completion of RESP-185 with a minimum grade of C.
- Corequisite
- Concurrent enrollment in RESP-210 and RESP-250.
- Transfers to
- CSU
The students will receive instruction in selected topics in respiratory care. The course will cover advanced pulmonary function testing, cardiopulmonary rehabilitation, home care, and gerontology.
RESP-210 Principles & Applications of Mechanical Ventilation/Lab
- Units
- 4
- Hours
- 54 hours lecture; 54 hours lab; 108 hours total
- Prerequisite
- Completion of RESP-185 with a minimum grade of C.
- Corequisite
- Concurrent enrollment in RESP-220 and RESP-250.
- Transfers to
- CSU
Students will receive instruction in the care and treatment of the acutely ill cardiopulmonary patient. The course will cover management of patients requiring ventilatory support, intubation avoidance strategies, and hazards of positive pressure ventilation. This course's laboratory work will develop the student's knowledge and technical skills in adult, pediatric, and neonatal mechanical ventilation. The course lab will cover application and management of state-of-the-art ventilators.
RESP-220 Neonatal/Pediatric Respiratory Care
- Units
- 4
- Hours
- 54 hours lecture; 36 hours activity; 90 hours total
- Prerequisite
- Completion of RESP-185 with a minimum grade of C.
- Transfers to
- CSU
Students will receive instruction in neonatal and pediatric respiratory care. The course will cover fetal lung development, circulatory changes in the newborn, and neonatal and pediatric diseases and treatment. Course will include curriculum leading to professional certifications.
RESP-230 Neonatal/Pediatric Topics in Respiratory Care
- Units
- 1
- Hours
- 18 hours lecture; 18 hours total
- Prerequisite
- Completion of RESP-185 with a minimum grade of C.
- Transfers to
- CSU
Students will receive instruction in advanced concepts in respiratory care in the neonatal/pediatric populations. The course will cover acute respiratory failure, chest x-ray interpretation, and specialty areas within the respiratory care profession.
RESP-250 Respiratory Care Clinical IV
- Units
- 5
- Hours
- 270 hours lab; 270 hours total
- Prerequisite
- Completion of RESP-185 with a minimum grade of C.
- Transfers to
- CSU
Students will receive supervised clinical experience in the care of patients with cardiopulmonary disease. The course will cover the practical application of theory and techniques. Students will work primarily in the adult critical care areas of the hospital.
RESP-260 Respiratory Care Theory IV
- Units
- 1.5
- Hours
- 18 hours lecture; 36 hours lab; 54 hours total
- Prerequisite
- Completion of RESP-200, RESP-210, and RESP-250 with a minimum grade of C.
- Corequisite
- Concurrent enrollment in RESP-290.
- Transfers to
- CSU
Students will receive instruction in the monitoring and care of the acutely ill cardiopulmonary patient. The course will cover coronary care, electrocardiogram analysis, and hemodynamic monitoring.
RESP-270 Advanced Respiratory Care Laboratory
- Units
- 1
- Hours
- 54 hours lab; 54 hours total
- Prerequisite
- Completion of RESP-211 with a minimum grade of C.
- Transfers to
- CSU
The integrated laboratory work will develop the student's knowledge and technical skills in advanced mechanical ventilation techniques. The course will cover advanced application and management of state-of-the-art and high frequency ventilators.
RESP-280 Respiratory Care Topics II
- Units
- 2
- Hours
- 36 hours lecture; 36 hours total
- Prerequisite
- Completion of RESP-200 with a minimum grade of C.
- Transfers to
- CSU
The students will receive instruction by guest lecturers. The course will cover acute respiratory distress syndrome, sepsis and advanced therapeutic procedures. Students will research and present patient case studies.
RESP-290 Respiratory Care Clinical VI
- Units
- 4
- Hours
- 162 hours lab; 36 hours activity; 198 hours total
- Prerequisite
- Completion of RESP-250 with a minimum grade of C.
- Transfers to
- CSU
Students will receive supervised clinical experience in the care of patients with cardiopulmonary disease. The course will cover the practical application of theory and techniques. Students will work primarily in adult, neonatal, and pediatric critical care areas of the hospital.
RESP-290B Computer Simulations in Respiratory Care
- Units
- 1
- Hours
- 36 hours activity; 36 hours total
- Corequisite
- Concurrent enrollment in RESP-290.
- Transfers to
- CSU
This course prepares students for the National Board for Respiratory Care's Registry Examination, which requires specialized knowledge in solving patient management problems in a branching logic format. Students will practice with web-based clinical simulations, identify their strengths and weaknesses, and develop a study plan to prepare for this exam.
RESP-292 Respiratory Care Preceptorship
- Units
- 2.5
- Hours
- 135 hours lab; 135 hours total
- Prerequisite
- Completion of RESP-260 and RESP-290 with a minimum grade of C.
- Transfers to
- CSU
This course will provide a clinical environment for the student to integrate knowledge, skills, and work ethic. The student will assume increasing responsibilities under the supervision of a preceptor. This course will prepare the student for post-graduate employment.
RESP-300 Advanced Pulmonary Diagnostic and Procedures
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 54 hours lecture; 54 hours total
- Transfers to
- CSU
This course provides an analytical framework through which students will expand their knowledge of respiratory diseases, diagnostic procedures, and symptom management. It also includes detailed assessment of cardiopulmonary and neurorespiratory diseases, performance of diagnostic testing, medical interventions, and analysis of treatment benefits.
RESP-310 Clinical Specialist and Case Management
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 54 hours lecture; 54 hours total
- Transfers to
- CSU
This course explores the role of Clinical Specialists and Case Management in Respiratory Care departments, focusing on training, policy development, research, and various specialized clinical functions. Students will examine key responsibilities such as chronic disease management, patient-care team collaboration, pulmonary rehabilitation, and asthma education. The course also covers credentialing opportunities in specialized areas, including Neonatal Pediatric Specialty (NPS), Asthma Educator (AE-C), and Adult Critical Care Specialty (ACCS). Additional topics include the application of clinical specialists in areas such as sleep medicine, pulmonary function, home care, and interventional pulmonology. This course is designed for students enrolled in the Respiratory Care Baccalaureate Degree Program and requires prior acceptance into the program.
RESP-320 Education and Teaching
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 54 hours lecture; 54 hours total
- Prerequisite
- Completion of RESP-300 with a minimum grace of C.
- Transfers to
- CSU
This course provides an analytical framework to teach adult learning theory and prepare the student to teach effectively in healthcare and classroom settings. The topics include learning styles, curriculum development, effective teaching techniques, and assessment of learning.
RESP-330 Leadership and Management in Healthcare
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 54 hours lecture; 54 hours total
- Prerequisite
- Completion of RESP-310 and RESP-320 with a minimum grade of C.
- Transfers to
- CSU
This course explores leadership and management theories in effective practices in the healthcare setting. In addition, the course will review organizational structure of current healthcare models with an emphasis on development of skills in leadership, communication, time management, problem solving, motivation and other critical competencies. Specific attention is focused on the role of leadership, along with specific functions and operations, in a Respiratory Care Department. Using these skills, students will identify and apply strategic models to analyze problems, formulate solutions, and make sound decisions.
RESP-340 Critical Review and Methodology of Research
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 54 hours lecture; 54 hours total
- Prerequisite
- Completion of RESP-330 with a minimum grade of C.
- Transfers to
- CSU
This course explores the analysis of research design and methodology in health care and health sciences. Emphasis will include research evaluation and interpretation of results, design methodology, the planning and approval process, data collection and analysis, as well as communication and presentation of the results.
RESP-350 Respiratory Care Capstone
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 54 hours lecture; 54 hours total
- Prerequisite
- Completion of RESP-340 with a minimum grade of C.
- Transfers to
- CSU
This course is the capstone course in Respiratory Care. The focus is on areas of advanced cardiopulmonary respiratory care, leadership and management, case management, research, education, or another special area of interest. The student identifies and completes a project applying knowledge and skills learned in the program. The project is developed in collaboration with faculty and community members and are aligned with student's area of interest.
RESP-360 Advanced Clinical Integration and Diagnistic Reasoning
- Units
- 5
- Hours
- 90 hours lecture; 90 hours total
- Transfers to
- CSU
This course validates the advanced clinical competencies required for Baccalaureate-level respiratory care. It focuses on the transition from technical data collection to advanced diagnostic reasoning. Students will synthesize multi-system physical assessment data, complex laboratory findings, and diagnostic imaging to formulate differential diagnoses and comprehensive care plans for the critically ill cardiopulmonary patient.
RESP-370 Mastery of Critical Care Life Support Systems
- Units
- 5
- Hours
- 90 hours lecture; 90 hours total
- Transfers to
- CSU
An advanced study of life support systems focusing on non-conventional mechanical ventilation and neonatal/pediatric specialty care. This course emphasizes technical mastery of ventilator graphics, waveform analysis, and the implementation of evidence-based weaning strategies. Students will validate their ability to manage complex artificial airways and stabilize patients during cardiopulmonary emergencies.
RESP-380 Professionalism, Ethics and Leadership In Respiratory Care
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 54 hours lecture; 54 hours total
- Transfers to
- CSU
This course examines the legal, ethical, and professional leadership responsibilities of the BSRC-prepared therapist. This course bridges the transition from technical clinician to professional leader, focusing on the California Respiratory Care Practice Act, bioethics in end-of-life care, and the therapist's role in hospital quality improvement, healthcare informatics, and patient safety initiatives.