Respiratory Care | Saint Louis Community College

Skills & Competencies

Skills developed through this program

Auto-populatedfrom O*NET via SOC 29-1141.03

Skills

MonitoringService OrientationSocial PerceptivenessReading ComprehensionActive ListeningSpeakingCritical ThinkingComplex Problem Solving

Knowledge

Medicine and DentistryCustomer and Personal ServicePsychologyEnglish LanguageBiology

Abilities

Oral ComprehensionProblem SensitivityOral ExpressionDeductive ReasoningInductive ReasoningSpeech RecognitionSpeech ClarityWritten ComprehensionWritten ExpressionInformation Ordering

Tasks

Evaluate patients' vital signs or laboratory data to determine emergency intervention needs.
Monitor patients for changes in status and indications of conditions such as sepsis or shock and ins
Administer medications intravenously, by injection, orally, through gastric tubes, or by other metho

Technology

Medical softwareInformation retrieval or search softwareCloud-based data access and sharing softwareOffice suite softwareDocument management software

Tools

AngiocathsApnea monitorsArterial blood gas testing equipmentArterial line cathetersAutomated external defibrillators AEDAutomated medicine dispensing equipmentAutotransfusion systemsBed scalesBedpansBilevel positive airway pressure BiPAP ventilatorsBlood drawing syringesBlood glucometersBlood pressure monitorsBlood warming equipmentBulb syringes

Work Values

RelationshipsSupportAchievementIndependenceRecognitionWorking Conditions

Career Pathways

Occupations this program prepares you for

Auto-populatedfrom O*NET + BLS

Occupations matched to this program, with median wage, top wage, growth, and openings
SOC	Occupation	Method	Wage	Growth	Openings
Match confidence: medium29-1141.03	Critical Care Nurses	title_inference	—	—	—

Program Pathways

Credentials this program stacks toward

No program pathways.

What You'll Learn

Key competencies developed through this program

Auto-populatedfrom NSX Competency Framework

Mastery: proficient (Level 3)(based on Bachelor's Degree)

Hemodynamic and laboratory evaluation — autonomously interpret complex vital sign patterns and critical lab values to determine and execute emergency interventions in a trauma or cardiac ICU.
Multi-system patient deterioration — detect and respond to nuanced indicators of septic shock, ARDS, or multi-organ dysfunction, independently escalating care and modifying treatment approaches.
Complex pharmacological regimens — manage concurrent vasoactive, sedative, and anticoagulant infusions, titrating independently based on patient response in a high-acuity critical care environment.
Advanced fluid management — synthesize intake, output, invasive hemodynamic data, and renal function markers to guide evidence-based fluid resuscitation decisions for critically ill patients.
Critical care triage and prioritization — manage a full patient assignment under surge conditions, reprioritizing care dynamically as patient acuity shifts throughout a 12-hour ICU shift.
Comprehensive data synthesis — integrate findings from diagnostic tests, continuous monitoring, and clinical assessment into coherent clinical summaries that drive interdisciplinary care planning.
Pulmonary and ventilator management — perform advanced respiratory assessments and collaborate with respiratory therapy to adjust ventilator modes and weaning protocols for intubated patients.
Pain, sedation, and delirium management — develop individualized analgesia-first sedation plans, apply CAM-ICU screening, and modify approaches for patients with complex neurological or substance-use histories.
Non-routine clinical problem solving — apply inductive and deductive reasoning to diagnose ambiguous clinical presentations and implement creative solutions within scope in a critical care unit.
Patient and family education — deliver clear, empathetic explanations of critical illness trajectories, procedures, and prognosis to families under stress, adapting communication style to health literacy level.

Program Details

Detailed information about this program

No detailed information available.

Requirements

What you need to earn this credential

No requirements listed.

Financial Aid

Eligible funding programs

No funding information available.

Scholarships

No scholarships listed.