Course Finder

Please see “Independent Studies” section.

This course teaches and instills in older adults communication techniques and skills designed to improve their interactions with family members, friends, and service providers, including adult children, grandchildren, landlords, health professionals, and other significant individuals. Older adults practice new communication techniques and deepen their understanding of themselves, their peers, and other significant people in their lives.

This course helps Latino/Hispanic older adults learn more about the school system in California, how their grandchildren fit into the school system, and ways in which they may help their grandchildren be successful in and out of school. Older adults learn grandparenting skills, with an emphasis on building self-esteem and setting goals. Latino/Hispanic older adults also learn about the developmental stages through which young adult and elementary school children are passing. This course is taught in Spanish in cooperation with the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District.

This course assists older adults in coping with the death of a close relative or family member; the loss of mobility or deterioration of their physical condition; or the loss of their job or financial status due to a significant change in their life. Older adults share their emotions about life-changing events with their peers and develop coping strategies that help them deal with life transitions in a more comfortable manner.

This course assists older adults who are facing a change in their lifestyle because they are now single. Older adults explore topics such as dealing with isolation ageism, depression, eating patterns, and social interactions. The course assists older adults in making the necessary transitions and adjustments to live a happy and successful life as an older single person.

In this course, students gain a basic understanding of the principles of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems and renewable energy alternatives. Basic electrical theory, the variables of PV system design, and sizing of PV systems are introduced. Topics include the scientific and math principles, physical properties, system components, codes, cell efficiency, and safe installation procedures for prevalent technologies. Students examine the cost and paybacks influencing adoption of solar technologies, as well as its potential in solving energy and environmental problems.

• Prerequisite: PV 11.

This course examines the theoretical and technical dimensions of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems in detail. Students learn advanced principles of electricity and how they apply to PV systems. They review PV system sizing and design, components and equipment. Detailed discussions on product troubleshooting, net metering laws, local codes, and National Electrical Code (NEC) PV requirements are covered. Successful participants will be qualified to take the North America Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) Entry Level exam.

• Prerequisite: None.
• Skills Advisory: Photovoltaic Systems 11.

This course is designed for students interested in a career in the photovoltaics (PV) industry. The fundamental principles of selling PV systems will be covered as well as the activities that support sales such as PV system design and engineering. The course will cover marketing, customer relations, technical and cost proposal development, and working with authorities having jurisdiction over the installation and interconnection of PV systems.

• Prerequisite: Formal Admission to the Respiratory Care Program, ANATMY 1 and HEALTH 61 and MCRBIO 1 and PHYS 3 and CHEM 10 or CHEM 19.

This course introduces students to the fundamentals of respiratory care practice, including credential mechanisms, organization of respiratory care services, theory of modalities performed by respiratory care practitioners (RCPs) in various settings, and the various patient populations RCPs work with. Basics of patient assessment and evidence-based practice protocols are introduced.

• Prerequisite: Formal admission to the Respiratory Care Program and RC 9. Corequisites: RC 10L and RC 11 and RC 12.

This course covers the essentials of invasive and noninvasive monitoring devices. Pulse oximetry, capnography, volumetric capnography and transcutaneous monitoring are covered as well as cardiovascular monitoring using invasive and indwelling catheters. The course also covers drugs used in the application of critical care and advanced life support.

• Prerequisite: Formal Admission to Respiratory Care Program. Corequisite: RC 10.

This course provides hands-on skills and supervised clinical experience at local area hospitals with the purpose of gaining experience in the initiation, monitoring and troubleshooting of noninvasive monitoring devices, hemodynamic monitoring and arterial sampling measurement and interpretation in the acute care setting. This course also provides examples of application of medications frequently used in advanced life support and in the intensive care unit (ICU).

• Prerequisite: Formal Admission to the Respiratory Care Program and RC 9. Corequisites: RC 10 and RC 11L and RC 12.

This course presents conventional and unconventional strategies of mechanical ventilation to minimize lung injury. Emphasis is placed on the ARDSnet protocol and airway pressure release ventilation. The concepts of the “baby lung” and assessment of esophageal pressure, stress index, driving pressure and P-SILI are highlighted. Salvage therapies for ARDS are also discussed. In addition, conventional and unconventional strategies of the gradual or abrupt discontinuation of mechanical ventilation are covered.

• Prerequisite: Formal Admission to Respiratory Care Program. Corequisite: RC 11.

This course provides hands-on skills in lab setting and supervised clinical experience at local area hospitals with the purpose of gaining experience in applying evidence-based medicine to advanced concepts in mechanical ventilation. Emphasis is placed on recognizing acute lung injury, acute respiratory distress, and minimizing iatrogenic ventilator induced lung injury. In addition, practice in weaning and discontinuation of mechanical ventilation is covered.

• Prerequisite: Formal Admission to the Respiratory Care Program and RC 9. Corequisites: RC 10 and RC 11.

This course provides direct physician interaction and student involvement in the clinical and nonclinical settings. The course will prepare students to present case studies coherently and efficiently to a physician. The topics covered include lung protective strategies, weaning and liberation from mechanical ventilation. In addition, noninvasive and invasive monitoring, capnography, pulse oximetry, transcutaneous and hemodynamic monitoring are also covered.

• Prerequisite: Formal Admission to the SMC RC program and RC 10 and RC 11. Corequisite: RC 13L.

This course presents prenatal development, high risk pregnancy and normal labor and delivery. Assessment of the newborn and pediatric patient, neonatal and pediatric diseases and disorders are described with an emphasis on the respiratory care interventions, techniques, and equipment used in neonatal and pediatric patient care. The use of noninvasive and invasive mechanical ventilation and strategies to reduce the likelihood of ventilator induced lung injury are also discussed.

• Prerequisite: Formal Admission to the Respiratory Care Program. Corequisite: RC 13.

This course presents hands-on application of neonatal-pediatric respiratory care, physical assessment, neutral thermal environment and management of common respiratory diseases/conditions. Application of technical skills used to assess need, initial setup, and monitoring of neonatal and pediatric patient requiring noninvasive and invasive mechanical ventilation are also covered.

• Prerequisite: Formal Admission to the Respiratory Care Program and RC 12. Corequisites: RC 14L and RC 15 and RC 17.

This course covers pulmonary function testing (PFT), sleep lab, pulmonary rehabilitation, and respiratory care in alternative settings. Emphasis is placed on indication for PFT and cardiopulmonary rehabilitation. Respiratory care in alternative settings is covered as it pertains to the scope of practice of respiratory care practitioners.

• Corequisite: RC 14.

This course presents hands-on application of outpatient pulmonary care services such as pulmonary function tests, sleep labs, pulmonary rehabilitation and in alternative settings such as physician offices and home care. In addition, supervised clinical experience at local area hospitals is provided. Clinical rotations in pulmonary function lab, pulmonary rehabilitation and sleep lab will be provided.

• Prerequisite: Formal Admission to the Respiratory Care Program and RC 12. Corequisites: RC 14 and RC 15L and RC 17.

This course explores career opportunities for respiratory care practitioners in the acute care setting and beyond as a respiratory disease manager or navigator. The course covers the health system requirements, practitioner knowledge base, technical skills in case management, patient-education, and self-management, essential tools required to function and succeed as pulmonary disease manager, including the implementation of protocol-directed respiratory care.

• Prerequisite: Formal Admission to Respiratory Care program. Corequisite: RC 15.

This course presents hands-on application skills required for a respiratory care practitioner (RCP) to function in the role of respiratory disease manager (navigator). Emphasis is placed on the design, review and implementation of respiratory care protocols using principles of evidence-based medicine. In addition, this course provides supervised clinical experience at local area hospitals. The emphasis of the clinical rotation is implementation of protocol-directed respiratory care, and the role of the RCP as disease manager in a hospital setting.