Critical Care Monitoring Syllabus for 2024-2025
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Instructor Information

Course Information

AI Statement

Collusion is defined as “the unauthorized collaboration with another person or by any other means, including artificial intelligence (AI) and computer translators, in preparing work for fulfillment of course requirements.” Using AI like (ChatGPT or Google Gemini) to create a document is considered colluding. <strong>The use of Generative Artificial Intelligence on specific assignments is at the discretion of the instructor. </strong>

COVID-19 Protocols

Recording Policy

Disability Statement

If you have a disability (learning, mental, physical) that affects your ability to participate effectively and have access to any program or service at Amarillo College please contact Disability Services at (806) 345-5639 . Our offices are located in the Enrollment Center, Suite 700. More information may be found at www.actx.edu/disability.
Disability Services facilitates access to all programs and services according to the ADA, Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, as well as other federal and state laws.

Amarillo College Web Accessibility Policy Statement

Amarillo College is committed to providing equal access to all programs and services, including all working, learning, and service environments that affect equal access for persons with disabilities. This commitment to provide equal access and opportunity for persons with disabilities is in compliance with federal and state law. Amarillo College also strives to provide Electronic and Information Resources (EIR) that are accessible to all authorized users.

If you find you are unable to access material in an accessible format please contact the Disability Services Office at (806) 345-5639 . This office will work in conjunction with other campus resources to address and accommodate your issue in a timely manner.

Statement for Mental Health and Advocacy & Resource Center:

As a student you may experience a range of issues that can cause barriers to learning, such as strained relationships, increased anxiety, alcohol/drug problems, feeling down, difficulty concentrating and/or lack of motivation. These mental health concerns or stressful events may lead to diminished academic performance or reduce a student's ability to participate in daily activities. Amarillo College offers services to assist you with addressing these and other concerns you may be experiencing. If you or someone you know are suffering from any of the aforementioned conditions, you can learn more about the broad range of confidential mental health services available on campus by calling the AC Counseling Center at 806-371-5900. The AC Counseling Center website is https://www.actx.edu/counseling/ . Also, if you are in need of social services (affordable housing, utilities, transportation, food, clothing, childcare, medical/dental/vision, legal), please call the AC Advocacy & Resource Center at 806-371-5439. The AC Advocacy & Resource Center website is https://www.actx.edu/arc

Amarillo College Tutoring for Success Policy:

Tutoring for Success applies to any student whose overall performance in the course falls below 75%. The instructor will create the task in the Student Engagement Portal (Watermark) to direct the student to the appropriate tutoring service, which may be faculty- or SI-led, discipline-specific, and/or general. The tutoring service assigned, the due date for when the tutoring must be completed, and the amount of tutoring required are at the discretion of the instructor. Additionally, the task will alert the student’s success team. Students who do not fulfill the assigned tutoring task may be subject to program- and course-specific penalties that could result in a grade reduction and/or in not being allowed to progress in the course until the tutoring requirement has been satisfied.

Administrative Drop Policy

Students who do not attend class on or prior to the census date will be administratively dropped. Effective Fall, 2016

Student Withdrawal Procedures

Students who wish to withdraw from a course must complete all steps indicated on the Academic Withdrawal Request form by the course withdrawal deadline.

NOTE: Students who are attending Texas institutions of higher education, for the first time fall 2007 and later, may not withdraw from more than six courses during their academic career. This withdrawal limitation does not include dual credit or developmental classes (Senate Bill 1231 Rule 4.10.) For more information on Drop and Withdrawal Policies, please visit the Registrar's Office Web site.

Privacy Statement

The Amarillo College Privacy Policy is found at https://www.actx.edu/-amarillo-college-privacy-notice , and applies to all Amarillo College students.  If you have questions about this privacy statement or you believe that your personal information has been released without your consent, send email to humanresources@actx.edu .

Course

RSPT-2355-001 Critical Care Monitoring

Prerequisites

Course Description

Advanced monitoring techniques used to assess a patient in the critical care setting.

Student ResourcesStudent Resources Website

Department Expectations

Occupational License Disclaimer

Notice to Students enrolled in an educational program for preparation of issuance of certain occupational licenses:

Students enrolled in an educational program in preparation for obtaining certain occupational licenses are potentially ineligible for such license if the student has been convicted of an offense. For further information, please contact:

Melodie Graves
Justice Involved Advocate
Student Service Center 117
mgraves24@actx.edu
806-371-5995
Make appointment at https://melodiegraves.youcanbook.me

You can also contact the Legal Clinic, or the faculty member in charge of the educational program that you seek to enroll in. The further information you will receive will include notification to you of your right to request a criminal history evaluation letter from the licensing authority in order to clarify your particular situation.

Hours

(3 sem hrs; 3 lec)

Class Type

On Campus Course

Syllabus Information

Textbooks

1. Pilbeam.  Mechanical Ventilation: Physiological and Clinical Application, Mosby, 7th Ed.
2. Wilkins. Clinical Assessment in Respiratory Care, Mosby/Year, 9th Ed.
3. Wilkins.  Egans Fundmentals of Respiratory Care, Mosby, 12th Ed.

 

Supplies

1. Class Notes
2. Laptop computer with Internet/WiFi capability for in-class online testing

Student Performance

End-of-Course Outcomes:  Describe the principles/techniques involved in critical care monitoring; interpret patient data; and apply data to evaluate cardiopulmonary disorders.

1. Be able to diagnose acute respiratory failure by clinical assessment & spontaneous parameters.
2. Assess tissue oxygenation, including V/Q relationships, ability of oxygen to cross the alveolar-capillary membrane, O2, transport, tissue O2 extraction, and adequacy of ventilation.
3. Define and calculate cardiac physiology concepts, including cardiac output, stroke volume, cardiac index, systemic vascular resistance and pulmonary vascular resistance.
4. Understand what determines cardiac output, including preload, afterload, and myocardial contractility.
5. Describe components of a pressure monitoring system, set-up, and general complications involved with a system.
6. Discuss the physiologic significance of hemodynamic monitoring and be able to interpret the pressure values obtained.
7. Describe the catheter insertion technique for the Swan-Ganz catheter, A-line, and CVP.
8. List possible complications of having a A-line, CVP, or Swan-Ganz catheter in place and know how to measure cardiac output using the thermodilution and dye dilution technique.
9. Describe spectrophotometry be able to interpret values obtained from mixed venous blood gas samples.
10. Discuss the operation of the Intra-Aortic Balloon Pump (IABP).

Students Rights and Responsibilities

Student Rights and Responsibilities

Log in using the AC Connect Portal

In order to receive your AC Connect Email, you must log in through AC Connect at https://acconnect.actx.edu .

If you are an active staff or faculty member according to Human Resources, use "Exchange". All other students, use "AC Connect (Google) Email".

Expected Student Behavior

1. The student should read assignments prior to class and be prepared to discuss topics covered in class. Keep up with the reading! Take notes while you read. DO NOT just highlight text. I suggest reading every night. If you wait until quiz or test time not only will you be unprepared for class discussions, there will be too much to read. 
2. Assigned homework (this includes reading assignments) should be completed before class. Homework cannot be completed in class unless time is given by the instructor.
3. All students are responsible for their own work.  Cheating of any kind will not be tolerated; see scholastic dishonesty under additional information.
4. All conversations should be related to the discussion at hand and comments should not be directed toward specific individuals.  Please refrain from private conversations or any other activities which might distract other learners. Do not sleep in class. We all have demanding schedules and are tired at times. But, sleeping in class is a distraction to the instructor and fellow students. If you sleep it will count as an absence regardless of the time missed.
5. Students are responsible for equipment loss or damage if such loss is due to abuse or intentional neglect by the student.
6. I want all students to be successful. Ear buds may not be worn during class. Distractions need to be minimal during the learning environment. For this reason, cell phones will be placed in the wall pockets during class time. If smart watches cause distractions, you will also be asked to put those away. If you bring a laptop or other technological device to class, it should not be used for purposes other than taking class notes or testing. 
7. RSPT 2355 contains a great deal of information and you must keep up with your reading and studying of the material. It is imperative for each student to outline the sections of reading and learn the content.  Please do not hesitate to reach out to the West Campus Tutoring Center SSS tutor or a peer tutor if needed.
8. Being courteous in class does not mean that you have to agree with everything that is being said. However, your point will be much more credible if conveyed without rudeness, aggression, or hostility. If you strongly disagree with your professor, please speak with him/her after class or make an appointment for a conversation at a later time.
9. When you have a question or comment, please raise your hand first as a courtesy to your classmates and the professor. Remember, your questions are NOT an imposition – they are welcome. Chances are if you have a question, someone else is thinking the same thing but does not want to ask it. So, ask questions! You’ll learn more, it makes the class more interesting, and you are helping others learn as well.
10. If an emergency/illness arises that requires an absence from a scheduled class, it is your responsibility to get the notes and all other information that was covered in class from a colleague you trust.

Grading Criteria

 

Testing Procedure

Exams will be administered when possible in an on campus testing center using Respondus Lockdown Browser to ensure exam integrity. If an exam is taken at home using Respondus Lockdown Browser, cameras must be used. If a camera is not available on the device, the exam must be taken at the college with a proctor. Calculators will be enabled through Respondus Lockdown Browser for exams.

Course exams will not be reviewed. If the student desires to review test content for further study, an appointment must be made with the instructor.

Make-up policy

The opportunity to make-up missed tests and turn in assignments will be decided on an individual basis by the instructor.  The exam must be taken within 1 week and the maximum grade that can be earned is 75%.  Makeup exams may be different from the exam given on the scheduled day.  There will be no make-up offered for the final exam or quizzes.  Homework assignments will not be accepted late.

Grading

1. Each examination will have a specific value of points awarded for correct answers. Exams will make up 500 points in this course.  The remaining 100 points will come from homework assignments or quizzes given throughout the semester.
2. At the end of the course, all possible points from examinations and other assignments will be totaled. This total will be the maximum possible points a student could earn.
3. The number of points earned by a student will be divided by the maximum possible points for the course. The quotient will be expressed as a percent and converted to a final grade.

Grading Scale:        
    A          89.5-100% or 672-750 points
    B          79.5-89.4% or 597-671 points
    C          75.0-79.4% or 563-596 points
    F          74.9-0% or less than 562 points

If a student is absent for a regularly scheduled examination, the student may take a makeup examination but the highest grade a student can earn is 75%.  Students have one week to make up an examination.  All material given in this course will be tested during the 5 major examinations and the comprehensive final exam worth 150 points.

A student will not pass the course if the average of all exams is not >75%. 
The grade distribution for the course after all exams have been taken is as follows:
Exams 70%, Assignments 20%, Quizzes 10%
The assignments and quiz grades will be averaged in to the course grade following the final exam.

Mandatory tutoring in the West Campus Student Success Center (WCB Building) will be required when earning less than 75% on an exam. See Remediation Policy below.

Attendance

ATTENDANCE POLICY
I want you to be successful and your attendance is critical to your success.  In order to be fair, there is no distinction between an excused absence and an unexcused absence.  Attendance is taken with Watermark and it is the student's responsibility to ensure their attendance is correct. Each student with a tardy/attendance problem will be addressed on an individual basis with the instructor. 

In order for the student to obtain maximum benefit from the course, they must attend class regularly. In the event that a student must miss a class it is his/her responsibility to obtain the content that was discussed in their absence. There will be no make-up for missed quizzes. A missed quiz will receive a grade of zero. Students will not receive extra time to complete quizzes when arriving late to class.  In the event a student must miss a major exam, it is their responsibility to contact the instructor. A different exam with similar content may be given.  *Two tardies (more than 10 minutes late) count as one absence.  Two instances of leaving class early (more than 10 minutes) counts as one absence.

If you are visibly ill and or running a fever, please do not attend class. Your classmates don't need your illness anymore than your patients at the hospital. 

Calendar

Additional Information

 

Keep in mind that grades are not given.  Grades are EARNED based on student performance.  Often the instructor plays no role in the grading process other than recording.  Please be careful to note the requirements for earning the grade you desire and act accordingly throughout the semester.

SCHOLASTIC DISHONESTY
Every member of the Amarillo College community is expected to maintain the highest standards of academic integrity. All work submitted for credit is expected to be the student’s own work. Amarillo College may initiate disciplinary proceedings against a student or program applicant accused of scholastic dishonesty. While specific examples are listed below, this is not an exhaustive list, and scholastic dishonesty may encompass other conduct, including any misconduct through electronic or computerized means. Scholastic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, one (1) or more of the following acts:

1. Cheating includes, but is not limited to, intentionally or unintentionally having access to and/or using unauthorized materials identified by the faculty member, including, but not limited to, material generated by Artificial Intelligence (AI) programs and content generators, or electronic, digital media, telecommunication, and/or wearable devices (e.g., laptops, phones, smartwatches, Fitbits, Bluetooth devices, tablets) to complete a quiz, examination, or class assignment; receiving information in an unauthorized manner during a quiz or examination or to complete an assignment; using, buying, selling, soliciting, stealing, or otherwise obtaining course assignments and/or examination questions in advance; using information about exams posted on the internet or in any electronic medium; violating a faculty member’s and/or the Testing Center’s testing policies and procedures; leaving a test site without permission; failing to secure test materials; removing tests or answer sheets from a test site; using someone else’s work for an assignment in whole or in part as if it were one’s own (e.g., turning in a copy of someone else’s work as one’s own work, or incorporating text generated by Artificial Intelligence (AI) programs or content generators as one’s own writing); submitting academic work in whole or in part for more than one (1) assignment, class, or institution without the faculty member’s permission (i.e., recycling an assignment or self-plagiarism); using annotated texts or teacher’s editions; making false statements or omissions related to applications for enrollment, credit or classwork, research, or the award of a degree; falsifying academic records or documents; and attempting to fulfill the requirements of a course through any other dishonest means.
    
2. Collusion includes, but is not limited to, intentionally or unintentionally aiding or attempting to aid another in an act of scholastic dishonesty; failing to secure academic work; providing an inappropriate level of assistance; collaborating with or communicating answers to a classmate about an examination or course assignment without the faculty member’s permission; and allowing a classmate to copy answers.
    
3. Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to, intentionally or unintentionally failing to quote and cite words, information, and/or ideas taken from a source(s) in accordance with a citation style approved by the faculty member and/or inadequately paraphrasing.

GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE
A student, who develops a problem with a course policy or the course instructor, should first try to resolve the problem with the instructor of record, then the program director.  If the problem cannot be resolved at this level, the student should make an appointment to speak with Dean of Health Professions, Kim Boyd 354-6060.

REMEDIATION POLICY
The instructor will meet with students who perform poorly on exams.  Both parties will develop a plan to gain a better understanding of the information covered on the exam.  This remediation will be completed before the student can take the next scheduled exam in the course and will be scheduled outside of regular class time. The plan will include, but will not be limited to:
     1.  Students earning less than 75% on an exam will be required to see a tutor in the West Campus Tutoring Center before the next exam can be taken.  A notification will be sent to through Watermark that needs to be signed by a staff member from the tutoring center.
     2.  If a student does not understand the concepts or topics after the tutorial session, please email the instructor to schedule a discussion of topics with the instructor.

CAMPUS POLICE
Campus police non-emergency 371-5163, and in the case of Emergency call 371-5911 or call 911 for city police and ambulance assistance.

WITHDRAWAL PROCESS
Students wishing to withdraw from a class must consult with their instructor first.  Students may either communicate via email or meet face-to-face with their instructor to begin the withdrawal process.  If the instructor and student both agree that withdrawal is the appropriate course of action, the student will initiate the paperwork and obtain the instructor's signature.

Dropping courses before reaching the 60% point in the semester could result in the student needing to repay back financial aid funding.  To determine this date for your specific classes, log in to AC Connect, click Self Service menu, click My Academic Profile, click My Important Course Section Dates.

Students will receive confirmation that their withdrawal request has been completed.  The Registrar's Office will process the withdrawal and notify both the student and the instructor via AC email.

If a student stops attending class and does not officially drop or withdraw from the course, a grade of "F" will be given for the course grade.  A grade of "W" will be given for student-initiated drops or withdrawals.  Texas law now mandates that students may only drop or withdraw 6 times in their entire college careers, excluding drops prior to the census date.
The last day to drop or withdraw is provided on the AC Master Calendar. (April 17, 2025)

NOTE:  Respiratory Care Program students that withdraw or are unsuccessful from this course will be delayed in completing the major components of the AAS degree in Respiratory Care. 
To continue in the program, a student may repeat an RSPT course only one time and may repeat no more than two RSPT courses while enrolled in the program.  The term "repeat" shall be interpreted to mean re-enrollment following withdrawal, drop, or unsatisfactory grade.