Mission
The mission of the Stony Brook University Respiratory Care Program is to offer the highest quality medical education and clinical skills in a learning environment that fosters critical thinking, encourages professional leadership, inspires research, and instills a strong appreciation of ethical values and human diversity.
This multifaceted program emphasizes critical care, acute care, neonatal/pediatrics, cardiac care, home care, polysomnography, and pulmonary diagnostics. Utilizing the standards established by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC), the established curriculum provides students with the opportunity to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to be outstanding patient care providers and encourages them to improve the overall health of their surrounding communities.
For students who enter the Polysomnography Specialty Option (PSO), our goal is to prepare practitioners with demonstrated competence in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains of polysomnographic technology practice as performed by sleep disorders specialists.
Program Goals
Goal 1: 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 (RRTs).
Goal 2: To prepare leaders for the field of respiratory care by including curricular content with objectives related to the acquisition of skills in one or more of the following: management, education, research and advanced clinical practice (which may include an area of clinical specialization.
Respiratory Care and Polysomnographic Specialty Option Technical Standards
The mission of the School of Health Professions (SHP) is to provide the highest quality education in an interdisciplinary learning environment that fosters research, scholarly activity, critical thinking, evidence-based practice, leadership, and professionalism, while affirming the importance of ethical behavior, human diversity, service, and a team approach to health care. The Respiratory Care Program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC) [www.coarc.com] located at 264 Precision Blvd, Telford, TN 37690, (817) 283-2835. The Respiratory Care Program is also an education program approved by the New York State Department of Education.
Students preparing for a career in Respiratory Care are expected to perform therapeutic and diagnostic techniques safely and accurately. Students must be able to perform the scope of practice as outlined in national and state standards, including:
- Maintain clinical competence under challenging and sometimes stressful situations
- Gather, assess, and interpret patient data, and respond appropriately to changes in disease signs and symptoms, patient conditions and mental status (e.g. breathing, cardiac, and neurologic patterns)
- Gather data, assess, interpret, and respond appropriately to changes in equipment function/ malfunction and safety alarms
- Demonstrate manual dexterity
- Be able to move and/or reposition patients and equipment
- Have a range of motion that allows for reaching hospital equipment such as oxygen administering systems, suction apparatus, electrical outlets, etc.
- Perform physical assessment accurately (e.g. auscultation, physical inspection, palpation, etc.)
- Utilize and monitor sophisticated equipment and technologies
- Read analog and digital displays
- Respond appropriately to a wide range of patient care needs
- Communicate effectively and utilize written and spoken English when interacting with patients, their families, and other health care professionals
- Record, read, write, and interpret data about a patient's condition from charts, radiology screens and computer information systems
- Respond to medical emergencies in a timely manner and perform life sustaining procedures appropriately (e.g. cardiopulmonary resuscitation, electrocardiograms, airway management, blood sampling and analysis)
- Practice universal precautions when interacting with patients and other health care providers
- Carry out orders accurately and in a timely manner
- Exercise proper clinical and intellectual judgment
- Work as an effective health care team member
- Demonstrate professional affective behaviors when interacting with patients, their families, and colleagues.
Students having a past criminal record must declare this situation at the time of admission. Certain types of criminal offenses may result in an inability to receive professional licensure and job offers upon graduation. Before starting the program, students in this situation must speak with the program director to determine the extent of possible future difficulties with this issue. Please see Stony Brook’s accommodation statement from the Student Accessibility Support Center (below). If you have a physical, psychological, medical, or learning disability that may impact your course work, please contact the Student Accessibility Support Center, 128 ECC Building, (631) 632-6748, or at sasc@Stonybrook.edu. They will determine with you what accommodations are necessary and appropriate. All information and documentation is confidential.
Students who require assistance during emergency evacuation are encouraged to discuss their needs with their professors and the Student Accessibility Support Center. For procedures and information go to the following website: https://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/studentaffairs/sasc/accessibility/emergencies.php and search Fire Safety and Evacuation and Disabilities.
