RRT-ACCS study plan
RRT-ACCS · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 7 hours per week
Patient Assessment and Monitoring & Initiation and Modification of Respiratory Care
Interpret 40 arterial blood gas values (including mixed and metabolic compensation cases) and classify each as respiratory/metabolic, acute/chronic, and oxygenated/not oxygenated
Perform a structured head-to-toe respiratory assessment sequence on 5 simulated or real patients and document findings in a consistent format
Differentiate normal from abnormal breath sounds, percussion notes, and tactile fremitus, and link each to a likely underlying pathology
Correlate basic bedside monitoring data (SpO2, capnography waveform, vital signs trends) with the ABG-derived picture
Your checkpoint
Completed 40-case ABG worksheet with written interpretations and a scoring accuracy of at least 85%
Initiation and Modification of Respiratory Care & Patient Assessment and Monitoring
Select initial ventilator mode and settings for at least 6 distinct clinical presentations (post-op, asthma, ARDS, neuromuscular weakness, COPD, head injury)
Read and label the components of pressure-time, flow-time, and volume-time waveforms for both volume-targeted and pressure-targeted breaths
Identify and correct patient-ventilator asynchrony patterns including flow starvation, double triggering, and ineffective triggering
Calculate desired tidal volume ranges, ideal body weight, and minute ventilation targets for 10 patient profiles
Your checkpoint
A one-page ventilator initiation algorithm plus completed settings table for 6 clinical scenarios
Initiation and Modification of Respiratory Care & Patient Assessment and Monitoring
Modify ventilator settings in response to worsening gas exchange, high peak or plateau pressures, and auto-PEEP, justifying each change
Distinguish peak airway pressure from plateau pressure elevation and list the correct differential for each
Design a spontaneous breathing trial and extubation readiness assessment for 5 patient vignettes
Compare lung-protective, airway pressure release, and high-frequency strategies for severe ARDS and state indications and contraindications for each
Evaluate indications, interfaces, and failure criteria for noninvasive ventilation in acute respiratory failure
Your checkpoint
Ten-vignette case worksheet with a written justification for every ventilator change made, self-scored against a rubric
Patient Assessment and Monitoring & Initiation and Modification of Respiratory Care
Relate hemodynamic values (cardiac output, pulmonary artery pressures, systemic vascular resistance, mixed venous oxygen saturation) to respiratory and oxygenation status
Interpret capnography waveforms in the context of airway obstruction, circuit leak, and low-perfusion states
Explain the physiologic rationale linking acid-base status, oxygen delivery, and ventilator strategy in shock
Review all missed items from weeks 1 to 3 and correct them against primary physiology rather than memorized answers
Your checkpoint
Timed 60-question mixed Domain 1 and Domain 2 self-assessment completed with a written error log for every missed item
Quality, Safety, and Professional Practice in Adult Critical Care
Assemble a ventilator-associated event prevention bundle and identify which elements are supported by the strongest evidence
Apply infection control and equipment handling principles to invasive and noninvasive respiratory care scenarios
Identify patient safety hazards in the intensive care unit related to airways, alarms, and medication delivery
Outline the steps of a root cause analysis for a respiratory care adverse event
Your checkpoint
A written safety gap analysis of one simulated clinical scenario, listing at least 8 hazards with a mitigation for each
Quality, Safety, and Professional Practice in Adult Critical Care & Patient Assessment and Monitoring
Apply ethical and legal frameworks to end-of-life ventilation decisions, informed consent, and futility discussions
Describe the role of respiratory therapists in multidisciplinary rounds, protocol development, and evidence-based practice change
Explain quality-improvement methodology and how outcome, process, and balancing measures differ
Revisit previously weak Domain 1 monitoring topics and re-test them
Your checkpoint
A two-page protocol draft for one respiratory care practice (for example, weaning or secretion management) with defined outcome measures and a re-test score of at least 80% on weak Domain 1 topics
Patient Assessment and Monitoring & Initiation and Modification of Respiratory Care & Quality, Safety, and Professional Practice in Adult Critical Care
Complete two full-length timed practice examinations under exam conditions
Classify every missed item by domain, content subtopic, and error type (knowledge gap, misread, or reasoning error)
Re-study the top 3 weakest subtopics identified in the error log with targeted review
Your checkpoint
A prioritized error log listing every missed item, its domain, and its assigned error type, with a ranked list of the top 3 weak areas
Patient Assessment and Monitoring & Initiation and Modification of Respiratory Care & Quality, Safety, and Professional Practice in Adult Critical Care
Re-test each previously identified weak subtopic until performance reaches at least 85%
Recite from memory the core decision rules for ABG interpretation, ventilator initiation, trouble-shooting, and weaning
Practice written justifications for clinical decisions to build reasoning speed under time pressure
Reduce study volume and consolidate notes into a single high-yield review sheet
Your checkpoint
A completed one-page high-yield review sheet covering all three domains plus a final timed 50-question self-test scored at 85% or higher
Milestones
Week 4: ABG interpretation, ventilator initiation, and ventilator modification are all at 80% or higher on the timed mixed assessment
Week 6: Domain 3 safety, quality, and professional practice content is complete, with the safety gap analysis and protocol draft finished
Week 8: Two full-length practice exams completed with error logs resolved, all weak subtopics re-tested at 85% or higher, and the high-yield review sheet finished