THE WORLD NEEDS MORE

Respiratory Therapy is a critical part of healthcare, but the U.S. faces a major shortage of qualified therapists.

Our Respiratory Therapy (RT) program may be tucked inside two classrooms at the CVCC ValleySim Hospital, but this space is the center of big movement: training the next generation of qualified respiratory therapists. Nikonya Godwin, Department Head of CVCC’s Respiratory Therapy program, is an energetic leader who passionately encourages students to chase their calling, especially when it comes to respiratory therapy.

Despite the rising demands for professional respiratory therapists, RT programs across the country continue to report low enrollment. This reality is concerning; it is taking great lengths to retain qualified respiratory therapists. Several of CVCC’s students found interest in the RT program because of personal experience living with or knowing someone in need of respiratory care. Some students grew up with asthma and witnessed the benefits of respiratory therapy from a young age. Others had parents and family members whose lives depended on proper respiratory care and disease management.

First-year student, Jaime, understood the lifesaving impact of respiratory therapy while her grandfather lived beyond expectations because of outstanding pulmonary treatment.

“When my grandpa got sick, his lung function quickly deteriorated and he was placed in an induced coma,” Jaime says, full of emotion. “Professionals said he wouldn’t make the next couple of weeks. But the respiratory therapists who took care of him were exceptional, and we had two more years with my grandpa, because they knew what they were doing.”

To this day, Jaime is grateful for the respiratory therapists who were able to extend her grandfather’s life. As Jamie felt led to help others in similar scenarios, she grew determined to enter CVCC’s Respiratory Therapy program. Now, a year into the degree, Jaime is full of confidence about her chosen field and is always eager to share how essential respiratory therapy is to the world of healthcare.

“I think it’s important to advocate for the right methods of RT,” she shares. “It really helps. You need to treat your patients as if they were your own mom, your brother, your cousin...and having empathy plays an important role.”

José, another first-year student, admits that the Respiratory Therapy is not for the faint of heart—they learn to use needles by practicing in-person on each other—and students must take a unique course sequence while maintaining a B average or greater if they wish to complete the program and earn a degree.

“The coursework does make a difference, though,” Jose says. “Nikki and Amy are good at seeing what our weaknesses are and pushing us...for those who are willing to take the initiative, [respiratory therapy] is rewarding.”

Molly came to CVCC already equipped with an 8-year medical career, and though she wasn’t always a part of the RT department, she remembers feeling inspired by the RTs who worked alongside her. After considering how she wanted to fit into the healthcare field overall, Molly decided that Respiratory Therapy was where she could leave her biggest impact on others.

Other students recalled the frightening aspects of respiratory emergencies, like a family member who lost a secure airway during a sudden, unpredictable incident. This kind of situation, though scary, helped them recognize the significance of respiratory care and realize that respiratory health should not be taken for granted. “It’s not just the nurses or doctors who take care of people,” one student, Jimmy, explains. “Respiratory therapists take care of patients too...we need to show the world what RT really is, because not everyone knows.”

According to the *MORE RT Campaign, approximately 92,000 RTs will leave the profession over the next seven years, but medical facilities currently need to retain about 155,000 RTs. That’s a huge gap. With the rising number of respiratory disease cases during the past few years, it’s important to motivate respiratory therapists of all ages and experience levels.

These respiratory therapy students readily accept the challenge to go above and beyond for others—not only current classmates, but also future patients. The program is full of simulations, like giving medical Manikins practice treatment during emergencies or sticking each other to get comfortable with ABG draws (blood gas draws).“It feels great when you go in (clinicals),” Jamie adds, “take an ABG, and the patient says, ‘that was smooth’.” She believes needle drawing practice within the classroom, even during the first year of college, has made a big difference in the results of her clinical work.

Godwin and other Respiratory Therapy instructors ensure that each student prepares for the unexpected—even if this means interrupting their regularly scheduled class for some first-hand scenarios. Students recall a famous scenario in which they were all sitting at their desks, taking exams, and suddenly paged to assist with a “coding” simulation. They each had to rush from the middle of their exams into another lab to work on the ventilator and save a Manikin patient in distress.

Everyone agrees that this immersive, engaging scenario helps RT students strengthen their abilities to manage stress that may arise in the middle of an already tense situation.

Together, these RT students are an ambitious yet humble group with a strong passion for their future field. If they can help just one family see a brighter future, help one patient feel comforted, or even help patients avoid the need for further respiratory care, they have considered their mission accomplished. One student, Abraham, wraps it up well: “You are potentially with a patient in the most critical time of their life. You need to understand and take on that responsibility without expecting any glory from it.”

It’s not about how the students can receive credit for their work. It’s about fostering the next generation of RTs to help others go on to live more, see more, or possibly do more.

* Source: https://morerts.com/growing-need/