Respiratory Therapy

Respiratory Therapists Represent Responsibility & Research

Even through the challenges, program on campus prepares students for the workforce.

Photos & Story | Sarah Newberry & Page Design | Rachel Wilson

A journey is not always about the destination, it’s how one gets there and the experiences they encounter on the way.

Respiratory therapists experience a lot of twists and turns in their career. They have a lot thrown at them at every step of the way. Between working in the field and getting the certification they need, there is a lot to accomplish. According to many students and faculty in the Respiratory Therapy Program at Hutchinson Community College, it can be a fun and rewarding career. The students often make many friends and support each other throughout their studies and exams.

It can also be stressful, but usually time management is key to succeeding. Between clinicals, lectures, labs, studying, and tests, respiratory therapist students have a lot on their plate. The program has been around since 2013 and keeps growing and bringing in lots of applications each year.

“Busy, you usually hit the ground running, especially today with COVID,” said Teresa Pauls, Respiratory Therapist Program Director.

There’s typically a busy, 12-hour day for therapists out in the field. They are constantly running around doing different things, adjusting to the needs of the hospital or wherever they are needed.

“They basically put out fires, basically helping people to breathe, managing oxygen, managing their ventilation, helping that patient give breathing therapy,” Pauls said. What respiratory therapists do is very important and they aspire to help people. It takes a lot of work to get there, but in the end it’s worth it. The first step is getting into the program.

Respiratory Therapy Program Director Teresa Pauls poses outside her office. She was in respiratory therapy for 25 years before moving to education.

Photo | Sarah Newberry

“Get your Gen Eds. There are courses you have to take before you can get into the program. Also reach out to Jerry or Teresa, they’re both very easy to get ahold of, they’re very communicative, they’re willing to set something up,” said Matison Moyer, hometown.

Before joining the program, it’s a good idea to know if that’s the career path that student should pursue.

“I knew I wanted to be in the medical field, but I just didn’t know how,” Moyer said.

Moyer previously worked in a hospital, she was trying to figure out what to do in the healthcare field. Seeing respiratory therapists working piqued her interest, so she started to ask questions.

“So whenever I could, I would just go around and ask nurses, respiratory therapists, ‘Hey do you like your job’ or whatever you know,” Moyer said. “It’s something I wanted to be able to love my job for the rest of my life or until I retire. Every single respiratory therapist I talked to said ‘I love my job, I love everything about it.”

Loving something is a key to being passionate about a career choice. There are other factors as well, like hard work and along with that comes stress.

Students in the simulation lab reviewed patient vitals and talked through respiratory treatments.

Photo | Sarah Newberry

“Crunch time is the hardest thing, also you are taking a test all the time,” Brandy Cabezos, hometown, said. ”Time management is the hardest thing for me, [you] go from clinicals to class, lectures, to tests. You just gotta be prepared for all of it.”

Even though it can all be grueling at times, there is someone to support students in the program. Whether it’s classmates or instructors, they’re there for each other no matter what.

Second-year students Matison Moyer and Brandy Cavazos take a break between classes. Moyer previously worked at Wesley before returning to school for respiratory therapy.

Photo | Sarah Newberry

“I’ve met some pretty amazing people and all my classmates are awesome,” Cabezos said.

Overall, a good support system is good. A good support system is one key to success, especially during the COVID pandemic and how things can quickly change. Respiratory therapy students learn a lot in the field and have had to adapt to COVID.

“Everything can look really good at 8 am and then 10 o’clock rolls around and suddenly your COVID patient is not doing so hot. So just be prepared for things to constantly be changing,” Cabezos said.

Overall, respiratory therapy is a much needed field and can be a rewarding one as well. It’s like a never ending web of ropes to make a safety net of hope, support, and a bright future for many.

Jerry Houchin, Respiratory Therapy Clinical Coordinator, supervises two students in the respiratory therapy simulation lab as they charted a pretend patient.

Photo | Sarah Newberry