respiratory therapist career

[Jaden'smommy]

hello!

So I just started college and I would like to have a career in the health care system. I first wanted to become a nurse but i dont think I will be good at that, i dont think I could handle cleaning a person So I thought about respiratory therapist. Is anyone here one or knows of someone that is? I need a career that I know I will have a job, I'm a single mom and really need to have something stable.

 

[Strawberry's mom&dad]

Being a respiratory therapist is a great choice. I graduated in 1982. It has been a career that has suited me well. Great pay, usually lots of job opportunities.
As a therapist you deal with all aspects of the cardio respiratory system. Employment is usually in hospitals dealing with all ages of patients. However you can be employed in long term ventilator rehab units, sub specialist as a PFT tech or a sleep tech.
good luck in your career

 

[aubriee]

hello!

So I just started college and I would like to have a career in the health care system. I first wanted to become a nurse but i dont think I will be good at that, I don't think I could handle cleaning a person So I thought about respiratory therapist. Is anyone here one or knows of someone that is? I need a career that I know I will have a job, I'm a single mom and really need to have something stable.

If you are really interested in nursing don't let this stop you. I've been a RN since 1985 and can't imagine doing anything else, but I haven't bathed a person since the first year I was in nursing. As soon as I got out of nursing school I got a critical care internship, but quickly decided that environment wasn't for me. I spent a year just to get the experience, but decided to do community nursing. I spent 6 years doing home health (we had aides who did bed baths, not nurses). I then spent 5 years working at our local health department with high risk pregnancies and high risk newborns and for the last almost 13 years I have worked at a pschiatric hospital and finally found my niche. I can't imagine ever leaving my current job. Anyway, my point is, I love nursing but haven't bathed a patient since 1986.

 

[RMulieri]

If you can't handle cleaning a person..Resp therapy might work, but you still do direct patient care and it is not always pretty( at least in training and depending what you do after) you will be suctioning Tracheostomy sites, and suctioning throats and noses..Lots and lots of thick phlegm and mucous....I am a nurse and rather bathe a patient anyday.Some hospitals have gotten rid of Resp therapy and have the nurses do it.So you can't always count on it being an easy ,stable job environment..Where I work they only hire a few RT people ( the pay is not great either at least here)and unless the patient is vented ,needs bipap or has a chronic issue like Cystic Fibrosis.Nursing is responisble for most of resp care.

 

[jms531]

I would suggest spending a couple days shadowing a nurse and a resp. therapist. It's hard to get a handle on what's really expected and the day to day tasks until you see it first hand. I'm an RN, and haven't bathed a pt since nursing school. However, if bodily fluids bother you then this may not be the field for you...there are plenty of "grosser" things I've had to deal with aside from bathing a pt. How do you feel about trachs? Suctioning them, cleaning them etc. was enough to make a couple of my classmates throw in the towel. Also wound care can be a little touch and go if you have a weak stomach. Here's a site with some pictures (these are mild, not the worst I've seen) and as a nurse, depending on your facility you may be expected to provide wound care. http://www.logicalimages.com/publicHealthResources/pressureUlcer.htm
Nursing is a very rewarding field but generally wanting to "help people" I've found isn't always enough to make it. We deal with a lot of things that others would lose their stomachs over. Good luck with your decision

 

[Lauren79]

I am a clinical laboratory technologist and I love my job! I work in the laboratory with patient specimens. We perform the medical tests that doctors base their diagnoses on. I went to school and got both my Associates and my Bachelors in Medical Technology, and now I even teach the Clinical Chemistry portion of the Associates Degree Program at my local community college. I still work in the laboratory as well. I love my job, it is a very important part of patient care and you have no patient contact except for their specimens.

 

[RMulieri]

PBI- I want to know where all the nurses work that haven't bathed a patient since nursing school cause i need to work there OP- I bathe patients all the time and have been a nurse for 14 yrs this summer.How much a bedside nurse does depends on a lot of factors- it depends on where you work, what unit, what shift and how well its staffed.I work day/nights and I float, but predominantly work Oncology.We are expected to bathe at least 1/2 of our assigned patient groups on night shift, and we only have 1 CNA to 20 patients so they can't do baths, and vitals every 4 hours and answer call bells.I also change my incontinent patients, turn and reposition every 1-2 hours my mobility impaired patients, and do my own dressing changes, RESP treatments, Chest physiotherapy ,blood draws and iv starts...and this is a big teaching hospital where I work.I also know nurses that work at one of the local private hospitals that does NONE of these things, they have people to do that for them.

 

[okeydokey]

My SIL is a respiratory therapist. She works in a hospital. She said for her the pay is much lower than an RN and if she could go back, so she go the RN route.

 

[RMulieri]

My SIL is a respiratory therapist. She works in a hospital. She said for her the pay is much lower than an RN and if she could go back, so she go the RN route.

That seems to be true.One of the nearby hospitals pays $13/hr for resp therapists..Not sure whay my facility pays but I know its not alot either

 

[Strawberry's mom&dad]

Hi. I'm the dad portion of Mom&Dad. I to am a resp therapist(we met in school). Here in Wa state the starting wage is about $20/hr. I would never want to be a nurse but that's just me There are many allied health professions to choose from including rad tech, pharm tech, lab tech, ot, pt, etc.Job shadowing is a good idea so you can get a feel for each prof. As a rule the longer you go to school, the more responsibility you have, and the more credentials you have the more you get paid. Being a critical care resp therapist is fun exciting and challenging. I hope you find something you enjoy that fits your lifestyle.

 

[Jaden'smommy]

thanks everyone for all the info. i spoke to a few nurses and got more info on resp. therapist. I'm aiming toward nursing, i feel like there so many things i could in nursing, not just one thing. i still have time to think about this, thanks everyone for all your opinions!