Respiratory Care A Growing Vital Field
Story by Ariana Jervis
As the world of health care evolves, numerous fields offer fulfilling, impactful career opportunities. One such field that gets overlooked is Respiratory Care. Often overshadowed by more familiar health care occupations, Respiratory Care is a field that embodies compassion, expertise and the remarkable ability to help people breathe with ease.
With the rise of the pandemic, the world became more familiar with respiratory therapists (RTs) and the critical role they play in health care. But as the pandemic winds down, the need for RTs remains. Employment opportunities for RTs are expected to increase faster than normal over the coming years, and students are being drawn to the profession for a variety of reasons.
Nothing is as automatic and instinctive to the human body than breathing. From the moment we are born, our respiratory system knows exactly what to do. What happens when that automatic function is disrupted, and breathing becomes difficult?
Hope Appelbaum, MEd, Respiratory Care chair and associate professor at Kettering College, says, “When you can’t breathe, nothing else matters. No matter what age the patient is—from the extremely preterm infant to the elderly frail adult, we help people of all ages breathe.”
She points out Respiratory Care is a relatively new field, which began in the 1960s as new technologies were developed specific to aid breathing. The field has expanded since then, and RTs are given the opportunity to work in a variety of environments, including sleep medicine, hospital units such as NICU, long-term care facilities, ambulance transport, pulmonary diagnostic labs and many more, based on individual interest.
Many students are drawn to Respiratory Care because of their innate desire to care for others and work in the field of medicine. Some have personal experiences in which they or their loved ones have been treated by an RT, witnessing firsthand the importance of their work. Since the profession deals with patients from the waist-up, some students choose the field because it aligns better with their level of comfort, while still allowing them to work in a health care setting.
Professor Appelbaum says, “Breathing is the most important thing a person can do.” And while RTs help patients breathe, their role extends far beyond administering medications or operating ventilators. RTs serve as compassionate educators, teaching patients proper breathing techniques and providing vital care, support and education to patients and their families. They are advocates for their patients, working closely with health care teams to develop comprehensive care plans tailored to individual needs, and they empower their patients to take control of their respiratory health and find comfort in the breaths they once struggled to take.
More than an occupation, being an RT can be a highly rewarding calling. Our Respiratory Care professors at Kettering College have worked as RTs, making a difference in the lives of their patients. Now, as educators, they continue to breathe excitement into the field by using their passion to prepare the next generation of RTs for a career of dedication and service.
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