Is anyone here a respiratory therapist?
 Jakob starts kindergarten next year (Aug. 2006), so that means I start school again too! I really can't do anything with my geosciences degree, so for the last 4 years, I've been considering what I want to do with my life. I'd love to be a full-time SAHM until they both finish school, but I just don't think that's possible. We've scraped and struggled with every penny with our decision, and I think we'd both like for me to start working so we can have some "fall back" money incase something happens.
Anyway, I'm looking at two things - one is to get my masters and teach. This would be okay, but I'm not sure I want to go this route. The one thing I DO want to do is respiratory therapy though. The closest school for it is two hours away! I have read as much as I can read about the job, and I know respiratory therapists saved both my sons lives when they were newborns. That's what got me interested in this field. It's a 2 year school, and driving 2 hours one way, will be a huge committment (especially when there's two colleges local & I could just change my mind - but I REALLY want to do this). I'll try and get my classes all on either MWF or TTH, obviously the latter being the best choice. Anyway, I was wondering if anyone here is/was one? I'd love to hear how the job actually is!
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| Gail, I'm a nurse not a therapist but I can tell you that respiratory therapist don't make alot of money and job opportunities are fairly limited to hospitals (and home care). Hospital work schedules are terrible, nights, weekends, holidays. If you have young children you might want to think about that. I've been a nurse for over 20 years and it is only in the last 5 that I haven't had to work the crazy schedules. Any medical field is certainly a great opportunity as far as jobs go but the demands on your time and both physical and emotional energy are huge for about the same money you could make as a teacher. |
| Oops...I responded to this yesterday & my son unplugged the plug just as I was about to post. I forgot to come back to it.
Thanks for the help & advice. Those are things I've really been considering already. My husband told me if it was something I really wanted to do, to findn out how many of my college credits will be able to transfer over. He can get 6 mo - 1 yr "active duty" orders to work full-time in his shop where one of the schools is. He said we could rent a small house or apartment and offset the cost with the GI Bill. We'll see... |
| I know how you feel, my degrees aren't doing me any good... and yet I don't want to spend more time in school at my age. I considered it, but it's just too difficult to arrange school for me and keep up with the kids etc. Right now I'm off work for the summer, as it doesn't make financial sense for me to work and pay for day care, however in September I haven't decided what to do, either go back to the job I already have, which I hate, or do something new. That will likely depend on what kind of financial shape we are in by then.
I wish you the best of luck whatever you decide!:) Even though you really want to be a respiratory therapist, if there are not enough jobs in that specific field you may end up in the same position, but on the other hand, it's always best to choose something you enjoy, in my opinion. |
| My suggestion is to talk with respiratory therapists in your area who are already working in the field.
I respect all of the allied health specialties, very talented and dedicated individuals. I would have to echo what Tasker's Mom is advising to carefully consider all the aspects of the job. Another caution is to ask the respiratory therapists about the workload. How many therapists are on the shift covering what number of patients? As a respiratory therapist,you may need to factor in emergencies. If the hospital does not staff properly you may find yourself burnt out quickly in a job you love. Staff are amazing and will work very hard under critical shortages. But in many states the working conditions are getting worse. Currently the nurses in our state are fighting for Safe staffing ratios which are critically needed. This will protect patients and allow staff to give quality care. Another problem is the state health department ok'd placing patients in the hallway (not a room) . Imagine you are ill, and your room is the hallway!!!!!! The state nursing association is fighting that too! Patients deserve better ! The choice of career is up to you, and if you research the field and still love it, go for it! There are still many good opportunities around, just be aware of the everchanging healthcare scene and how it affects you and your patients............. Best Wishes! I'm leaving the healthcare field after over 20 years to pursue other interests. Meanwhile, I 'll be helping my family get the care, respect and dignity they deserve from the healthcare system. (You can bet we will not be in the hallway!!!!!!) |
| Yikes, I just re-read my post and it was pretty negaitve. I LOVE being a Nurse and can't imagine doing anything else. There are incredible rewards in what I do. Not a lot of money but there is more to life than money. And if being a respiratory therapist is what you really want to do then all the crummy hours and long days won't matter one bit. It's just important to know what you are getting into. Maybe one of your local hospitals or respiratory therapy schools would let you shadow a therapist for a day. |
| Hello!! I thought I would share my experience with you.. I was married for 8 yrs and have two children (3 & 6 yrs. old). When my 3 yr. old was born he was sick alot so we were in and out of hospitals (he was later diagnosed with having severe asthma along with other things). My husband was unable to handle or deal with the stress so he decided to leave and we ended up getting a divorce. At that time I took some classes to learn more about my son's asthma. To make a long story short, I am now a respiratory therapist. I went to school full time and worked part time as a single parent with two kids. It was extremely hard but it was well worth it. I think if you have a goal and believe in yourself anything is possible. My job is highly in demand and weekly I get phone calls for positions or opportunities that I haven't even applied for. Best wishes to you and your decision!! |
Tasker's Mom wrote: Gail, I'm a nurse not a therapist but I can tell you that respiratory therapist don't make alot of money and job opportunities are fairly limited to hospitals (and home care). Hospital work schedules are terrible, nights, weekends, holidays. If you have young children you might want to think about that. I've been a nurse for over 20 years and it is only in the last 5 that I haven't had to work the crazy schedules. Any medical field is certainly a great opportunity as far as jobs go but the demands on your time and both physical and emotional energy are huge for about the same money you could make as a teacher. I'm not sure where this RN works but I'm a RT in central CA and I make 68,000 a year not to bad for a 25 year old who was only been a rt for 4 years. And I love my work schedule which is 3 12 hrs shifts a week. I work 3 on 4 off. I feel like I'm off all the time. I have a 3 month old son and my schedule works out great for me and my family. Hope this helps |
| I think you should do what you love to do. I really do. I pursued my degree in biology and felt the need to get a good paying job (after years of poorly paying jobs with flexible hours but no future and no benefits while my kids were young) instead of going to grad school, which is what I wanted to do. I wish I had done that. Instead, I was hired as a lab tech in a clinical lab. Don't get me wrong: it's a great job, pays well and I work for one of the best employers around, with great benefits. But I don't really like my job much. It's a lot of routine and not much science. I wish I had gone straight to grad school or taken the big jump and gone into teaching. Right now, I am in the process of figuring out what to do and how to do it. I need/want a decent job but I also want a job that makes me feel engaged. I liken my job to a wonderful pair of shoes that just never quite fits and just rubs your heel. I truly appreciate my job, and am grateful for many things about my job, but I also wish I had listened to my heart instead of playing it safe. |
| x2 tigr. I am also a LabTech. going on 24 years here and still not sure this is what I want to do |
| I am still deciding what I want to be when I grow up and I am 53, doing my same job ( court reporting) for 32 years! Can't comment on the health care field other than to say, the respiratory therapist who took care of my Mom was awesome and we couldn;t ask for anyone better! Maybe you won't make alot of money but the people you treat will be forever grateful! |
| Im an RT for 13-14 yrs and i can tell you ...it sucks. Its a dead-end job that taxes your physical and mental well-being. Half RTs are lazy as hell and the others clean up after them. Do ALL YOURSELVES A FAVOR AND DONT START THE CLASSES. The job is based on giving nebulizer treatments to anyone for any reason. Nurses will ask for them whenever and YOU HAVE TO DO THEM. There is absolutely NO LOGIC in resp therapy. I wish i never started as one and am now searching for a real profession to go back to school for. |
| The post was originally posted by Gail back in 2005. She was mom to two adorable little upright boys and who can ever forget that pic in favorite OES photos of that puppy in a toy size red car - that was Jasper! She hasn't posted for some time so I wonder if she ever pursued her dream? On another note - Wendy, who did the wonderful OES calendars for 2012 is currently going to school to pursue this very career. From her FB pages it appears that the math courses are tough. If you see this Wendy, wishing you best of luck on your career path! Marianne aka know it all...:O) |
| My sister is an RT and she LOVES her job. She has saved babies during high risk births. She has been there to provide end of life care to the elderly. She has flown in helicopters with patients and made sure that they arrived safe for further treatment. She is there when car accident victims arrive at the hospital and is part of the team that can make the difference between life and death. She lights up when she talks about her job, even though some times she has to be there at the end of a life. Like any career, you have to be the right person for the job but I am always relieved that there are health care professionals out there who are the right people in the right job. |
| Even from a 2005 post can bring us out to comment! Now that time has gone by...I'd love to know how this story ended (or started) as the case may be. |
| I have been a therapist for over 24 years, more than half my life. I make good money and I live in Indiana. Yes you do have to work nights, weekends, and holidays, but most places work 12 hour shifts. That gives you 4 days off and most places have self schedule. Over the years I have worked with everything from the new born to the geriatric. The one thing that I have learned is I can not cure anyone, but I can CARE for them. The most rewarding thing is to care for my patients. Everything from praying for them/with them, holding their hand, listening to their stories, or rocking the young ones. Respiratory is fraught with routine intermixed with the the life saving activity when your patient is crashing. However, even though we are a vital part of the health care team we do not get the respect we deserves, especially from nurses who think they know it all, but can not tell the difference between a wheeze and a rhonchi. As far as being limited yes we work in hospitals, nursing homes, rehabs, long term acute care, flight transports, and you can choose to work with newborns, infants, teens, adult, or the elderly. The field is expanding all the time with new therapies we can do, including running the heart lung machine, usually run by anesthiologist. Furthermore, one of my RT classmates rose to the level of CEO in her small town hospital. |
| Way cool. Thanks guest! |
| I was going to get an AS in RT but the math I needed just killed me. I do not test well, so I have decided on a clothing and textiles certificate program. I am getting too old to continually have to reinvent myself but I truly need a day job. RT did sound like a good choice though. |
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