Respiratory Therapy at the University of Mary
The respiratory therapy program at the University of Mary is one of about 58 Bachelor of Science degree programs in this field in the United States. A two-year pre-professional curriculum emphasizing the biological sciences is completed on the U-Mary campus, followed by a two-year professional program completed at St. Alexius Medical Center. The professional program is co-sponsored by St. Alexius and the University of Mary. Students apply for admission to the professional program in the spring semester of their sophomore year. Program graduates are eligible to take the national board exams leading to the registered respiratory therapist (RRT) credential.
Respiratory Therapy is a Patient Care Profession
Respiratory therapists care for people with heart and lung disorders, making decisions and giving treatment that directly affects the patients’ well being. Respiratory therapists work in hospitals, outpatient clinics, nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, and patient homes. Their clients range from newborn babies to elderly adults; from people who can learn how to take care of themselves to critically ill individuals on mechanical life support. People who need respiratory therapy may suffer from a variety of conditions, such as asthma, cystic fibrosis, pneumonia, heart failure, and smoking-related diseases (cancer, emphysema and chronic bronchitis). In the high-risk nursery, respiratory therapists treat premature babies who cannot breathe on their own. In the emergency room and hospital intensive care unit, therapists provide mechanical breathing assistance to patients recovering from major surgeries or suffering from traumatic injuries sustained in motor vehicle accidents. Respiratory therapists are members of the “code blue” team that responds to all life-and-death emergencies in the hospital; they are also members of the hospital’s emergency air and ground transport teams. Respiratory therapists have long-term, day-to-day interaction with their patients, allowing trusting relationships to develop. Therapists interview patients to obtain medical histories; they perform heart and lung physical examinations, interpret chest x-rays and examine laboratory data to help them formulate treatment goals. They assess their patients’ response to treatment and change it as needed. They interact with the patient’s family. As part of the health care team, therapists communicate and work closely with physicians, nurses and other health care professionals. In critical care and emergency areas, respiratory therapists insert artificial airways, draw and analyze blood, perform CPR, implement and manage mechanical ventilation, and perform diagnostic procedures to check heart and lung function.
Respiratory therapists help plan for the patient’s hospital discharge to make sure any ongoing respiratory needs will be met outside of the hospital. In pulmonary rehabilitation clinics, respiratory therapists test tolerance to physical activity and prescribe exercise. In the home, respiratory therapists teach patients about the nature of their disease, the purpose of their medications, how to take their inhaled drugs effectively, how to control their diseases, how to self-treat effectively, and how to operate respiratory equipment safely. In addition, respiratory therapists promote community health in the public schools and health clinics, teaching young people and their parents how to manage asthma, and teaching them about tobacco’s harmful effects.
Job Outlook and Earning Potential
Demand for respiratory therapists is extremely high across the United States; job opportunities are projected to increase faster than the average for all occupations through the year 2012 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). Since 1990, 100 percent of University of Mary respiratory therapy graduates seeking employment in the profession find jobs either before or immediately upon graduation. Salaries are highly competitive; sign-on bonuses and paid moving expenses are common nationwide. Some of the new graduates in 2006 secured starting base annual salaries ranging from $42,000 to $58,000 before graduation (dependent on geographical location). University of Mary/St. Alexius Respiratory Therapy Program graduates have a national reputation for high quality and competence, and are highly sought after by employers.
Program Application
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