Any Respiratory Therapy students ?

Nursing Students Pre-Nursing

Published

Ive been on this website for a few months, and i WAS a pre nursing student, but i changed paths and will now do the RT program, i wish it was an allied health RT website like this for support, but since there are a few threads about RT on allnurses, i decided to give it a try

If you are already in RT school, or will start, post here. i took my entrance exam and will start fall 2011, i am in my community colleges finishing my nursing pre reqs which will still come in handy.

0 Votes
Specializes in CNA, Aspiring CRNA.

hi rayne215,

i'm not a respiratory therapist student but my aunt is a respiratory therapist of over 15 years, if you have any questions, i'm sure she'll be glad to help.

0 Votes

Thanks!! So your a nurse and she a RT.. do you find her job eaiser? harder? having more or less patient contact than you etc?

0 Votes

Hey, I'm an RT student. Start my last semester in the spring. I'll answer questions you have if I can. I also wish there was a site like this for RT's and RT students. I've tried the indeed.com forums but they can be overwhelmingly negative at times. Let me know if I can help. :)

0 Votes
Specializes in CNA, Aspiring CRNA.

hi rayne215, no i'm not a nurse yet, still preparing to begin pre-nursing.

in response to your question, my aunt says that it varies, sometimes it's crazy, they're overwhelmed because of being understaffed or caring for demanding patients, or overly "knowledgeable" families.

sometimes it's quiet and everything runs smoothly, administering scheduled meds, checking in with patients.

she says she doesn't have to do the dirty work that nurses sometimes have to do, i.e, changing soiled linen, etc.

0 Votes
Hey, I'm an RT student. Start my last semester in the spring. I'll answer questions you have if I can. I also wish there was a site like this for RT's and RT students. I've tried the indeed.com forums but they can be overwhelmingly negative at times. Let me know if I can help. :)

Did you always know you wanted to be a RT? or did you start like me and was looking into nursing first? how are your classes? i start Fall 2011. i'm excited. I was going to do LPN to RN but i think being a RT is great, i can either stay in the RT career or i can still choose to become a RN is i want. i shadowed a RT and i know i will love it. what city are you in, do RT's have a good job outlook?

0 Votes

I'm in my last semester right now for RT... I gotta say I didn't always LOVE it but the closer I get to graduating the more I liked it. At first I was going to do nursing but I got accepted into the RT program and here I am. Right now the job market for RTs in my area has picked up so I'm pretty confident there will be jobs for all those graduating.

0 Votes

I knew I wanted to work in a hospital and I knew I didn't want to be a nurse (just didn't seem right for me). When I started researching what jobs I might like to do respiratory came up as something I thought I might want to do. Classes are difficult because of how much info you have to process in a short amount of time. There's lots of reading, studying and skills practicing that you have to do on your own. We do care plans in our program (I had been hoping that was just a nurse thing lol), formal case presentations and vent rounds weekly with the director of the pulmonary program at our host hospital.

It is exciting. I know I couldn't wait to start learning even though I was scared about some of the things we'd do like drawing blood gases etc. It's good though and after having clinicals at so many hospitals I think I'll enjoy being a therapist.

I'm in southwest CT not far from NYC. Jobs are hard to find everywhere but I'm hoping I've made enough connections at various hospitals to at least get a per diem position to get my foot in the door. It helps if you're willing to relocate. Very large cities are going to have a lot of competition for jobs.

Good luck, though! Let me know if you have more questions.

0 Votes

I start RT classes in fall, any good RT books i can read that is laymans book, like a precursor to my studies. something

0 Votes

Hi

Its my first time here and its nice to talk to fellow RT students.

Am starting my final semester in RT school next week and cant wait to finish.

The advice I have is to be ready to put in some time. Its not hard but you have to really want it bad and thus have to put in alot of time. That has been my experience and my motivation waking up at 5am to study etc. Of course I have hated waking up that early but all it takes for me to get up is asking myself again 'How bad do you want it?' - that gets me up....lol. So its all comes down to commitment and 'wanting it bad'.

I graduate in May 2011 and plan on finding a RT job and also start on my RN program in the fall. I believe being an RRT & RN would make it easier for me to face any competition in the job market with far higher chances. That is my point of view.

Wish you the best of luck to you all :)

0 Votes
Hi

Its my first time here and its nice to talk to fellow RT students.

Am starting my final semester in RT school next week and cant wait to finish.

The advice I have is to be ready to put in some time. Its not hard but you have to really want it bad and thus have to put in alot of time. That has been my experience and my motivation waking up at 5am to study etc. Of course I have hated waking up that early but all it takes for me to get up is asking myself again 'How bad do you want it?' - that gets me up....lol. So its all comes down to commitment and 'wanting it bad'.

I graduate in May 2011 and plan on finding a RT job and also start on my RN program in the fall. I believe being an RRT & RN would make it easier for me to face any competition in the job market with far higher chances. That is my point of view.

Wish you the best of luck to you all :)

thanks for responding

My RT program is 42k, its going to be hard for me to continue to RN afterwards (at least directly) how are you doing it?

0 Votes

Rayne

I dont know what state you live in and what type of RT program you are in (2 yr or 4 yr). I hope its not a 4 yr program because an RRT with an Associates and one with a Bachelors end up earning basically the same (except if you go into management where you may earn just a little more). Am in a 2 year heavily state subsidized program which is going cost me about 20K total. Am looking into getting into a one year fast track RN program which will cost about 15-20K (and hopefully I will be able to get tuition reimbursement while pursuing the RN) - which am not counting on that much. But my dream is to be a critical care RN or NP and trying to use the RRT/RN combo foundation to get there.

My advice to you to focus on the RRT for now and get that done so that even if you are not able to push further to RN you still have a good career handy.

0 Votes
+ Add a Comment