Switching from Nursing to Respiratory Therapy

[MykRTstudent]

I am considering switching from nursing to respiratory therapy after a bad experience with nursing school at a small private college. After two semesters of nursing school I was really turned off to the whole career. Felt like I wasn't learning anything.. the professors just stood up there and talked out of their a**, and very little of what was said in lecture ended up being important for exams. Felt like I just had to be a very good guesser on exams to pass... was doing ok in some courses and struggled with two.. my grades were dropping and I was becoming a "C" average student (which I had never been in my life) this was causing me to feel very depressed. The Professors were very negative people and most would turn you away and tell you to change your major if you struggled with ONE class... I didn't want anything to do with nursing anymore. Plus I feel like nurses are held accountable for too much a lot of the time.

I want to remain in the healthcare field so I have thought of respiratory therapy. I just applied to two different programs in my area, and I think this is good because I do well learning a lot about one thing as opposed to nursing where you're learning a little about everything. I'm receiving negative feedback from friends that I made in nursing school, saying things like "you're not gonna make any money", "that's a dying field, nurses will replace RT's one day". So I wanted to know, is respiratory therapy a good career? And how are they viewed by nurses? Correct me if I'm wrong but aren't RT's trained to use a ventilator while nurses are not? Any insight is appreciated, thank you.

[tara07733]

I am in my final semester of nursing school and last semester, in particular, I got to experience how RTs fit into the team of healthcare professionals who take care of patients. I was in the ICU a couple of days and the RTs there are like gods (okay, I know that's hyperbole but you get it). They really, really know their stuff and were consulted often in that department. Prior to that I really never considered the job of the respiratory therapist but I was very much in awe and remember hoping that I can be as good at my job as they are when the time comes.

As far as job prospects go I have no comment, as I have zero experience.

[tmw73]

You my friend can not be serious..sleep is a 2 year program in itself also to work in the sleep lab you can have an RRT...The license isn't separated..RRT'S do go on transports and why would be go to be a paramedic when it only requires a 1 year degree..I knew I'd find someone bashing respiratory therapy..Nothing you said was based in facts..I worked in the sleep lab and transport so please tell me I'm wrong..You don't have to bash because it's not helpful..This is for dude talking crazy about RRT'S..

[MykRTstudent]

Currently in summer clinical of my respiratory therapy program. I love this field! So glad I switched from nursing. It feels great not having to clean up **** lol. I'm learning so much more and respiratory just makes a lot more sense to me than nursing did. I'm spending a lot of time in the ICU and it's a great experience. I even had to teach a new nurse about ventilator modes and I'm still a student!