Career Links Vol 2 No 3 November 2002
Breathing Life into a New Career:
An Interview with Clarissa Craig, M.A., R.R.T,
Assistant Dean, Respiratory Care
Interview conducted by Kit Gorrell,
Employment Systems Technician
JCCC Career Services Center
Clarissa Craig is the assistant dean for the Science, Health Care and
Math division at JCCC and acts as the coordinator and facilitator of the
Respiratory Care Program. In addition, she team-teaches several classes.
For more information on the Respiratory Care Program at JCCC, contact
Clarissa by email at ccraig@jccc.edu or by telephone at (913) 469-3588.
Program information is also available on the Internet at http://www.jccc.net/home/depts/1256.
For more information on Respiratory Care as a career, peruse the Web site
for the American Association for Respiratory Care at http://www.aarc.org/career/
Career Services Center: What is respiratory care?
Clarissa Craig: Respiratory care deals with patients of all ages,
from newborns to the elderly, who have some kind of respiratory or
breathing problem. The challenges that patients experience with breathing
may be caused by a disease or a temporary disorder that compromises their
ability to breathe or prevents them from breathing all together.
Examples of typical patients who require assistance from a respiratory
therapist include newborns that are born prematurely with undeveloped
lungs, young children with asthma or cystic fibrosis, adults who have
experienced some sort of trauma that has compromised their airway, and
elderly individuals with pneumonia, chronic bronchitis (often resulting
from a history of smoking) or emphysema.
Respiratory therapists perform procedures that are both diagnostic and
therapeutic. Using various types of sophisticated equipment to administer
oxygen or to assist someone with breathing, respiratory therapists
initially identify the cause of a patient’s breathing difficulty, work
with patients to alleviate their anxiety associated with the inability to
breathe, educate patients on how to manage their conditions independently
and, most importantly, help patients recognize when they need to seek
additional assistance. Respiratory therapists, both in the hospital and
community settings, commonly conduct smoking cessation programs.
CSC: How did you become interested in the field of respiratory
care?
CC: My mother was a nurse. She was the one who suggested I
explore respiratory therapy because of my strong interest in math and
science. I was originally interested in pursuing medical school and
intended to work as a respiratory therapist as a means to help me achieve
that goal; however, I discovered that I truly enjoyed respiratory therapy.
I also was fortunate that the hospital where I was working was affiliated
with a school. They were interested in someone to precept (teach and
observe students in a clinical setting) on the evening shift. Being fresh
out of school, I found that I really enjoyed having respiratory care
students shadow me while I did my work. I also enjoyed teaching them
about what they needed to know. I later was encouraged to apply when a
full-time teaching position became available. My career path has involved
my transitioning from a clinician to an educator.
CSC: What do you like about the profession of respiratory therapy?
CC: From the beginning, I found respiratory therapy to be a very
rewarding career because I was able to help my patients feel better. To
quote the American Lung Association, “If you can’t breathe, nothing else
matters.” And this is really true.
There are times, however, when things didn’t always work well. Despite
our best efforts, some patients don’t respond and may die. And that
obviously takes an emotional toll on you.
For me, I enjoy the continual challenge that the field of respiratory
therapy offers in terms of the diversity of patient needs and the
advancements associated with equipment and medications. This field has
really blossomed in the last 25 years —the technology we have available,
the monitoring we can now do with our patients, the drugs we are able to
use in managing our patients, and helping patients transition out of the
hospital and into their daily lives rather than keeping them as
inpatients. The pace, the variety and the constant opportunities to make
me think are the things that I most enjoy about the profession.
CSC: What are your educational credentials?
CC: I completed a two-year degree program from Penn Valley
Community College in Respiratory Therapy. My Bachelor of Science degree
in Biological Sciences is from Rockhurst College and my Master’s degree is
in Adult Education from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Currently,
I am working on my doctorate in Education through the University of
Nebraska in Lincoln.
CSC: Describe a typical day for a respiratory therapist.
CC: Respiratory therapists usually work 12-hour shifts; three
12-hour shifts are considered full-time. Upon reporting for your shift,
there is usually a list of identified patients who will be receiving
treatment. It is imperative for the respiratory therapist to know the
needs of each patient—what treatment they need, what oxygen they are on,
and what medications they are taking.
You have to prioritize your day and patient care visits around dinner
schedules, etc. Typically, in addition to working with your assigned
patients, new patients may arrive and require oxygen, medications and
treatments. You may also have an emergency occur and have to stop what
you’re doing to take care of it. Interruptions during a typical shift
require reprioritizing of your day. It is stressful if you’re not someone
who is organized and able to think on your feet or gets easily flustered
when things aren’t going the way you thought they would.
You’re on your feet a lot—at your patient’s bedside, providing therapy,
checking equipment, moving patients and equipment from one area to
another, and working with patients on different floors. Generally, your
12-hour shift goes by very quickly because you’re constantly active, both
physically and mentally.
CSC: What tips do you have for individuals considering the field of
respiratory therapy?
CC: One of the things I run into when students inquire about our
program is that sometimes they are interested in health care, but they’re
really not sure what they want to do, and the avenue they want to pursue,
because there are so many fields related to health care. I think it really
pays off, no matter what health care field you’re considering, to research
that particular field, discover what the level of patient interaction is,
what a typical day and work schedule is like, and who the potential
employers are. Career investigation applies to anybody who is looking at
health care.
Unfortunately, in respiratory therapy, there’s not a good entry-level
position into the field. You have to make a commitment, before going into
the program, that you’ll do some observations. I really do suggest some
shadowing experiences. Many professionals who serve on the JCCC
Respiratory Care Program Advisory Group are willing to set up
observational experiences, show individuals around, and talk about the
kinds of patients they have. We have a questionnaire we provide candidates
so they have an idea about what kind of questions to ask. We also have a
short video that we can arrange for those students to see, or if they go
to our Web site (http://www.jccc.net/home/depts/001256), it has a
connection to that video, and a PowerPoint variation as well.
The other suggestion I have is to do a little research. In all health
care fields there usually is a professional organization that has a
section geared toward individuals who are interested in that particular
career. Prospective students can learn about not only salaries and job
opportunities, but also traits that might be desirable, and what the
nature of the work is as well. The American Association for Respiratory
Care (www.aarc.org) is an excellent resource. Their Web site has a
section labeled “Careers” and it provides quite a bit of information.
CSC: How many students are currently enrolled in the Respiratory
Care Program at JCCC?
CC: Currently we have twelve students; however, the capacity is
twenty. Our program is a selective admissions program and admits students
into the program once a year, each October. Students must have certain
qualifications to apply. (Refer to our Web site at
http://www.jccc.net/home/depts/001256 for more information on admission
requirements.)
CSC: How long is the program of study in respiratory care at JCCC?
CC: It is a two-year associate of applied science degree program.
During the first year, students take general education courses including
math and English plus a variety of sciences classes. During the second
year, commonly referred to as the clinical year, students rotate to a
number of clinical facilities for patient care experiences under the close
supervision of licensed health care professionals. Upon successful
completion of the degree requirements, graduates can take the entry-level
and advanced credentialing examinations. After passing the entry-level
examination, students receive certified respiratory therapist (CRT)
credentials and are then eligible to attempt the advanced-level
examination that will earn them the registered respiratory therapist (RRT)
credential.
During the fall 2002 semester, a new course was added to the curriculum
entitled “Introduction to Health Care”. Designed for any student who is
interested in health care as a career, this course allows students to
explore particular career areas of interest and learn about the health
care industry, its reimbursement systems, infection control procedures
that are applicable to all health care careers and why communication and
teamwork are necessary skills to possess as a health care provider.
CSC: Where do students go for their clinical experiences?
CC: JCCC respiratory care students rotate to a number of the
hospitals in the Kansas City metropolitan area such as Kansas University
Medical Center, Children’s Mercy Hospital, St. Luke’s Hospital, Baptist
Lutheran Hospital, St. Joseph Health Center, Research Medical Center,
Olathe Medical Center, and Overland Park Regional.
Students rotate through many of these institutions and may perform the
same therapy and procedures at each. Exposure to diverse patient
populations with differing levels of sickness, interactions with a variety
of physicians and health care providers and the various types of equipment
available provides students with a broad aspect of respiratory therapy.
These rotations are beneficial in job placement because our students have
an opportunity to practice in 8-10 different institutions; and similarly,
those institutions are able to meet and observe our students. As a
result, the JCCC Respiratory Care Program has a very good reputation for
job placement. Even when the job market for health care hasn’t been good,
our graduates were able to find jobs. Currently, the job market is very
good for respiratory therapists.
CSC: What types of jobs do graduates of your program obtain?
CC: Hospitals are the primary employers of our graduates; however,
employment opportunities are also available in sub-acute facilities
(hospitals with patients who are stable but still need respiratory
assistance to a fairly high degree), skilled nursing facilities (for
patients who are chronic, ventilator-dependent or need chronic respiratory
management and don’t have home resources), the home setting (for patients
who receive support from family and friends and need assistance with their
ventilator or airway management), physician offices (usually internal
medicine or pulmonary specialists hire respiratory therapists to do a lot
of the testing, education and follow-up with patients), and charitable
organizations such as the American Lung Association or the Cystic Fibrosis
Foundation. Research is another area that employs respiratory therapists.
Your employer largely defines the nature of your work. If you work for a
smaller community hospital, you’ll tend to be the “jack of all trades.”
You may be one of the only respiratory therapists on staff for a shift
versus being employed by a large institution where the volume is such that
you tend to gravitate towards a particular area. And in most cases,
respiratory care is a centralized department.
CSC: What is the hourly salary for respiratory therapists in the
Kansas City area?
CC: Entry level into the field for full-time positions are about
$15 - $16 per hour. There’s usually some shift incentives if you are
working the evening or night shift. For part-time status, the hourly
rates are anywhere from $18-$25 an hour which is very attractive; however,
hours are not guaranteed for these positions and no benefits are provided.
CSC: How would you describe the job market in the Kansas City
area?
CC: It is still very, very strong locally and throughout the
country. Respiratory therapists held an estimated 830 jobs in the Greater
Kansas City area in 1999. It is important to note that employment of
respiratory therapists is expected to increase much faster than the
average for all occupations through the year 2008 because of substantial
growth of the middle-aged and elderly population—a development that will
heighten the incidence of cardiopulmonary disease. Opportunities are
expected to be highly favorable for respiratory therapists with
cardiopulmonary skills and experience working with infants.
For some the simple act of breathing isn’t so simple. When a person’s
lungs don’t work properly, the simple act of breathing becomes a struggle
for life. Today’s respiratory therapists are proud professionals and are
trained to help patients reach out and grasp that precious breath of life.
They make a difference! (http://www.aarc.org/career).
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