HCA West Florida Recruiters

Respiratory Therapy Offers Awesome Opportunities

The following blog entry is written by Rhonda Rogala.  Rhonda is an Allied Recruiter for the HCA West Florida team.  She currently recruits for Respiratory Therapy, Case Management, EEG technicians and ARNPs.  She has worked as a Respiratory Therapist, Respiratory Education and Recruiter.  Rhonda has an Associates Degree in Respiratory Therapy and a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Science.  When she’s not working Rhonda enjoys traveling, cycling, boating, kayaking and reading. 

Respiratory Therapists seemed to be part of my life from early on.  When I was in the first grade, my grandfather had a cerebral bleed and was placed on a ventilator.  I was fascinated with the machine and asked many questions to the Inhalation Technician.  (This was the first name for Respiratory Therapists.)  Shortly after that, my sister was born with asthma and spent the first few years of her life going to the ER often for breathing treatments which were administered by Respiratory Therapists.  My daughter was born with a seizure disorder and while she had her seizures, a Respiratory Therapist would help with her breathing.  I was a stay at home mom, but began the respiratory therapy program so that I could help my daughter who is now healthy and has two of her own children, one who also has asthma. 

I have been a Registered Respiratory Therapist since 1986 and have worked in many different settings.  In the beginning of my career I specialized in Neonatal and Pediatric Respiratory Therapy often dealing with children struggling with asthma, seizure disorders, or placed on ventilators.  After that I moved into the Adult Respiratory world, before becoming a Respiratory Instructor and a Director of a Respiratory Department.  Four years ago I became a health care Recruiter.  Now, I recruit Respiratory Therapists for sixteen hospitals.

Registered Respiratory Therapists and Certified Respiratory Therapists are collectively called Respiratory Care Practitioners.  Respiratory Care Practitioners are direct patient caregivers who treat patients with breathing and/or other heart and lung problems.  Most Respiratory Practitioners work in the hospital setting; though there are also opportunities in Home Care, Long Term Care, Physician’s offices and college settings.  Respiratory Practitioners treat patients as young as premature infants to the elderly.  Therapists take care of patients with chronic diseases of the heart and lungs as well as acute breathing problems due to accidents. 

As vital members of the emergency response team in the hospital, Respiratory Practitioners are responsible for keeping a patient’s airway open and helping the patient to breathe.  The tools the therapists may use include various oxygen devices, artificial airways, breathing devices that deliver aerosolized medications, devices that coach a patient to deep breath and ventilators (breathing machines).  Respiratory Practitioners also educate patients on disease management teaching the patient how to live with chronic diseases such as asthma, emphysema, and sleep apnea.  They also can instruct patients on how to stop smoking.

Schools for Respiratory Therapy in Florida are mostly Associate Degree programs.  However, there are also several Bachelor Degree programs.  College courses are similar to the Registered Nurse classes.  Clinical hours are required during college and there are rotations in ICU, ER, Pediatrics, Neonatal ICU, Medical floors, in addition to the Bronchoscopy and Pulmonary Function labs.  After completing the college degree, Respiratory graduates must pass exams for licensure.  Certified Therapists take one exam and Registered Therapists take an exam plus clinical simulations.  Though a minimum of an Associates degree is now required in Florida, there are some Certified Therapists who were “grandfathered-in” and do not have an Associates Degree.  Therapist with an Associates Degree in Respiratory may also take the Registered Respiratory exam and clinical simulation and become Registered Respiratory Therapists. 

If you have an interest in Respiratory Therapy, feel free to contact me at Rhonda.Rogala@hcahealthcare.com.

© 2009 Recruiting at HCA West Florida.