Image Credit: CFJC Today

By Adam Donnelly

RESPIRATORY THERAPY WEEK

TRU respiratory therapy program trains flexible, skilled professionals for the rigours of the healthcare world

Oct 25, 2023 | 7:00 PM

KAMLOOPS — Respiratory therapists (RTs) can be the unsung heroes of the healthcare world. While less well-known than doctors and nurses, they play a vital role in many facets of patient care.

“From brand new babies who are struggling to breathe, to patients who are taking their last breaths,” respiratory therapist Elizabeth Klarenbeek, who also teaches in the RT program at TRU, explains. “It’s a very diverse profile and hard to define, but we’re involved in a lot of different aspects of health care.”

Cael Field has been a respiratory therapist since 2006 and has been an instructor at TRU since 2018. He says those looking for a wide range of experiences in a healthcare setting tend to gravitate toward the RT program.

“In a given shift, a respiratory therapist can kind of move around. We don’t just stay at one bedside or one ward or area,” Field says. “There’s a lot of flexibility and I tend to find that people who like to have a little variety can fit the job, as well.”

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This week is Respiratory Therapy Week across Canada, which is meant to help educate and bring understanding to the profession, and how RTs make a difference in people’s lives.

“When people think health care, doctors and nurses come up a lot,” Lauren Gilowski, Assistant Teaching Professor in the RT Program at TRU, suggests. “Having a platform like RT Week gives us a good excuse to go out and promote the profession and celebrate things we do here in the program at TRU.”

First-year students presented their research projects on Wednesday (Oct. 25) as part of RT Week. For a pair of second-year students, this semester is an opportunity to put the theory they learned in their first year to use.

“Second year has been really nice to start applying that knowledge,” Alannah Zaste says. “The labs are super fun and we’re getting our hands dirty in the second year. We’re starting to play with needles and it’s been fun learning all that.”

“I’m really excited to start making a difference in the healthcare system,” Kieran McDougall explains. “Actually caring for patients will be very cool,”

With a growing need for RTs throughout British Columbia, there are some significant benefits for students interested in the program.

“Every calendar year, a student is eligible to receive up to $2,000 [from the province], which is pretty good,” Field says. ”Let’s say a student wanted to do a three-year diploma. Over those three years, they could earn up to $6,000.”

“Over the last couple of years, TRU has upped our seats to allow more students to come in so we can meet the demand that is happening across health care,” Klarenbeek explains.