RT Students Can Help During Seasonal Crunch
As respiratory care directors create staffing plans for the upcoming peak illness seasons, which is expected to be augmented by H1N1 fears, many have found RT students want to help too! In states like Massachusetts, second-year respiratory care students can obtain a state license to work in the respiratory care field.
At our hospital system, we are creating a large PRN student pool. This has brought about a great deal of excitement among the students and the department's seasoned therapists. First, the students get a chance to practice what they are learning and get paid for it; and at the same time, the department staff will undoubtedly get some relief from the expected heavy work loads.
Second-year students are not able to take on ventilators; however, they will be able to "get into the thick of things." With a hospital as large as the University of Massachusetts, we can have 15 therapists working days or nights. Adding students on top of this gives therapists time to not only take the added precautions they need to take but also to put on their mentorship hats.
Remember, we were all students once!
When the students graduate next spring, we will have a great pool of therapists from which to choose for our openings; and we will have a great feeling that we have given something back to the field of respiratory care, namely experienced graduates!