What advice do you have for students who are graduating this year?

Keep your nose in your textbooks, look for a BS program in something that interests you. The greatest danger in I see for credentialed therapists is stagnation. That is, once your have your ticket, stop trying to improve knowledge and just go with the flow. This will dead-end your career. You will never get away from being a neb jockey and knob-turner. Challenge the status quo, diplomatically and ask why.

Never stop learning!  Don't shy away from new procedures, new equipment, etc.  Read the respiratory journals.  Attend conferences.  Ask questions.  If you can, work in different facilities just to see how it's done in other places.

Good luck on your career!

Stay proactive in your field and continue your education; whether it be on-the-job or academically. It took me 6 years to get my MPH but it was worth it. One class, here and there over time adds up. Good Luck!

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Debbie

The most important decision you will make as a new grad is where you will go to work.  Through your clinical rotations you have undoubtedly seen a number of facilities and therapist.  Keep in mind every facility you have been to.  Then evaluate that staff.  Try and figure out who the best 3-4 therapist are at each hospital.  Then compare these goups to each other.  If you have been a good student and are very motivated coming out of school you still will only be as good as the therapist at the facility you choose to work at.  For example Hospital A is full of slackers but it's close to where you live so you work there.  I promise you that you will either become a slacker or quit.  Hospital B has very aggressive therapist and you wondered during your clinicals if you would ever be that good.  If you choose that hospital you will be that good.  You also want to look at the scope of practice at the hospital you choose.  Do they have lots of critical care beds, do they take care of adults and children, do they intubate and insert arterial lines.  These are all things you should become proficient with.  Your school has been phase one.  Your first job will determine what kind of therapist you become.  If you go to a childrens hospital out of school the chances are that is all you will ever want to do.  If you go to an adult hospital, chances are you will be intimidated by working with kids.  I'm sure you gave it great thought as to what program and at what college you wanted.  Your first job will likely be more important than that.  Good luck and congratulations on a great career choice.

these are all great tips!!! thanks to you all. I graduate hopefully in june 2009!!!!! I can't hardly wait to get back to clinicals. I love this field!!!!

Joanna:

 What advice do you have for students who are graduating this year?

Unfortunately, I don't.

Since you recently graduated, what advice do you have for a new RT student? I'm beginning respiratory therapy classes this August, during which I'll be taking Respiratory Care Fundamentals I with Lab and Respiratory Care Pharmacology.

 Any advice is greatly appreciated. 

My best advice to any new graduate is to pay attention to where you go to work. I would also say stay true to who you are as a person. Healthcare can and will eat you alive if you let it. I would love to say "concentrate on your patients", but you will soon see that that is not enough. I hope you remember high school and can still behave in the clickish manner. But that goes back to telling you to pay attention to where you go to work.

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Francena Turner, CRT, RCP

For a student just starting:  It's very important to grasp the fundementals early.  The obvious advice of listen in class ask questions and study hard.  But my real advice involves your clinicals.  Every clinical roation should be like a trip to the library.  Make the clinical sites teach you.  Often times you just follow a therapist around and don't really learn much.  You can take control of that.  Ask questions during clinicals, ask questions regarding things in class you may not understand.  If the therapist is doing a procedure you don't understand make them explain it.  If you think your ready to do it ask if you can do it.  Push your clinical preceptors to challange you.