This story is sponsored by North Central State College.
Respiratory Therapists, experts in lung function and the respiratory system, are critical in helping hospitals navigate the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
This has led to Respiratory Therapists becoming one of the most high demand jobs in the state, according to the dean of Health Science for North Central State College (NCSC) Melinda Roepke.
“When it comes to the hospital agencies there is still a high demand for respiratory therapists,” Roepke said. “The surge (in demand) was tremendous because of what was going on with the pandemic.”
Current Respiratory Care student Zach Axline also credits the COVID-19 pandemic for making him aware of the role respiratory care professionals play in the health system.
“I feel like a lot of times, to no fault of anybody, there are a lot more doctors and nurses,” Axline said. “Respiratory is one of those fields that aren’t talked about as much. I think Covid, a serious lung illness, brought that program to the forefront.”
NCSC’s Respiratory Care program is one of the best in the region. The program is focused on practical experience with students spending a large chunk of time in a hospital setting.
“You actually will begin clinicals during your first semester,” Roepke said. “So you are going to start right away in a hospital, learning how to work with patients and doing the respiratory therapy job.”
Third semester respiratory therapy students are eligible to obtain a limited permit license, which allows students to work for a hospital while still completing their program. Roepke emphasizes that this provides a lot of experience for students who choose to obtain this license.
The program, which awards an associate degree, takes five semesters to complete and costs roughly $25,000 to attend before financial aid is applied. With financial aid applied, the program typically goes down to around $12,000, according to NCSC’s website.
Students can quickly expect to see a return on their investment with the average salary range of a respiratory therapist in Ohio in 2022 being between $64,101 and $76,696 according to salary.com.
The cost of the program isn’t what motivated Axline though. Axline previously received a criminal justice degree from NCSC and has been in the Respiratory Care program since August of 2021.
“I always really appreciated (NCSC’s) communication, whether it was a financial aid issue or something with me being a veteran and the G.I. Bill. Anytime I needed to reach out to somebody I’ve never gotten the run-around,” Axline said.
Axline also praised the professors of the Respiratory Care program. Axline specifically mentioned that his professors have always been understanding of any problems students encounter and knowledgeable about respiratory care.
Students from the program benefit from Hal, a high fidelity full body simulation mannequin, which Axline described as a “game changer.” Axline credits Hal and other mannequins used in the program as helping him feel prepared in a hospital setting.
Roepke also praises the mannequins and equipment used by the program saying:
“(Hal) is a full body human being. We can place Hal on a ventilator, (students) can do everything with this mannequin that they would do in practice.”
NCSC is still accepting fall enrollments for the Respiratory Care program, more information can be found here.
