Dalton State College

Dalton State College graduates first students from its Respiratory Therapy Program
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The first five graduates of Dalton State College’s new Respiratory Therapy program have recently graduated and all have found high-demand jobs in the region, say program officials. Dalton State began offering the Associate of Applied Science degree in Respiratory Therapy in August of 2006. “This inaugural class has set a high standard for the respiratory programs in Northwest Georgia and Southeast Tennessee through their clinical abilities and their exemplary performance on their preliminary board exams,” says Max Pierce, director of the program. “I think each one of them has a bright future ahead and plenty of work opportunities due to the current shortage of respiratory therapists.”	Recent graduates of the Class of 2008 who earned an Associate of Applied Science in Respiratory Therapy degree include (from left to right): Kristina Morris and Bjorn Spoon of Catoosa County, Chandra Autry and Annette Brack of Walker County, and Michael Blockley of Hamilton County.
Pierce says that the U. S. Department of Labor has predicted a serious shortage of Respiratory Therapists as baby boomers age and develop more disease. Respiratory Therapists perform a number of different functions, including working with post-surgery and post-trauma patients, administering aerosol medications, taking care of patients on ventilators, performing lung expansion therapies, clearing secretions from airways, and performing treatments to prevent pneumonia. The Associate of Applied Science in Respiratory Therapy degree offered through Dalton State consists of 91 semester hours to be taken over a two-year period and is offered through the College’s Technical Division. Students enrolled in the program participate in clinical rotations, averaging about 16 hours per week interning in area clinical and hospital settings. “This first group of graduates will be working with patients ranging from newborns who are having difficulty breathing to elderly patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. They will be serving in area emergency rooms and intensive care units, caring for critically ill patients.” About 10 students are members of the 2009 class, and applications are being accepted for the Class of 2010, Pierce said. For more information about the Respiratory Therapy Program, please call 272-4554.