| “As an RT, you’re involved in an ever-changing field. You work in an environment that is never static. Usually, you’re not tied down to one area, and you work all over the hospital or clinic,” says Pierce, who served for six years as Director of Siskin Rehabilitation Center’s Respiratory Services.
Besides working with post-surgery and post-trauma patients, RTs administer aerosol medications, take care of patients on ventilators, perform lung expansion therapies, clear secretions from airways, and perform treatments to prevent pneumonia.
The pay is competitive, Pierce says. Entry-level Respiratory Therapists who have initial certification can expect to earn between $32,000 and $35,000 a year. Therapists who are “registered” can earn between $40,000 and $50,000 annually after a few years of clinical or hospital experience.
“I think there will be a big need in our area for high-quality Respiratory Therapists in the near future,” Pierce says.
Dalton State’s program will consist of 87 semester hours to be taken over a two-year period, including summers. Students in the program will also participate in clinicals each semester, averaging about 16 hours per week interning in area clinic and hospital settings. Graduates will earn an Associate of Applied Science in Respiratory Therapy and will be eligible for testing on the “registry level” once all requirements have been met.
“All RTs have to be at a minimum ‘certified’ to work in clinical settings,” Pierce says. “But the Dalton State program will be offered on the ‘registry level,’ which means that our graduates will take the registry test after they finish our program. This is a more advanced level than initial certification,” he adds.
Pierce and a clinical director, yet to be hired, will be the initial faculty members for the program, although others will be hired as the program grows.
“It’s exciting, and it’s also challenging to be on the developmental phase of this program,” he says.
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