Like many first-year respiratory therapy students, Allie Jeffery wasn’t sure what to expect before beginning clinicals.

“I have a fear of messing up,” Jeffery said. “But Ashley calms me down. She helps me know what to expect, and she reminds me that I’m there to learn.”

Ashley Nations is a second-year student in the program.

And she’s Jeffery’s mentor.

“I like to help and give advice,” Nations said. “It helps me review and remember my needed skills as well.”

Christy Walker, assistant professor and coordinator of the respiratory therapy program, began the mentorship program shortly after coming to Dalton State more than eight years ago.

“The second-year students help in ways I can’t,” Walker said. “When I was working on my degree in respiratory therapy, we did this and it helped tremendously. The mentors are a resource for the first-year students. They can help focus on skills, share stories from their clinicals, and sometimes students are hesitant to ask me questions, but they aren’t another student.”

The mentors meet with the first-year students several times throughout the year. They review necessary skill sets and how to use equipment, such as:

Administering breathing treatments

Checking vital signs

Patient education and instruction on how to use a Metered Dose Inhaler

Oxygen cylinder safety and use

Incentive spirometry for prevention of pneumonia in post-operative patients

Oxygen therapy and patient assessment 

The program is another way Dalton State is setting students up for success.

posted 02/16/2016 in Academics

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Max says:
I'm very proud of our students and faculty!!

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