Lauren Lallemont was hired as a respiratory therapy assistant by Marshfield Clinic, and she now has the opportunity to work in the field while working towards her degree.  

“By working as a respiratory therapy assistant before graduation, I can get a feel for the environment I will be working in during my career,” Lauren said. “I can get experiences that are going to prepare me for clinicals and for my career in the future. I am getting familiar with working in the hospital setting and working closely with other members of the healthcare team.”  

The respiratory therapy program teaches students to evaluate, treat and manage patients of all ages with respiratory illnesses and other cardiopulmonary disorders.  

“If someone is having trouble breathing or having other difficulties related to the lungs, we’re involved,” said Eric Nelson, respiratory therapy faculty. “It could be anything from little kids with asthma or RSV to people who aren’t breathing at all due to a head injury or overdose.”  

The respiratory therapy program at NTC is led by Eric Nelson and Ben Olson, both of whom bring with them a lot of experience from working in the field. Much of the learning students do in the program is through hands on activities, giving students real-world situations and preparing them for the future.  

“By providing hands-on experience, it makes students more comfortable and confident when they graduate and get into the field and start seeing their own patients,” Lauren said. “We are getting to work with the equipment we will see in our future career too. This allows us to work with it and become familiar with it, which sets us up for success.” 

Respiratory therapists work all over the hospital, assessing patients and working in critical situations. Depending on the size of the hospital, there’s a good chance that only a few people know how to run the machines. The program teaches students how to use the different types and brands of machines used by various hospitals with the expectation that students will be able to walk into any hospital room, assess the situation and know what’s going on before they graduate.  

“Oftentimes we are one of the few people in the hospital that can run a ventilator at a high level,” Eric said. “We as respiratory therapists are experts with these machines and can help optimize function and troubleshoot as necessary.”  

Lauren is part of the first cohort of the respiratory therapy program at NTC, which currently has 11 students, and there are already students on the waiting list for next fall. This is exciting news for the field because many hospitals have a need for more respiratory therapists.  

“I was looking for a career in the healthcare field,” Lauren said. “While doing some research on other careers, I found respiratory therapy. I had always been interested in the heart and lungs, so I thought this would be a great option for me. I was pretty set on going to NTC, so when they opened the program, I was very excited for it.” 

Eric said it’s encouraging to see a student get hired as a respiratory therapy assistant so soon after starting their educational journey. He is an advocate of hospitals hiring students early as it provides a great learning opportunity.  

You can teach them what to do with the equipment, and they’re going to learn as they go,” he said. “It really helps with their education. When you’re surrounded by it that much, you can’t help but catch on faster.”  

That has proved true for Lauren, and she said she has learned so much already in her position and is excited to keep learning and gaining more experience.  

“I can take vitals, listen to lung sounds and help deliver treatments such as inhalers and nebulizers,” she said. “I am getting familiar with charting and doing notes too. Seeing all the aspects of the job and being able to gain experience is something I am extremely grateful for.”  

Lauren said she would encourage anyone interested in respiratory therapy to go for it.  

“It’s a great career in the healthcare industry, and respiratory therapists are an essential part of the healthcare team,” she said. “The program at NTC offers a great variety of learning opportunities. The instructors are great, it’s hands on and it provides a well-rounded learning environment.” 

NTC’s respiratory therapy program is a two-year associate degree program, so students are able to learn a lot in a short time. After this first semester, Eric said he is excited to see the excitement continue to grow. There can be a lot of stress at the beginning because students are learning a lot but have no way to put the pieces together. In their second semester, they have more classes focused on respiratory therapy, and the pieces start to click. In the summer, they will begin their clinicals, and even more pieces will fall into place.  

“In two years, you take someone who has no experience, no idea what you’re talking about, and you make them into a respiratory therapist who can take care of patients,” Eric said. “It’s very exciting to see that happen.”  

To learn more about NTC’s respiratory therapy program, visit:  www.ntc.edu/academics-training/programs/all/associate-degree/respiratory-therapy.