Respiratory therapist students at Bowling Green State University Firelands reflect on the experience of learning during a pandemic

Bowling Green State University Fireland students David Copsey and Kent Skrada were both recently profiled and explained what drew them to the field and what they have experienced working and learning during a pandemic. Respiratory therapists specialize in the treatment of diseases and abnormalities of the cardiopulmonary system through patient evaluation and assessment of treatment results. The demand for respiratory therapists has been growing and the current pandemic has only highlighted the important work done by these healthcare professionals. The respiratory therapist program at BGSU Firelands teaches the academic knowledge needed and provides opportunities for hands-on learning in the field. The program is flexible, allowing students to work while obtaining their degree.

David Copsey currently works at the Main Campus of Cleveland Clinic in the neurological intensive care unit. Copsey says in a publication from BGSU Firelands, "When I first started in the medical field, I was in a nursing program…When a patient needed help breathing, they called the respiratory therapist. If the patient needed to go home on oxygen, they called the respiratory therapist. If the patient was crashing, it was a team of respiratory therapists at the head of the bed ensuring that the patient was breathing and getting the oxygen that they needed. It occurred to me that a respiratory therapist is what I truly wanted to be. I have always enjoyed critical care, and RRTs are heavily involved in that part of medicine." During this critical time, the important role of respiratory therapists has become even more apparent, as expressed by Carol Puder,the respiratory care program director for BGSU. "Respiratory therapists are truly on the front line in caring for COVID-19 patients. This is what we do. We are specifically trained to care for patients with lung problems and specialize in the recognition and treatment of lung disease."

Studying to be a respiratory therapist during the COVID-19 pandemic has been a different experience for Kent Skarda. As an individual with an autoimmune disorder, he has not been able to work on the frontlines. Prior to the start of the pandemic Skarda was working as a patient care tech at Firelands Regional Medical Center, which is where he learned about respiratory therapy as a field. Skarda is grateful to his supervisors at work where his position is being held as he takes time off through the Family Medical Leave Act. In the meantime, Skarda is continuing his studies to reach his goal of attaining his degree and planning for his career. In a profile of Skarda posted by BGSU he talks about his professional aspirations, "Now, my goal is to graduate and become a licensed RRT, and hopefully get my Neonatal/Pediatric specialist and get a job in a NICU/PICU to still achieve my passion of working with babies and kids." Skarda's interest in medicine was sparked in his childhood as he battled cancer, "I saw how amazing all my doctors, nurses and nurse's aides were. I knew I wanted to be in the medical field when I grew up." Skarda is pleased with his education from BGSU, noting the small class sizes and faculty attention, "They work with us until we fully understand something before moving on to something else, they make you feel like you belong and always make sure we are fully prepared before testing us over anything. It's like my second little family."

There are two options at BGSU for those interested in a career in respiratory therapy. Bowling Green State University offers a Bachelor of Science in respiratory care in addition to a Bachelor of Applied Health Science respiratory care specialization degree, geared towards students who have completed an associate degree program. Director Carol Puder commented on the university's commitment to improving the programs at BGSU, "Our faculty continue to work in the profession to keep up-to-date on current standards and because we love what we do. All of these components work together to maintain the high-quality standards we expect out of our program and our graduates." The program also boasts access to state-of-the-art-technologies and connections to many nationally recognized medical facilities in Ohio for students to complete clinical training including MetroHealth, MercyHealth, and Cleveland Clinic.