Six months ago, nobody knew who the heck we were. Now everybody is clamoring to find out what we do. A lot of people are suddenly recognizing our work, but at the same time, it’s very stressful because everybody is truly depending on us.
Even before the coronavirus outbreak, there’s been both a state-wide and a national shortage of respiratory therapists. In order to become one, you need a two- or a four-year degree specializing in airway management, including management of the ventilators. It’s not just putting a machine on — there’s a lot of art and science that goes into it.