(March 5, 2008) In an effort to improve job placement and assist area hospitals in their employment needs, the Respiratory Therapy program hosted its first career fair for current first- and second-year students on February 20. Twelve hospitals from around the state with representatives from Respiratory Care and Human Resources departments were on hand to meet the students, their future employees. Facilities that were in attendance were: Anson Community Hospital (Wadesboro), Carolinas Medical Center (Charlotte), Carolinas Medical Center—NorthEast (Concord), Forsyth Medical Center (Winston-Salem), Gaston Memorial Hospital (Gastonia), Lexington Memorial Hospital (Lexington), Moses J. Cone Hospital (Greensboro), Presbyterian Healthcare (Charlotte), Randolph Hospital (Asheboro), Rowan Regional Medical Center (Salisbury), Stanly Regional Medical Center (Albemarle), and Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center (Winston-Salem).
The diversity of facilities attending presented many career options for the student in this preferred informal and comfortable setting. Evaluation comments from the hospitals were extremely favorable. They replied that our students displayed a professional image, were well prepared with resumes, and asked great questions. Many have encouraged Stanly Community College to continue this endeavor and have requested to be invited back next year.
Career opportunities for Respiratory Therapists continue to increase. The need for Respiratory Therapists is expected to grow in the coming years due to the large increase in the elderly population; the impact of environmental problems that already contributed to the yearly rise in number of reported asthma cases; and technological advances in the treatment of heart attacks, cancer, and accident victims, as well as premature babies. The United States government predicts that Respiratory Care will be one of the 10 fastest growing careers from now until 2012. Within North Carolina, it is predicted that there will be an average of 200 annual openings for Respiratory Therapists per year between now and the year 2014.
For more information on the Respiratory Therapy program, contact Tammy Crump at (704) 991-0267 or log on to the college website at www.stanly.edu.
(Left to right) Anson Community Hospital employees Zana Lambert and Jenny LaFave take a break and pose with Judy Adrian, SCC Director—Clinical Education and Instructor—Respiratory Therapy.