Respiratory certification upgraded

    Recent respiratory care program graduates are taking advantage of new testing procedures to ease the transition into their new careers.

    Kerri Pennartz, Stefanie Watson and Rob Welborne graduated in May and now work in the respiratory care department of Parkland Hospital.

    Within 45 days, all three had completed the testing required to become certified respiratory therapists (CRT) and registered respiratory therapists (RRT), which is a record for TCC respiratory therapy program graduates.

    The national testing agency went to a computerized testing format and began to offer the tests on a year-round basis with no mandatory waiting period, John Hiser, respiratory care program coordinator, said.

    It is unusual these three graduates took the test so soon after graduation. Fear of tests, increased cost or simple procrastination has led to delays in taking the exams, Hiser said.

    Once at Parkland, Pennartz, Watson and Welborne formed a team to compete in the annual Sputum Bowl, a knowledge bowl competition at the Texas Society for Respiratory Care convention in San Antonio.

    They won the competition and will be representing Texas in the national Sputum Bowl in Tampa in October.

    The TCC respiratory care program has a graduate pass rate of 100 percent on the state licensure exam. This year applicants increased by 19 percent to 62, and 28 students were accepted into the program, Hiser said.

    The Department of Labor predicts a 43 percent increase in demand for respiratory therapists by 2008.

    For more information on the respiratory care program, contact Hiser at 817-515-6574.