NEWBERRY — The Newberry College Bachelor of Science in Respiratory Therapy (BSRT) online program is providing students with the tools needed to take on healthcare needs in the community, such as the ongoing coronavirus or COVID-19 outbreak.
The program started about four years ago and in May of 2019 graduated its first class of nine students.
There is one other program in the state, but Newberry College is the first program to graduate a class, according to Jerry Alewine, Ed.D, RRT (doctorate in education and registered respiratory therapist) and department chair for the baccalaureate of science and respiratory therapy.
”Sid Parrish and I began a conversation because Newberry College was looking for new programs. I went to him, at the time I was the past president of the State Society of Respiratory Care, and told him that we were looking for a home. I was the dean of Health Science at Piedmont Technical College at the time, =next thing I know Sid asked me ‘are you going to come teach it,’” Alewine said.
Alewine said as of right now, with the coronavirus, many people are talking about the use of ventilators.
”Well, a ventilator is a machine that does exactly what it sounds — it ventilates a patient. It’s the respiratory therapist whose sole job is to manage that machine. Embedded in managing that is having an understanding of lung functions, dynamics of lung compliance, even to knowing hemodynamics. I always tell people it’s plumbing for the body,” he said.
He added that news is also circulating about how to determine the best care for patients. According to Alewine, “respiratory therapists are on the front line of that.”
With a program that is continuing to grow, he said in the midst of COVID-19 one of the classes taught in the BSRT program deals with community health and disaster preparedness.
“That course in particular gives the students a view of health care that is totally separate from what they are getting pre-licensure. This is now taking that knowledge and expanding the knowledge of care for respiratory therapists. How do you prepare for coronavirus for folks that are going to be shut in and they can’t get to their physicians? How do you deal with getting medications to them? How do you ensure these COPD patients are getting the proper nutrition,” he said.
A nutrition class is also embedded into the program, which, according to Alewine, helps expand the knowledge of the respiratory therapist.
“None of us knew this (COVID-19) was going to happen. This is something that has been on the horizon for a long time. In this program, what we do is prepare students for management positions. It takes it beyond respiratory care and gives them new insights to see beyond the bedside,” Alewine said.
Despite the negativity surrounding COVID-19, Alewine said this will serve as a learning experience for everyone.
“It’s horrible to say, but this (COVID-19) is a great learning opportunity, not just for the BSRT students, but for your physicians, nurses and hospital administrators to kind of grasp how you deal with this. Sadly, this may be the biggest we’ve ever seen, but it may not be the last,” he said. “There will be medical advances that come out of this, there will be infection control measures that will come out of this.”
Moving forward with incoming students in the program, Alewine said examples from COVID-19 will be implemented in courses.
“We are not preparing them for one typical emergency, what we want to do is get them in a mindset beyond the bedside of a respiratory therapist, what the health care industry can do for the community,” he said. “We definitely are watching what’s going on, making changes to courses virtually every semester.”