The ink is barely dry on Kevin Kehoe’s RT school diploma — he walked across the stage on Saturday, May 17th — but he already has a pretty good idea of where he wants to take his career in the profession. One of the key resources he used to come up with his game plan was the AARC’s professional networking site, AARConnect.
Kevin explains how he came to enter RT and what he’s learned by connecting with his new RT community through AARConnect in this Q&A —
What led you to purse a degree in RT?
For two years I worked the night shift at Fletcher Allen Health Care as an orderly post-graduation from Ithaca College; I was exposed to many ICU patients and emergency room traumas. I saw health care providers, that were different from nurses, who had autonomy over the ventilators for critical care patients. I began talking to a few of the respiratory therapists at Fletcher Allen and learned that the profession was a combination of “tech geek meets auto mechanic meets health care provider” — at least in my mind that’s what it seemed. I applied to Vermont Technical College and I was lucky enough to get in!
How do you like the profession so far?
I’m a bit of an adrenaline junkie. I like being in on the traumas and the fast paced world of the emergency room. I like the fact that the profession entails a lot of autonomy and it really challenges you to think of what is best for the patient. I like a good challenge from time to time.
As an AARC member you have full use of AARConnect, our professional networking site, and you appear to have made good use of it, filling out your profile and posting a picture. How do you feel AARConnect has helped you learn more about your new profession?
I used AARConnect to help me gather advice for job interviews. Coming from a writing background, I needed some guidance to help me navigate through job interview questions that one can only encounter in the health care world.
I also researched the Disaster Medical Assistance Teams that respond to many environmental crises throughout the country. I was able to find out the qualifications, experience, and training needed in order to be a part of those teams. I am already itching to join!
What are your top three career goals, and how do you plan on accomplishing them? How do you think AARConnect and your other AARC membership benefits will help?
Number one, I plan to get both my CRT and RRT right of the gate. I want to be able to practice with full licensure within a year of graduating. By using AARConnect I can research exam tips and tricks that can help guide me to success on my boards!
Number two, I want to acquire my critical care certification. I would like to be able to contribute to the big trauma centers with full confidence in my skills. By using AARConnect, I can research trauma centers and what they look for in their expectations for respiratory therapists.
Number three, I want to join a Disaster Medical Assistance Team. By using the website’s resources, I can research the teams further to see if there are any openings in the future and I can get a big picture view of what they expect from their practitioners.
