Money well spent

Respiratory Therapy Co-ordinator Carey Ward demonstrates new equipment to Canadore Board members.

Canadore College Board of Governors toured the Respiratory Therapy lab Tuesday night during the regular monthly meeting.

The college made major investments this year for the lab under the capitol equipment line and retooled the facility. Respiratory Therapy Co-ordinator Carey Ward said the investment gives his students a good shake at quality learning and securing employment upon graduation.

“Probably one of the major things they (students) want to know is can I get a job after going to college and after doing the program,” explains Ward.

“We had a 100% success rate in getting a job.”

Ward told the board that prior to the retooling the equipment was over 20 years old, but they now have contemporary equipment that includes virtual simulation models and a new Ventilator, making Canadore very attractive to students.

“Why Canadore versus another place, I would say that it is that the hospitals that support our program are non-teaching hospitals so the Respiratory student gets a very good experience in the fact that some of the things the residents would do,” he says.

Ward also explained that the college has a long term partnership with Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto and the students do a three week placement at the hospital at the end of the program focusing on neo-natal therapy.

“Now in the North we don’t have as much experience in neo-natal, but we basically accept the sick children, the sick infants, at the most critical time in their life … when they’re first born and they’re premature … they can’t breath,” he explains.

“So the RTs have to be very well versed in how to resuscitate and how to stabilise that infant before the outlying Sick Kids, CHEO, or London comes to get that child.”

Ward says they accept 50 students for first year entrance each year and that there is still time to apply.