Vanier Graduate Jennifer Hostetter: Music 2011 and Respiratory and Anaesthesia Technology 2013

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The road was not direct but Jennifer Hostetter is now doing something she loves: Respiratory Therapy and she could not be happier.

One of the advantages of Cegep is that you can try different programs until you find the one that suits you best. That was true for Jennifer who started out at Vanier in Social Science then switched to Music in her second semester. She'd graduated from the Music concentration program at Rosemount High School and the switch seemed to put Jennifer on the road to a future in music.

Then life got complicated when her father was diagnosed with lung cancer. As Jennifer visited him in the hospital, she met nurses and RTs - respiratory therapists and became curious about health care. Because of her father's failing health, Jennifer took a semester off from school to spend more time with him. Sadly, their time together was short lived as he passed away in early October 2008. At that point, unable to go back to school until the winter semester, Jennifer took a 4-week hospital orderly course then worked in a retirement home the rest of the autumn.

Although the nurses she met encouraged her to study nursing, Jennifer was not ready to make that change. After her father died, she found it hard to focus. She was determined to complete her music studies at Vanier, and she did, but her heart was not really in it. Nonetheless, she applied to study Music at McGill University, but being practical and realistic, Jennifer also applied to study Respiratory and Anaesthesia Technology at Vanier just in case.

"I didn't get into McGill, which was not surprising since it was hard to focus after my Dad died. I was a little disappointed but it wasn't the end of the world. I'll always have music in my life. But I'd met RTs who treated my father, and I knew that that's what I wanted. I'm super happy with the choice I made to study Respiratory Therapy," says Jennifer.

"I had a job even before I graduated. Hospitals offer externships to students who have completed their second year in RT. You get to do treatments on a floor, you get exposed to more aspects of the profession, you get paid, and you continue to work part time for the rest of your studies," she says. This suited Jennifer just fine, because in addition to her studies, she had always had part time jobs. Given that her family was not wealthy, she had supported herself and then her mother throughout her studies with a variety of jobs including bartending while studying RT. "I was lucky. The bar owners let me study at the bar when it was quiet. They were a bit like family. They encouraged me and are very proud of me for pursuing my studies and achieving what I have in respiratory therapy."

Even after she graduated from Vanier and had a full time job at St-Mary's Hospital Jennifer still worked two jobs at a time. "I'm very involved in the RT community," she says. "I'm the type of person who takes opportunities when I see them. I work nights at the hospital, I come to Vanier to assist in the Respiratory lab classes when my schedule permits and I work in private clinics as well. Recently, I was able to work with the Sky Service Air Ambulance as a respiratory therapist overseeing the transport of critically ill patients by air. My responsibilities include monitoring the patient and ensuring that the life support system – mechanical ventilator - is functioning properly. I need to be able to make decisions and work autonomously. Usually there are no physicians on board the flight only nurses and a respiratory therapist. I need to be able to work collaboratively with the lifeguard crew."

"I love this kind of job because I love to travel and fly. As well, I love it because I'm at a place in my career where I feel I can handle emergencies even in a small jet."

What type of student is suited to Respiratory Therapy?

"You need to be mature and dedicated," says Jennifer. "There is a lot of material to learn and it can become overwhelming if you're not organized and keep on top of it. You have to be willing put in the time to study. In addition, you have to realize that once you are working in health care you will be working nights, weekends and holidays. But, it's not all bad because you get paid premiums – bonuses - for working those types of harder shifts."

Respiratory at Vanier
Vanier is great. It's the only cegep that teaches Respiratory Therapy in English. The teachers are great and the program is great. It's a good bridge between theory and study and real world practice. Once you're in your 3^rd year you are in the hospital all week and by the time you graduate you are truly prepared for your profession and your career.

Free time
I still love music. My favorite artists are Miles Davis and John Coltrane. I love "Blue Train". I can play my saxophone with friends on weekends and it releases my stress.