Respiratory devices, neonatology room and surgical table…future students in the Respiratory Therapy Techniques program at Cégep de Rivière-du-Loup will learn the basics of their future profession through state-of-the-art facilities and equipment. A new development possible thanks to investments of approximately $1.4 million.
The new specialized premises of the educational establishment were inaugurated this Tuesday, November 26 in the presence of students of the program, the teaching and technical team, as well as partners. The atmosphere was festive, the pride palpable.
“Today is the culmination of several months of work and it is very pleasant,” rejoiced Nancy Chénard, teacher responsible for the program.
Located near the Nursing program, on the second floor of the main building of Cégep de Rivière-du-Loup, the new facilities include three classrooms, two treatment rooms, a laboratory, as well as work spaces.
The devices found there will allow students to be transported directly to the workplace. The environment and facilities have been designed and designed to respect the reality of the hospital environment where professionals will be called upon to practice.
Remember that respiratory therapists play “a crucial role” within the medical team, contributing to the cardiorespiratory health of patients of all ages. They intervene in emergency situations such as cardiac or respiratory arrest and are called upon to assist various professionals on a daily basis.
“For intensive care, we have, for example, an intubated patient, a respirator, a suction device, a heart monitor, oxygen, medical gases and medications… Everything you need “you have to act as if you were in a hospital,” explained Ms. Chénard.
“The cabinets are also assembled by our technician as in the hospital, from the first to the last drawer [..] It’s very concrete. By having high-tech equipment, students will arrive on the job market and they will be ready to work,” she added.
In recent months, nothing has been left to chance in order to offer the best quality to future cohorts and to ensure the relevance of the installations over time. The total cost of this project, estimated at $1.4 million, includes work, professional fees and the purchase of specialized equipment.
Note that the facilities can also be used by students in nursing and pharmacy programs, other future professionals who will be able to meet the workforce needs of the health network following their training.
“It’s part of success to evolve in places conducive to learning, places that allow us to put ourselves in context. All of this is very important and we must offer it to our students,” underlined the general director of Cégep de Rivière-du-Loup, Isabelle Cloutier.
The Cégep de Rivière-du-Loup has been offering the Respiratory Therapy Techniques program, a three-year training course, since the fall of 2023-2024. For the moment, around twenty students are taking advantage of this unique offer east of Quebec by being part of the very first cohort.
Further details will follow…
