Running head: THIS IS ONLY THE BEGINNING 1

This Is Only The Beginning

Stacy Sampson

University of Mary
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This Is Only The Beginning

When I graduated with my associate degree in 2011, I was content. I had a good paying

job that only required a two year degree and I told myself it was good enough. I didn’t have any

interest in pursuing an advanced level of education and didn’t feel the need for a four year

degree. Afterall, I was already able to do what I needed to do with a two year degree. As the

years have gone by, I realized that not only was I capable of more but I wanted to do more. I felt

the need to do more but I didn’t exactly know what I wanted to do. However, to do more, I

would have to do more. As much as I fought it, I knew the next step was to go back to school and

complete my BSRT. Now as I’m about to graduate, I’m able to look back on the program feeling

proud of what I have accomplished and being able to showcase highlights of my work in one

place. Ultimately, it’s a celebration of what I have learned and my portfolio allows me to display

the progress I made towards meeting program objectives.

For the past few years, I’ve felt stuck in my job. Tasks have felt monotonous and

unintentional. Some facilities don’t allow for any autonomy. At times, I haven’t been spoken to

but spoken through, as though I’m not even in the room. Granted this may not be the case for

every hospital, but it has largely been my experience. It greatly reminds me of the we had about

advancing from the technical role of the RT to that of the professional one. I still believe you

can’t have one without the other and the concepts are mirrored. The technical roles for

respiratory therapists change over time and my professional goals have altered slightly. The one

thing that has remained constant is finding a way to best utilize my strengths. During the process

of this program, each project, paper, discussion, and assignment gave me an opportunity to

discover my passion of one day being able to serve the healthcare community in a different

capacity.
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When I first started the program, all I wanted to do was get through it. was reviewing my

previous assignments and projects, it was validating to see how my work developed as the

semesters progressed. When I began last January, I had a general idea of what I wanted to do

after graduation. Each class built upon one another and it all eventually came full circle. I learned

more than I thought I would and I even learned more about myself. In terms of my portfolio, I’m

proud of what I created. My personal goals section is a testament to who I am as a therapist and

where I want to be in the future. Additionally, I feel that each piece selected reflects not only my

personal goals and what I want to accomplish, but they also appropriately meet the associated

program outcomes.

One of the most disheartening things I’ve encountered during my time as a therapist is

seeing the lack of available resources for COPD patients to succeed once they get back home.

One of the main ways I’m able to support patients now is by providing as much education as

possible and I make sure to take advantage of every opportunity. Afterall, knowledge is power.

One of the items I want to highlight on in my portfolio is the development of the COPD

education website I created during Respiratory Therapy Seminar. Being that my future career

goal is to run a multi-disciplinary COPD outpatient clinic, I’d love to be able to develop a

website with a similar platform for patients and their family to use. My philosophy is COPD

isn’t a disease of one. Every patient deserves support and a sense of community. I want to be

able to provide that and more for as many patients as I can.

One of the other projects I want to feature was the development of my COPD inpatient

discharge checklist and the associated patient check list. Even though I want to be working in the

outpatient setting, ideally I would be involved in the discharge process. One of the most

informative AARC lectures I listened to was during Respiratory Therapy seminar regarding
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COPD 30 day readmissions. It solidified my belief on how little is currently being done in

hospitals to help reduce the rates. Of the 20-plus hospital I’ve worked at, only one had a COPD

navigator program and contact time with patients was minimal. They were assigned videos to

watch on the hospital patient server, given a nebulizer for home use, and an Aerobika. The

customer service side of healthcare just wasn’t there. This particular hospital did see a decrease

in their readmissions, but in my opinion, the entire program could have been much better and

offered so much more. The document I created is detailed, thorough and offers the patient the

opportunity to be a part of their plan outside of the hospital walls. As an RT, I want to start

bridging the disconnect between an inpatient stay and outpatient success. I feel as though what I

created would be successful and allow for that to happen.

Anne Sweeney once said, “Define success on your own terms, achieve it by your own

rules, and build a life you’re proud to live”. Those words ring truer now than ever before. Being

able to create my portfolio and showcase the work I’ve accomplished during the last year

solidified that I’m on the right career and life path. Every instructor, every assignment, and every

single moment has brought me to where I am now. I’m confidently defining success on my own

terms and achieving it by my own rules. I’m building a life I’m proud to live and creating a

version of myself that will be used to serve others. Graduation may signify the end but learning

never stops. A final reflection doesn’t mean that something is ending, it’s the start of another

new beginning. As one book closes, another one opens. And this is just the beginning of my

story.