Career paths aren’t always planned; they’re often discovered in times of uncertainty. This especially remains true for Lauren K., a respiratory care assistant at UPMC Cole.
When Lauren first joined UPMC Cole in July 2020, she wasn’t focused on ventilators, nebulizers, or even pulse oximeters. In the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, she started as an environmental services (EVS) employee, but after enduring the hardships that came with working in a hospital during trying times, she took a leap of faith and realized that the toughest seasons often reveal the clearest sense of purpose.
“It was a crazy experience,” she said. “It was very hard work, especially during COVID. I was scrubbing walls, working overtime, and running constantly. But it was rewarding. I really liked being in the health care environment.”
At the time, healthcare hadn’t been Lauren’s intended career path. She already held a bachelor’s degree in graphic design and worked briefly in marketing after graduating. Yet Lauren felt that something was missing.
“I realized I missed health care,” she said. “Being in the hospital just felt right.”
Working in EVS placed Lauren in the center of the hospital community. She interacted daily with nurses, therapists, and physicians around the hospital. These interactions, along with the shared experiences of working through the pandemic, allowed her relationships to flourish. Eventually, one text message from a colleague changed the trajectory of her career in health care forever.
“I tell people, especially younger staff who aren’t sure what they want to do, to look around and talk to people. You’re surrounded by opportunities in a hospital.”
“A friend of mine who worked as a night-shift respiratory therapist texted me out of the blue and asked if I’d ever thought about respiratory therapy,” Lauren said. “He sent me a link to a program, and I started looking into it.”
The more she learned, the more it clicked. Respiratory therapy combined science, hands-on patient care, and critical thinking, and it offered a way to directly help patients in vulnerable moments.
After looking at her options, Lauren decided to enroll in the respiratory therapy program while also working in EVS, a decision that would not have been possible without UPMC’s tuition assistance benefit.
“That support definitely helped,” Lauren said. “It made going back to school and working in health care a lot more manageable.”
Looking back, Lauren now sees EVS as the door that opened everything.
“EVS really is a gateway,” she said. “You meet so many people and see so many departments. I wouldn’t even have known respiratory therapy existed if I hadn’t worked here and talked to the therapists.”
She often shares that perspective with newer employees. “I tell people, especially younger staff who aren’t sure what they want to do, to look around and talk to people. You’re surrounded by opportunities in a hospital.”
Recently, Lauren reached another career milestone in her journey to becoming a respiratory therapist. After working the second shift in EVS, she was offered a position as a respiratory care assistant, where she works alongside trained respiratory therapists to make her transition more seamless. Lauren now helps with treatments and equipment and learning daily workflows, essentially performing everything a therapist can do without a license and under the supervision of licensed professionals in the field.
“I follow the therapists and help them throughout the day,” Lauren said. “It’s been great because when I start working as a therapist, it won’t feel like such a big transition. I’ll already understand the processes.”
“A lot of people don’t think they can do it, but they’re smarter than they think. You just have to start. Take that first step, otherwise you stay in the same place.”
She now works at UPMC Cole several days a week while completing clinical rotations at UPMC Williamsport, a nearly three-hour drive from her home near Bradford. Mondays begin around 3 a.m. so she can arrive in time to start her shift at 6:30 a.m.
Although her commute is tiring and the days are long, Lauren isn’t discouraged and has the passion and determination to chase after a new and exciting career on the horizon.
“At Williamsport, I see a lot more cases and higher-acuity patients than a smaller hospital,” Lauren said. “Even though it’s a long drive, it’s helping my education so much.”
Her current clinical focus includes ventilator competencies, often keeping her in the ICU for an entire shift while she shadows therapists and checks off required skills.
Lauren is nearing graduation, after which she will take two board exams to become a registered respiratory therapist at UPMC Cole, where she plans to stay.
“I’d like to work here full-time to start,” she said. “This place gave me my opportunity.”
Five years ago, Lauren never imagined she would trade graphic design for ventilators and patient care.
“It’s a huge learning curve, but it’s exciting. I get to help people directly, and I really enjoy that,” Lauren said. “A lot of people don’t think they can do it, but they’re smarter than they think. You just have to start. Take that first step, otherwise you stay in the same place.”
