July 3, 2018
Samantha Bratton has attended two career fairs at American Career College-Ontario. The first time was as a respiratory therapy student looking for work. The second time was as a recruiter looking to hire other ACC grads.
Bratton graduated in September 2017 and was hired by Continental Post Acute three days after receiving her license. She has been with the Pomona-based company ever since and at a recent career fair was looking to recruit licensed vocational nurses and other RTs for the 24-hour skilled nursing facility in a residential setting.
“We are caring individuals,” Bratton said. “The people that come in there are going to be there forever, so you grow attached and learn to love them. They became family to you.”
Bratton said she was drawn to the program because her brother had respiratory issues and she wanted to be able to help if needed. She also had a background in healthcare, previously working in hospitals in Nevada as a patient service representative and a nurse assistant. What she likes most about the field now is the appreciation she receives from patients and their families and being able to connect with them.
Despite the important work RTs do, Bratton said she feels the profession is kind of an unsung or underrepresented aspect of healthcare — especially on TVs and movies.
“You don’t hear much about them but they’re the ones who are there for you most of the time. If it’s not your nurse, it’s your respiratory therapist and your doctor. But you watch the medical (shows on TV), and they never yell ‘Respiratory!’” she said with a laugh.
Ontario Campus: Voted Best Career College in the 2023 Inland Valley Daily Bulletin Readers Choice Awards.
LA Campus: Voted Best Career College in the 2023 LA Daily News Readers Choice Awards.
OC Campus: Voted Favorite Career College in the 2023 San Gabriel Valley Tribune Readers Choice Awards.