When Jannelle graduated and passed her board exams, she was eager to start her respiratory therapy career, but the pandemic had left her feeling unprepared after clinicals were cut short. With some encouragement from her best friend, Jannelle took a leap and interviewed with Duke Health.

“Two weeks after my interview, I had a job offer. I was both excited and terrified," says Jannelle who relocated from California in 2021 for a role as a new graduate respiratory therapist with Duke Health.

But from the moment she walked into Duke’s doors, Jannelle’s fears began to subside.

"Everyone was super nice and welcoming," she reflects. “No one expected me to be perfect right away. It was okay to not know everything, and everyone was there to support me.”

When Jannelle arrived at Duke Health, she was put in a unique 16-week orientation program for new hire adult respiratory therapists. The unique new-hire orientation curriculum covers all the units and devices the RTs will need competency with.

“They would walk me through each unit and let me know what their specific expectations were,” Jannelle explains. "People were always willing to teach me, whether I was on orientation or not. I was never alone."

And Jannelle’s growth journey at Duke doesn’t stop here.

"After two years in the ICU, I’ve become really curious about the ER," she says.

Duke Health has allowed her to explore this new direction, even offering her time working in pediatrics to help her feel more comfortable with younger patients she may encounter in the ER.

“If you show interest in something at Duke Health, they will help guide you there,” Jannelle says. “If you want more time in a certain unit or want to work in a different area, you will get the opportunity.”

The learning opportunities and the autonomy she experiences in her role, are what she says makes Duke Health special for her to grow as a respiratory therapist.

“The therapist I am today is not the same as the one who started,” she says. “I’m so much more confident, and I’ve been given opportunities at Duke Health I never thought I’d receive. It’s a big part of why I love working here.”

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