Third-generation respiratory therapist encourages others interested in health care to be inquisitive

Nick Deyne’s father, mother and grandmother have all spent much of their careers working at Parkview Medical Center, now part of UCHealth.

Now, Deyne has followed in their footsteps, becoming the third generation of his family to go into the respiratory therapy field.

Deyne’s father, Dennis has been working over 27 years as a respiratory therapist in the Parkview Emergency Department and teaches part-time at Pueblo Community College (PCC). His mother, Tommi Jo, worked more than 10 years in the accounting department at Parkview. Deyne’s grandmother, Lorraine, also worked at Parkview as a respiratory therapist. All of them attended PCC.

As a young student, Deyne loved math and social studies classes. But after a short stint studying computer science at University of Colorado-Colorado Springs, he changed paths and joined his “family” back at Parkview.

“I began to realize that computer engineering just wasn’t for me,” said Deyne. “I started talking to some of my family members who were in health care, and they encouraged me to give respiratory therapy a try. I really liked it.”

“Growing up, I used to see my dad come home from work every day wearing his scrubs, but I wasn’t really sure what he did,” added Deyne. “When I finally asked him about his job duties and responsibilities, I really began to get interested in the respiratory therapy side of health care.”

Deyne offers praise for the health care education program at PCC.

“The classes at PCC are great. The professors are very engaging and willing to help you understand the coursework and content,” he said.

Deyne attends online classes at PCC while he works at Parkview. He will graduate in the spring of 2024.

“Previously, I’d be at Parkview for my school-based clinical classes and then back at PCC for a lab, now I’m working full-time ‘hands-on’ as a respiratory therapist at Parkview getting ready to graduate.”

Deyne’s daily duties include monitoring and treating patients with temporary or chronic respiratory conditions like asthma, COPD, pneumonia, bronchitis or emphysema. He also works closely with physicians and nurses to develop patient treatment plans and administer respiratory treatments to patients based on their conditions.

“I really enjoy the way the health care teams work together and cooperate on patient care,” Deyne said. “Everyone communicates with each other, and the entire care team knows exactly what’s going on with the patient.”

Like all professions, Deyne says the more you know before starting a program the more successful you will be.

“If you are curious about health care, ask as many questions as you can. If you are interested in the medical field, don’t be afraid to ask your teachers, friends or family for help or advice.”

“My future goal is to become a PA (physician assistant),” Deyne said. “After I get my bachelor’s degree in respiratory therapy and work for a bit, I plan to apply to PA school.”

“I really enjoy working here. Parkview treats its employees well. I’ve had a great experience in the program and can’t wait for what comes next.”