Respiratory Therapist?

2togo4rn · Feb 21, 2009

It's comp to nursing as far as hourly rate and studying time.

jstbreathe · Feb 21, 2009

I am a Respiratory Therapist! I love it! Where I live, the school is a semester longer than ADN. Prereqs are the same. A&P 1 & 2, micro, chemistry etc.

The pay...is not bad! About $55,000. a year.

Job outlook is good. But, in the hospital. MOst jobs for an RT are in the hospital.

The exams....yep they are hard. Alot of people think that RT's only study the lungs. NOT True! We study everything that effects the lungs. (kidneys, heart, neuro) (even the bowels)

Its an exciting job.

Hope this helps!

brad_57 · Feb 21, 2009

That sounds like a field I might try to get into after reading that. I'm seriously gonna look into it.

Cardiowheezer · Feb 21, 2009

I am also a Respiratory Therapist. There are two means of becoming an RRT-the associates degree or the bachelors degree. With both upon graduation you will be eligible to sit for the CRT (Certified Respiratory Therapist) exam. Upon passing your CRT you are then eligible to sit for the advanced practioner exam the RRT (Registered Respiratory Therapist). The CRT exam can be daunting but the RRT exam is a beast. It consists of a written exam as well as a clinical simulations exam. The clinsim is what gets most people but with proper preparation it can be passed. I did it and so can you!

Respiratory therapy can be a rewarding field but I feel that RTs don't get the respect that we deserve in comparison to RNs. In my opinion, our professional societies are lacking in some aspects and don't promote us or our causes well publicly like nursing organizations. In all fairness though, I guess that could be because we don't have the huge membership that nursing does and in comparison to nursing respiratory therapy is still a young discipline. The lack of national exposure though leads to most people not having the slightest clue what we actually do. Most often people assume we only do neb treatments. I actually just recently had an LPN tell me that my job couldn't be as stressful as her nursing home job because all I do is treatments. I could only sit there with my mouth agape. I initially wanted to spout out how I had worked in critical care for the majority of my decade + career, how I had a bachelors degree in RT and was certified in NRP, PALS, ACLS, how I often was the one to intially "discover" that a person was circling the drain because as an RT I was responsible for assessing EVERY patient on the unit , etc . I decided to just finally let it go though because after awhile you get tired of singing the same old tune. I mearly stated that ANY job in medicine will be stressful and that we all contribute to the betterment of our patients. When it comes to patient care though, I try to always represent respiratory therapy in a positive light and take the time to try and educate my patients as to what my role is in their care. Most are usually very interested and go away with a positive point of view regarding respiratory therapy.

I have friends who are both RTs and RNs. Most were RTs first. Most agree that becoming and being an RT was more stressful. I guess it depends on the person though. It could also be that since the RT degree was their point of entry into the medical field it is preceived as harder because by the time they began the RN degree they already had their RT degree and years of experience behind them. I am currently enrolled in a RN program and I honestly don't expect it to be a walk in the park. I expect it to be challenging and am sure it will force me to shift my thinking patterns into a different direction. I will now have to think outside of the RT box!

With all of that being said, I love the fact that I am an RT. I think that without RTs the medical field would be hard pressed to function well (eventhough some sites have tried only to realize they made a huge mistake!). I am a well respected member of a highly trained medical team and often have RNs as well as MDs requesting my input on cases. The pay is comparable, at least in my area, with what an RN makes and the work hours are the same. The main reason I am getting the RN degree though is advancement opportunities. I want to be able to possibly do other things besides work in the hospital and unfortunately for RTs the choices are limited. So since I love school and learning anyway, I listened to some of my RN friends and decided to go to nursing school.

I think you would enjoy a career as a RT as long as you go into it realistically. Depending on where you are, you may not get the respect nor pay that other disciplines get. Most patients may not know who you are nor what you do. Just remember ultimately, if the patient isn't breathing and circulating --all else is a moot point.

I would encourage you to seek out volunteer opportunities in an RT department. That's what I did prior to becoming an RT. In exchange for my volunteer work, many of the therapist let me shadow them. I would also encourage you to talk openly with RTs, RNs, MDs etc and see what they think of the profession. I don't think you will find it an unworthwhile profession. I think you would find it challenging, often rewarding and exciting. Good luck to you in whatever decision you make!

jstbreathe · Feb 23, 2009

Thanks CardioWheezer! I agree it a very rewarding career! :yeah: :yeah: :yeah: :yeah: :yeah:

Magsulfate, BSN, RN · Feb 23, 2009

I agree with wheezer. (nice name btw) Working in ICU, a lot of the time I will go to the RT first if there is a problem with my patient and their breathing. And if they are a vent patient, I will DEFINATLY go to the RT first! I ask them, what do you think is wrong? What can we do to fix it? or, what is your opinion? Do you think these blood gases are better than the last ones? They are much smarter than most nurses I know when it comes to vent patients. They are an asset to have around before and during a code, and after a code! We couldn't do it without them, thats for sure!

mykrosphere · Feb 23, 2009

i have respected a lot more respiratory therapists than i have nurses, and i am a nurse.

theyre very knowledgeable and i couldnt do my job without them

tiffdeandre · Mar 24, 2009

Do you have to write care plans in the respiratory therapist program? also once you finish the program, how many and what kind of exams do you have to take?

Quaffetti · Mar 24, 2009

I love our RT's. They are always the first people we call when our pts get into trouble. I have nothing but respect for them.

But I guess it's time for the RT/Rn "joke."

When god was deciding who was going to be an RT and who was going to be an RN he put all the candidates in a room filled with waist deep poop. Then he hurled the most humongous lugie of sputum ever seen into the room. The people who ducked down into the poop became nurses, the people who stayed up to be showered in sputum became RT's.

jstbreathe · Mar 24, 2009

As far as care plans, Yes, you will be expected to do a few while in school. I also did a few oral reports.

Test? refer to cardiowheezer's post!

also check out nbrc.org

kharing · Mar 24, 2009

Wrote a ton of SOAPs and case studies while in RT program, but haven't had to deal with them in the clinical setting.

I love being an RRT!!!!