Respiratory Therapist versus RN

pricklypear · May 26, 2005

RNGUY is wrong to generalize about RTs. I work with some really great ones. I don't know what I'd do without some of them!!

I've also worked with some really bad ones. But then again, I've worked with plenty of bad nurses, too!!

I think variety, as has been said before, should be what to think about in making your decision. I'm really not sure what other things are out there for RTs. I've only seen them in the hospital setting, It would be worth researching before you make your decision.

Antikigirl, ASN, RN · May 26, 2005

Well...just this week three of my CNA's didn't get into the nursing program (it is lottery), and this is all three of their 2nd year try! Too long to wait now to get their careers going...all are planning families and it keeps getting pushed off!

I recomended RT! And they love the idea! I told them the plus/minus about it..but seeing me...their nurse, run around like a chicken with my head cut off, they seem to like the in/out of a room more than a nurse..LOL!

There is no wait list for RT right now...so all three are looking into it. Bummer too..they all would make awesome nurses! But I feel that waiting years with no quarentee they will get in is silly! They must go on with their lives, and they are young...and need to get on the career path!

My lab partner in school was an RT, and he is now a PA! Now that is a nice move! :) From RT to PA straight and narrow! SO another bonus!

bobnurse · May 26, 2005

Don't become a RT. The RTs are too lazy and they hate being paged to take care of patients that are in distress. They like to arrive late to work and leave home early. They also like to call in when there is an big sports game on TV. They are useless and I just can't wait till thier job is handed over to nursing. And I'm a RT and a RN. I was so disgusted with the RT field. The majority of the RTs do not give a damn about their jobs. Become a nurse and you won't regret it.
RNGUY

Im sure the RT's are saying the same thing about nurses...

Dalzac, LPN, LVN, RN · May 26, 2005

Don't become a RT. The RTs are too lazy and they hate being paged to take care of patients that are in distress. They like to arrive late to work and leave home early. They also like to call in when there is an big sports game on TV. They are useless and I just can't wait till thier job is handed over to nursing. And I'm a RT and a RN. I was so disgusted with the RT field. The majority of the RTs do not give a damn about their jobs. Become a nurse and you won't regret it.
RNGUY

I work in ICU and ER and there are loads of differences> there is the poop,emesis,and other various body fluids vs. sputum deal. I work at a very large hospital and all of our RT are the farthest thing from lazy and non-caring. They are instantly there when you need them in codees and patients resp distress. It sounds like you have the bottom of the barrel RTs and we have the cream of the crop.

bloviate · May 26, 2005

My husband is a B.S. R.R. T. and he went to school much longer than one would in a nursing program.

Why is a Bachelors in Respiratory Therapy "much longer" then a Bachelors in Nursing?

lady_jezebel · May 26, 2005

Don't become a RT. The RTs are too lazy and they hate being paged to take care of patients that are in distress. They like to arrive late to work and leave home early. They also like to call in when there is an big sports game on TV. They are useless and I just can't wait till thier job is handed over to nursing. And I'm a RT and a RN. I was so disgusted with the RT field. The majority of the RTs do not give a damn about their jobs. Become a nurse and you won't regret it.
RNGUY

The RTs are very professional in the ICU where I work. The RNs and RTs work very closely together for intubated patients or those in respiratory distress.

FocusRN · May 26, 2005

Hold on, I thought an RT program was 2 years long for an ASD, I am correct? If so how is becoming an RT a quicker path? An RT assistant, or technician my be a quick way to somehow get in the feild but the money really isn't there. Anyway in my opinion, an RN is an RT to some degree. I mean think about it like this, all MDs are MDs right, it is just that some are family practitioners, that deal with a little bit of everything nothing too specific, and some are speacialists. Same thing with RN and RT , the RT field is more of a specialty. the only difference is eventhough an MD is a family practitions he/she can specialize at any time. Same thing with RNs, one can specialize at any time in a variety of oppurtunities, but an RT can't. So if I had to choose between spending 2 years in school for RT or 2 years for RN, I'd choose RN moreoppotunities to advance, specialize, and start a business within the field.

Valerette · May 26, 2005

my boyfriend is an RT and I am in nursing school...he often tells me he wishes he'd gone to be a nurse instead of an RT because:

as other posters have noted, RTs have less opportunities for specialization and advancement than RNs do

according to him, he has worked at hospitals where the RNs have a union because there are a lot of them, while the RTs don't, so if having a union is important to you, this is something to consider--if not just ignore it

he went to RT school for the same length of time as ADN nurses, and he makes $10 an hour less than RNs do.

I hope this helps you make your decision! Good luck with whatever you end up choosing.

:)

stidget99 · May 26, 2005

You are joking, right?
Because our RTs are awesome. They'll come within 3 minutes from anywhere in the building unless in a Code or with a pede, and they'll still be considerate enough to tell us when they can get there. Whether it's an emergency, or an assessment based on someone not looking like they're breathing well, we feel free to call our RTs and they just jump right in and help. We work together to get air-hungry patients on a vent or up to the unit, or whatever they might need. They have stat blood gasses back in less than 5 minutes, and they have such a great attitude about teaching us things.
I really can't say enough nice things about our Respiratory folks. I really believe that they're quite a large part of the reason that most of our Codes (and near-Code-interventions) are successful.

:yeahthat: I work w/ some awesome RTs just as I work w/ some awesome RNs. The same goes in the other direction as well.

I really don't know what the numbers are but seems to me that RNs have the opportunity to make more $ than RTs. I helped an RT do taxes two years ago. She works full time w/ plenty of OT and I was surprised how much less she made than me.

P_RN, ADN, RN · May 27, 2005

Please note the response that RN guy gave is to this thread that is TWO years old. It was totally uncalled for generalizing about all RTs, or all RNs for that matter. Any job you enjoy, are good at be it RN to janitor is a worthwhile endeavor and no one has the right to denigrate another profession like that.