Supervising Respiratory Therapists

[asiana68]

Our respiratory therapists only work in our NICU and never get floated to the rest of the hospital. They are under the respiratory department of the hospital. It has been difficult to get consistency in the NICU when I can only supervise nursing and RTs are supervised by the director of the hospital RT department. I am trying to find out if as nursing director, I can supervise respiratory therapists. I am trying to see if I can transfer their FTE to the NICU department which is a nursing unit. Are there any written guidelines that reference this?

Thanks so much.

[SkylerW]

Yes, and no. There payroll can come out of your budget, but only a licensed registry eligible respiratory therapist can supervise another RT. RTs must also have a medical director in whatever department they work, and the medical director must be either pulmonary or anesthesia.

[amoLucia]

Question - why would someone want to 'eat up' nursing hour/FTEs on a non-nursing position? Wouldn't that take a nurse position off the floor? The RT certainly will not be doing any nursing tasks...

Or am I not seeing something here???

I've a friend who's the top administrator/superintendent in his school district. Every time he has to hire a mandated guidance counselor, coach, nurse, psychologist, etc, it's one less teacher position to TEACH in his district. Same budget, but one less teacher means poss eliminating courses, increasing class sizes, limiting after-school activities, adjusting library hours, decreased tutoring hours, etc to fund the non-teacher position. What was gained against what was lost?!?

[SkylerW]

Sometimes the facility will allow you to add FTE hours to your budget if you have just cause.