RT says her scope is wider than mine. Ok?

[CardiacDork]

I work in the ICU and we work very closely with our RTs. I love my RTs and get along and respect all of them. I even respect and love the RT I'm about to mention, her comment just makes me have more sympathy than anything.

Casually discussing nursing and respiratory education she interjects how her scope is greater than mine and can do more yet still gets paid less even as a head RT. I mean maybe she's bitter because she makes less than the Nurse Clinician 3-5? - and her way of justifying everything is by saying "I get paid less but my scope is larger I can do what you do and more".

Okay sure. I'm not even gonna argue that. I'm sure you can. I'm just a lowly ICU nurse. I wipe booty.... das all guyzzzz.

Peace out.

[delawaremalenurse]

Obviously there's one one appropriate response to this. Every time you see her, compliment her loudly on how WIDE her scope is.

"Dang girl, you're scope is looking mighty wide today."

"I have to confess, I've always liked to girl with a wide scope."

etc.

My scope is definitely the widest...and the longest

[chacha82, ADN, BSN]

[Libby1987]

Why would I even answered this? I never claimed my scope to be broader or more privileged.

Simply found her comment amusing. That's all.

The fact is nursing and respiratory are two very different fields.

Why even compare apples to oranges?

Also, nursing is a very old profession! Nursing has more lobbying power, more money, and this is why nurses probably make more. Lobbying power.

My question was out to any of the readers, as part of the ensuing discussion, that's all.

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

That conversation was not worth your time of day. We all know nurses can do everything RT does, RT cannot fulfill the scope of nursing job requirements.

By the way, you do NOT "love the RT". You currently have a good working relationship with her. Watch your back. This one is angry.

[klone, MSN, RN]

We all know nurses can do everything RT does

And there's the rub. Not every patient in the hospital needs RT care. All of them need nursing care. That's why nurses get paid more.

[nursej22, MSN, RN]

Well gee wilikers, the hospital should replace all nurses with RTs and save a ton on payroll!

[CaffeinePOQ4HPRN, BSN, MSN, LPN, RN]

It never fails to amuse/annoy me how much a pi$$ing contest gets in the way of things, and stirs things up for no good reason. Urgh. I don't understand why it's always seen as necessary to someone to assert their imagined superiority over anyone else. Ridiculous!

The RT the OP refers to simply seems bitter and delusional... the most delightful combination.

[Beldar_the_Cenobite, CNA]

Discussing the scope of practice the RN has compared to an RT is like discussing politics where you come off as saying "My politics are better than yours." If you came up to me as an RN and I was an RT and you wanted to talk to me about the scope of your job...you know just to make conversation, I'd probably ignore you the whole time because 1. you're being very rude 2. I have no interest in how much you make more than I do and 3. Were you not raised to never speak about politics, religion, or money at work or at the dinner table? I certainly was.

[Kooky Korky, BSN, RN]

Well gee wilikers, the hospital should replace all nurses with RTs and save a ton on payroll!

Don't think they haven't thought of it.

I had no idea RN's could do A lines or that RT could do cric's and all the other tasks mentioned - chest tube insertion for example.

In my acute care days, RT's did nebs, set up vents and monitored them, drew ABG's, did chest PT - if we were lucky and could get RT to see our patients. If they were too busy, we did all of that ourselves. But never did Nursing or Resp do invasive procedures back in the Dark Ages.

Truly the world has turned.

[pedsrt2rn]

PICCS and Art Lines? What states are these?

PICC lines not so much, but when I worked as an RT, I routinely put in Art-lines. This was in NC and SC.

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

At first I thought, well of course an RN's scope is wider but then thinking about it, in what way? RTs assess, report, accept MD orders, intervene, administer drugs, educate and perform highly difficult procedures. While much of what a general RN performs in terms of tasks that RTs don't/can't can be taught and performed by lay persons.

Serious question, where does the scope really splinter off that no RTs are able or allowed to perform? (please don't say something basic like a catheter change or venipuncture).

RT's are not able to perform nursing diagnosis, assessment and intervention.

[al3x117, RN, EMT-B]

Haha Yes! Great Response!

When I have heard that kind of talk ... my response has always been ... "Well, if the money means that much to you ... I guess you should have gone to nursing school then."