RT says her scope is wider than mine. Ok?

Nurses Relations

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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.

Specializes in Med-Surg, NICU.

I have had only one bad experience with an RT (in adult med-surg) and she happened to be in a direct entry NP program. Was always trying to tell me and other nurses how to do our job when she never worked a day as a bedside nurse!

Every other RT has been amazing, and I couldn't imagine working in a NICU without one. They have taught me so much and I admire their depth of knowledge in regards to the respiratory system.

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maybe the RT's anger has to do with something else. Not long ago I remember hearing about how RTs came into being as a way of taking some of the workload off of RNs, when there was a shortage back in the day and having RTs could stretch the time availability of an RN. Now that RNs are plentiful and hospitals are always trying to cut costs there are fewer RTs finding employment. RNs can do the job of the RT but not the other way around so it's a cost-savings measure for the facility. Is this still a thing, or a trend?

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Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.

Every other RT has been amazing, and I couldn't imagine working in a NICU without one. They have taught me so much and I admire their depth of knowledge in regards to the respiratory system.

Yes, we LOVE our RTs who are experienced with infants. If we're going to a delivery or C/S where the baby is premature or we know we're going to need to do NRP, we will call RT to be there. It's nice to know there's someone there who's really comfortable with managing the airway.

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

Nursing diagnosis and intervention. Like Potential for skin impairment related to immobility secondary to pain? And then the nurse adds skin precautions and a turning schedule?

Or do you mean any of the things that we observe and discover but then have to get an order for things as simple as I.S.? We can't apply a bandaid without an order.

Without established protocols, standing orders and/or an understanding with regular providers who will sign our orders retroactively, it's more style over substance.

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To those of you suggesting that an RN can perform an RT's job, but that the RT can perform the RN'so job, I don't think you fully grasp what our RT team members are capable of performing, and just exactly how extensive their scooe of practice can be.

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To those of you suggesting that an RN can perform an RT's job, but that the RT can perform the RN'so job, I don't think you fully grasp what our RT team members are capable of performing, and just exactly how extensive their scooe of practice can be.

What something is capable of is different than what something is or what it can be.

Generally, there is nothing that a RT can do that a trained and educated RN cannot do. There are definitely things that RTs do not do however such as providing ostomy care, being a circulating nurse in an OR, performing a cervical assessment etc.

In a previous life in long term care, it was state law that a registered nurse had to be on call at all times. Not a medical professional like an RT, a registered nurse.

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Specializes in Psychiatry, Community, Nurse Manager, hospice.
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.

:roflmao: Laughing and still laughing!!!!

"Your scope is so wide, I can't even GRASP it."

"Be careful going through that door with your wide scope."

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Specializes in LTC, Rehab.

Nothing against RT's whatsoever, but a wider scope than an ICU nurse? No...

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RT=RESPIRATORY THERAPIST. Specializes in Respiratory. NURSE=Gotta know Fundamentals, Medications, Cardiac, Diabetes, Dressings, etc ETC. I'm guessing this RT feels belittled or undervalued and felt the need to make themselves feel better.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Education.

Great thread. As a COB, I can provide some info for PP's query about the origin of RT..... as related to me by a Crusty Old Doc. I wasn't around back then, but he sure was.

They began as "Anesthesia Techs". Back then, Oxygen & other gases were stored in humongous tanks that required quite a bit of muscle to heft and move around. Orderlies (always male) were generally asked to deal with them. Gradually, those orderlies began doing other jobs such as hooking up lines & changing out the meters... and by the early 1940's, a new "profession" was born.

I also have great info (from original sources) on the days when nurses spent quite a bit of time sharpening "hypo needles" and patching rubber gloves. Back in the day when microbes weren't as fearsome as they are today & the concept of "disposable" wasn't on anyone's radar screen.

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Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

I think this all comes down to "How do you define the word 'scope' ?" Yes, some RT's are allowed to do some physical tasks that most nurses are not allowed to do. Some people believe that gives those RT's a broader "scope of practice" than the RT's. Some EMT's think the same way about their scope of practice that allows them to do a lot at the site of an emergency.

I don't see it that way. I see those physical tasks as just tasks -- and I am not as enamored with them as some people are. I think the higher pay that most nurses receive is reflective of the fact that they are expected to know more about more things and make certain types of decisions that integrate a lot of sophisticated information.

And as I said in an earlier post -- and to any RT or EMT who brings up the topic with me. If you want the RN's higher salary, become a nurse and take on the RN's more comprehensive role.

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New grad from RT school here. No license yet(do not wish to misrepresent myself). I am also husband to a (hard working) RN. I happened to run into this thread and just wanted to chime in, so here it goes. The first thing that comes to mind is that this person is probably a bitter RT who maybe at one point or even up to now wants/wishes to be a nurse. I have heard few RT's(not many) make comments like that and it bugs the hell out of even me. If they don't like the profession they should move on and allow the rest of us to continue molding it. But honestly I don't hear new grads complaining about the money and most I know are very happy with what they do and their scope of practice”. Some do eventually choose to go into nursing thinking that the grass is greener on the other side, and for some it is.

As for me, I know nursing is hard work, It is very labor intensive requiring lifting, turning, cleaning and moving obese patients and the elderly who can sometimes feel like dead weight. It requires the patience of a saint to put up with families, agitated/combative patients, drug seekers and everything in between. Those are things I would never want on my plate. Yes RT's deal with some of that but not to the same extent and more often than not, can choose to walk away and let someone else deal with it as long as it does not put the pt in danger. Bottom line is that (you) nurses deserve what you are paid and even that might not be enough.

I just wish people would do more research about what they chose to go to school for. Its 2 years of your life (not counting pre-reqs) so about 4 years just for an Associates and even more now that they want bachelors trained RT'S. After all that, NOW is not the time to notice the pay difference between the two professions. That detail should have been researched previously. Where I live the pay difference is anywhere from 1 to 2 dollar/hr, but after a few years the difference can be up to 10k a year. But of course that depends on the RT and their attitude. The way I see it, as a future RT I will probably be physically able and willing to do an extra shift once a month to make up for the difference, OR not. Its not a big deal for me. I know that as a nurse I would probably not want to put myself through an extra shift depending on the unit.

Oh.. and yes, nurses can do most of what RT's can do and not the other way around. But think of it this way.

I can drive.. almost anyone can drive.. But I can't drive stick, and have never driven a semi in my life. Would it be a good idea for me to drive an 18 wheeler downtown during a busy weekend? My point is that you can do a lot of damage trying to figure it out as you go.

Anyways. I appreciate all the hard work you guys/gals(nurses) do and keep it up.

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