Resp. tasks VS. Nursing tasks

Lisa,
I'm in the exact same boat as you are. RRT who became a RN, stayed at the same hospital, now working in SICU. I leave pretty much all of the RT work to my fellow RT's (Vent changes, ABG's, retape ETT's, breathing tx's, extubations, etc.). I have more than enough work to do as a nurse.

However....I will not hestitate to make changes in an emergency and I do try to keep current on ABG sticks by just asking the RT if they mind if I did the stick, when I have time. I have never had a RT tell me "No, I don't want you to do my work for me!" Of course, I always talk to the RT if I make any changes. I have never gotten any flack from them. Of course, I don't know what they say about me behind my back! HA!

Waiting 10-15 minutes for a RT to show up for a vent change/abg is unacceptable in my book and if you have to wait that long, I think you should have the right to make changes/do abg's as a RT. Why does it take so long to get a RT to the bedside? If you can come to an agreement with your manager and the RT department about your duties, that would be good but in the end, I think it may create more work for you because the RT will say "Oh, that's Lisa's patient, she can do all the RT stuff!" and it may cause some resentment on the part of the other RT's. You know how territorial RT's can be!

I already find myself being used as a RT resource on the unit by the other nurses when the RT is not around and they will ask me to check their vents/explain why changes were made after the RT has been there. I don't mind that at all. Helps keep me thinking about RT stuff and I don't hesitate to bring up the waveforms on the vent and make adjustments to Esens, PF, flow trigger, etc. if needed to make my patient more comfortable.

Good luck with trying to get those duties in writing. I've seen you posting on the CRNA pages. I am interested in that career path also. If you'd like to compare notes, I'd be happy to keep in touch. Take care.

HawaiiRRTRN

Lisa -

I would strongly recomend consulting your 'house' counsel so you are covered by THEM if there were ever any complications. You don't want to be left out to 'dry' if the pt's family comes back at you.

Don't put your scope of practice too thin as to screw yourself if deposed.

As far as the RT's not responding to wean, do vent changes, or ABG's, well it is 99% usually one of two things; 1. extremely short staffed and only two therapists are on for the enitre house or 2. the therapist assigned to our unit (CVICU) is out in the butt hut.




Short staffed seems to be more and more the case these days. Giving Respiratory a bad name!

I would advise checking hospital policy,etc. The issue of concern is: if position of hire at the facility is RN(even though you possess different licensures) you are covered on your current hired position and house policies...
As for long response times from rt dept. -As in any profession (regardless of field) you have lazy people and people with work ethic-go figure

Currently an rt in a rural community with only 4 staff therapists to cover: outpatient/er/ob/medsurg/surgery and thank goodness no vent patients.....
work 12 hr shifts/on call the other 12/ return to work the next day to do again...yes, again, as long as you have recieved a 2 whole hour break......

i am a current resp. therp student,but i also want to become an rn. actually i got into rep therp,b/c it was my 2nd choice.nursing was my 1st, but where i live in san diego, the waiting lists to the nursing programs are insane. ive decided to get my associated in rt and then transfert to a 4yr school for bsn. anyways, iv been curious if you could work as both oncehaving both liscences or do you guys think the demand is too great from one or both of these jobs to work as both an rn and rt

i am a current resp. therp student,but i also want to become an rn. actually i got into rep therp,b/c it was my 2nd choice.nursing was my 1st, but where i live in san diego, the waiting lists to the nursing programs are insane. ive decided to get my associated in rt and then transfert to a 4yr school for bsn. anyways, iv been curious if you could work as both oncehaving both liscences or do you guys think the demand is too great from one or both of these jobs to work as both an rn and rt

I was just curious as to how you RRT's got your RN. I am currently a RRT in Wisconsin, and am taking my RN through Excelsior College which is a distance learning school. I am finding it semi- difficult because our scope of practice and Nursing practice is so different. Any helpful hints in continuing my RN ???

I would ask the nurses in your facility if you can do "follow on" days with them. You can't do anything out of your scope of practice, but on days you are off you can follow them and see what they do and how they do it. That is one way to get more of an idea of what procedures are and how they are done. I am probably going to go through Excelsior for my degree, so I am trying to plan the same type of thing at the hospital where I work.