Angry at the Lazy Respiratory Therapists

NorthER,RN · Feb 28, 2005

Hi Sockov - gee that sounds grim. I remember having RTs (now I'm in a rural hospital where we RN's do it all), however if you have started up the chain of command so to speak and have gotten no where, perhaps you could have a chat with the head of the respiratory department to find out if the RTs have a job description. No need at this time to say why or to state your concerns - just "what is included in an RTs job description". Then, when the RTs blow you off, you can at least have some means of documenting how they aren't meeting the patient's needs and not completing their own work. Then you'll have something for ammo to take back to your boss. Don't know if this helps - just my 2 cents worth.

sockov, ADN, ASN, BSN, CNA, LVN · Mar 3, 2005

Hi Sockov - gee that sounds grim. I remember having RTs (now I'm in a rural hospital where we RN's do it all), however if you have started up the chain of command so to speak and have gotten no where, perhaps you could have a chat with the head of the respiratory department to find out if the RTs have a job description. No need at this time to say why or to state your concerns - just "what is included in an RTs job description". Then, when the RTs blow you off, you can at least have some means of documenting how they aren't meeting the patient's needs and not completing their own work. Then you'll have something for ammo to take back to your boss. Don't know if this helps - just my 2 cents worth.

Good idea. Get a job description. thanks for the tip.

I just don't understand why my management won't insist they do their "actual jobs!" and stop being lazy, non-proactive!

luvnrsing · Mar 5, 2005

I think there will always be lazy people in all professions ,including nursing. The RT's work hard and are overloaded, imo, at the hospital I work at. The RT's handle all aspects of ventilator care at our facility including ART lines, bronch assist, and tube placement.

stn2003, RN · Mar 7, 2005

I think there will always be lazy people in all professions ,including nursing. The RT's work hard and are overloaded, imo, at the hospital I work at. The RT's handle all aspects of ventilator care at our facility including ART lines, bronch assist, and tube placement.

Sorry to hear things are that way at your hosp, whereI work, the R.T.'s and unit secretaries are some of the busiest and most hardworking on the floor!! I think they get underappreciated.

Super RT · Sep 28, 2005

I'm glad that there are nurses that will go to the head of the RT department to report these issues. We have had some lazy RT's in our hospital, but we've had some darn good ones too. These "lazy" RT's give the rest a bad name. Hopefully you can get some fire under thear bottoms and get them back to work. Talking to the nursing supervisor about the issue may also be a route to take. S/He can handle the situation with the RT director. When an entire department is falling down on their job, it can really lead to moral issues. Definately persue this farther!

P_RN, ADN, RN · Sep 28, 2005

It upsets me when one group of care professionals paints another group with the same broad brush. I see you are a California native...there are approximately 13, 000 RTs in Ca. In NC there are approximately 3000. Regardless of the state the two RTs who you believe took advantage of you are a tiny minority.

Why did you stop to do the ABG? Because your patient needed it-correct. Choose your battles. Following the chain of command will get you a LOT furthur than allowing the anger to build. Are you sure they were RTs and not resp assistants. At our hospital only RTs and Critical Care nurses drew ABGs. At my cousins place in NY only Lab technologists and RTs did.

If this happens all the time is it universal across the nursing staff? Have a chat with management and have respiratory included.

__________________

SillyLilly · Sep 28, 2005

I work as an nurse extern-so i float as an aid pretty much. And all i can say is that the respiratory therapists at my hospital have been called lazy too. Only a few individuals. But I have heard their names over and over and over again.....

FroggysMom · Sep 28, 2005

BEFORE I VENT.... There are some wonderful, caring, hard-working Respitory Therapist out there that take their jobs to the max and I am proud to work side by side with them. Then, there are the ones who don't. I am complaining about the one's who don't!!
On my unit, the Respiratory Therapists are lazy and not proactive with their jobs.
They won't do PD&C, suction on vent checks or listen to the lungs, change tape, draw ABG's, or contribute to doing oral care to help minimize VAP. This is all the nurses jobs according to their attitudes.
The other night, I had a Resp. Therapist waving me down the hallway as I am on my way to pee for the first time in 9 or 12 hours, telling me to draw my gas now since it was convienent since they (RT's) were ALL going to dinner.
I am lucky if I even get to eat!
So, the two RT's just stood there and waited as I drew BOTH my patients ABGS!!!!
They never even asked, offered, took initiative, became proactive, to draw the other patients gas while I did one.
I was so MAD. AND STILL MAD! :angryfire
I'm sorry, but I rather ditch the resp. therapy dept. we have where I work, pay the nurses more and we can handle the vent. just like they do! We do the rest of the job anyways!
I have been to my nurse manager and CNS about this with more situations and nothing has changed,,,, yet. Nurses are so over worked and caring for higher acuity patients these days, that the other diciplines need to do their part! Isn't that why it is considered a multi-disciplinary approach in care????

OK, so we know what they don't do. What DO they do? We are lucky. In our facility the RTs are wonderful and caring people and we communicate with them on a daily basis. I hear ya though. Sounds like you have a valid complaint.

tambradan · Sep 29, 2005

I think this problem is the same for all professions. I have heard from many other areas, such as lab, transportation, house keeping etc... that they were so glad to see me because the other nurses are never available, willing or even care about jobs that both professions are capable of doing. I am always checking if I can prevent additional needle sticks to my pt's by running accu-checks with lab draws or organizing repeat draws such as a cpk with a K+ or H&H. Yes, it takes organization and time but our goal is to get the pt's home as quick as possible in a better condition than what they origionally presented. My husband just started working as a RRT, and I told him many stories of things that other RRT's had done and not done that were frustrating to nursing in general. I have received feedback from the staff at my hospital regarding his performance. They all feel that he works very well and as a team player. I know this may not work for all, but you might want to go to the source and explain what it is that is bothering you the most. You might be suprized how some people just don't even have a clue that they did anything to offend or irritate. I know I have had a few of these situations myself, and to be honest, if you tell me it bothers you, I change!

Good luck and best wishes!

papawjohn · Sep 29, 2005

Hey Sockov

I'm sorry. I bet we'd be pals if we met at a bar someday but in this I'm not so sympathetic.

Who's Pt is it? That's the only question you need to ask yourself.

Whose lips and cheeks are the tape and ETT attached too? (I always retape my pt's ett because I do oral care and shave 'em.)

Whose secretions interfer with aveolar exchange? (I NEVER ask a Resp Therapist to suction my Pt. If my Pt needs suctioned---I suction them.)

Whose lab results are you responsible for? (Like for instance the CO2 on the Chem7/BMP are going to be compared to the pCO2 on the ABGs)? (I'm HAPPY to draw ABGs. I can do it at the same time I do the chemistry labs.)

Sorry, pal. You are the nurse. You're responsibility is universal-not just pulmonary, not just IVFluids or BMs or whatever 'compartment' you've thought you were in. The ENTIRE PATIENT is yours.

Smoke on that for a while, I think you'll admit there's something to it...

Old Fossil

Papaw John

straba · Oct 6, 2005

BEFORE I VENT....

pun intended?? :chuckle