Do you hear nurses will take over respiratory work?

Sassy5d · May 8, 2014

Many places you work now you may do all the duties of rt without rt

Concerto_in_C, BSN, RN · May 10, 2014

Having a respiratory therapist on the floor is a sort of a luxury. Generally you find them in hospitals. Most other places will use nurses, with RT telephone support available. I would say more often than not, your average company (long term care, home care, etc.) will not have a full-time respiratory therapist. If the patient's respiratory status is severely compromised, the patient needs to be in a hospital setting anyway, because it could be a high-risk situation.

PediatricRNTX · May 30, 2014

Slowly, in our hospital, the nurses are responsible for what was peviously done by RT.

elkpark · May 30, 2014

It's more a matter of "taking back" than "taking over." RT is yet another of those occupations that was spun off from nursing. Back in the day, everything that was done for people outside of actually ordering the medications (physician) was nursing practice, and done by nurses. Over the decades/generations, RT, PT, OT, etc., all got spun off as separate fields. When I started in nursing a long time ago, we had RTs in ICU, but all the respiratory stuff on the floors was done by the RNs. It's not that big a deal. Many of us, over the years, have been concerned about how much of nursing practice we have "given away" to other groups.

Silverdragon102, BSN · May 30, 2014

Some countries don't even have RT. The RN is responsible and if necessary the PT will come in and do therapy with the patient

annie.rn · May 30, 2014

When I began in nursing we had no RT on the floor except for emergencies. We did all the neb treatments, inhalers, suctioning, trach care, and even chest PT (with our hands, not the fancy vests...it was exhausting). I was very relieved when RT's came along and took over some of those tasks. Saved the nurses a lot of time. I still corroborate w/ RT... how the pt.'s lungs sound, secretions, O2 use, etc. I find them to be invaluable.

The only downside I see is that nurses who have always worked w/ a RT on the floor can become overly dependent on them. From what I have observed, they are not as comfortable in the respiratory arena (setting up the different modes of O2 delivery, suctioning, trach care, CPAP, BiPAP). We had a pt. w/ a trach one night who required frequent suctioning and no one on the unit (including charge) had ever suctioned a trach before. I ended up w/ the pt. since I felt comfortable w/ suctioning. The RT cannot be everywhere at the same time so I do think the nurses need to be well versed in respiratory assessment/tx. so they can step in when needed.

loriangel14, RN · May 30, 2014

The first place I worked we had no RT, we had to rely on ourselves.

thenightnurse456 · Jun 1, 2014

Australia doesn't have any RT

WannaBNursey, ADN, ASN, RN · Jun 1, 2014

RT was nursing's job for a long time and in the nursing homes respiratory work is the work of nurses still! When I came to the hospitals as a CNA I was shocked that there was actually a position for people who do a small piece of work that RN's do. I thought of it as a luxury, no doubt this is how hospital CEO's and administrators who are trying to cut costs will see respiratory therapy as well.

thenightnurse456 · Jun 1, 2014

What is the role of RT? Assess respiratory status? Nebulisers? Oxygen therapy?

Can they prescribe O2 or nebs etc?

Does a nurse have to do anything respiratory wise for a patient or does RT do it all?

Interesting that US created this job.. Sorry for the questions!

MrChicagoRN, RN · Jun 1, 2014

At a major medical center, the RN would learn chest percussion as part of new employee orientation.

That was back in 1990.

Nothing new it seems.