Getting along?

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Hello all I am currently about to start school next month! I am going into either respiratory therapy or nursing I am undecided. My question to you all is do nurses and respiratory therapists get along? I know this may sound awful but I have read several posts several places that the two clash. I hope they doget along, but looks like they may not. Is this an all the time thing or just certain circumstances? Don't be afraid to sound rude I want to know.

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i think so! each has specific duties and roles that may overlap a BIT, but not really. after working almost two decades in an outpatient setting, i definitely have high respect for the other roles within the setting including the RT, OT, LPNs, MAs and schedulers for sure!

i would not let getting along be a deterrent for me to decide on my career path. if you are competent and kind, you won't have any problems. good luck!

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Oh no im still gonna do one or the other I just wondered if it was really as bad as some of the posts I've seen which is probably just venting anyway, I just wondered if it was an ongoing thing or occasional. Thanks for replying!

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Specializes in NICU.

I have never experienced issues between nurses and RT. They have their job and we have ours. The issue comes when somebody is not doing their job or starts interfering with the other's job. For example, I will in-line suction a patient on a ventilator or adjust FiO2 on the vent, but when the doctor orders new vent settings I call RT to do the changes.

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Ok good yall make it sound better I only got a bad impression from posts here and there and I'm sure they are mad and venting rather than it being an every day occurence.

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Specializes in 15 years in ICU, 22 years in PACU.

I work in PACU and the RTs we work with are well appreciated. They magically appear to draw blood gases, set up vents and CPAP machines. Help with transports of people on vents and CPAP machines. Then disappear back into the mists to do their other work.

Occasionally personalities clash but it's not the occupations per se. Hospitals can have different policies on what the RN vs RT can do and sometimes people forget or bring practices from their former hospital to the new one and step on toes. Ventilator changes are one specific example. Sometimes the RN can make minor changes like FiO2 settings when weaning. Know what is policy or you risk really ticking off a good RT who doesn't want anyone (including Docs) messing with their ventilators.

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