Nurse VS Respiratory Therapist?

RNsRWe, ASN, RN · Oct 9, 2014

"What is better" isn't really the question, is it? After all, a person who wants to be a nurse should not be a RT; someone who wants to be an RT shouldn't become a nurse. Makes sense, yes?

What do YOU want to do?

tarotale · Oct 9, 2014

what's there to be a versus about it? we require more education, do more so naturally little more in pay, but they help us out tremendously as well especially with critical pts in ER. I respect them and they respect us, but if I have to make a choice, I would still do RN just because it pays more and more career opportunity.

JustBeachyNurse, LPN · Oct 9, 2014

Two different fields and none of us can tell you what to choose. Respiratory Therapists specialize in the treatments, tests/assessments, medications, physiology, and equipment used to treat and maintain the respiratory system.

Nurses provide holistic care to a variety of patient populations depending on training and expertise.

Some states are deregulating respiratory and putting the "tasks" (for lack of a better word as RRTs are skilled professionals usually with an associates degree in respiratory therapy plus registered or certified credential) /treatments back onto nursing as it was decades ago and currently is in many overseas facilities. So the need for respiratory therapists is diminished in some areas of the country. If you look for posts from GrannyRRT you can find some insight to the current plight of the career of the RRT.

The roles usually work in conjunction with each other as a team. Most nurses respect the specialized skills and knowledge of the respiratory therapist and value their input on caring for a patient with respiratory needs.

JustBeachyNurse, LPN · Oct 9, 2014

Here's a recent thread, GrannyRRT discusses the delicensing of RRT in Texas: https://allnurses.com/nurse-colleague-patient/do-you-hear-923433-page6.html#post7986579

firstinfamily, RN · Oct 9, 2014

RRT's are an integral member of any health team. They are truly indispensible in the critical care areas. I have worked where we did not have RT and it is extremely difficult to get the results needed when that other person is not available. We didn't have any electric chest therapy machines and I had to show nurses how to use their hands and position the patients to drain their lungs. Plus not having an RT there for an emergency is just sad. They do so much to assist nursing. They do have high degrees, can become certified in respiratory care and preventive care, active with the American Lung Association etc. I don't know what I would have done if they were not there to assist me when I had ventilator patients.

Nola009 · Oct 10, 2014

Sooo, you're asking people who are already nurses which they would choose? We can't tell you which is "better" for you. Good luck!

libran1984, ASN, RN · Oct 10, 2014

I was an LPN then RN and I'd like to obtain an RRT license and EMT-P cert.

LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN · Oct 10, 2014

Neither is better than the other, meaning, they are two aspects of the healthcare team.

As a nurse, I have worked in the capacity of a RRT; I am familiar with most vents and have a comfort level with them; I love working with RRTs because of their vast knowledge, which helps me focus on the other aspects of what I need to do, but in some settings I was nurse and RRT.

It will depend on what interests you, what your future plans are, meaning, if you get bored, would you want to do something else? In my knowledge, nursing provides that flexibility to go from home care to dialysis, to LTC, to acute care, to public health, to corrections, to case management to nursing informatics, etc.

It will be up to you. :yes:

sallyrnrrt, ADN, RN · Oct 10, 2014

i took a vaccation from nursing and went to university resp.therapy school, it was interesting, i learned a little......(at that time I had been a critical care nurse for decades)........six -9mos. after graduation, I knew I had to return to nursing " in my heart kind of thing"......there is no comparrison on which is better......Respitory is more task orriented, compared to the holistic demensions of nursing......

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO?......what are you looking for. best wishes

amoLucia · Oct 11, 2014

My question would be 'where can RRTs work'? They're NOT in LTC. They MIGHT be in LTAC (I'm guessing if the LTAC is hosp-affiliated). HH? Where are they? If you're looking for job opportunities with possibilities for upward mobility, where would you go - the hospital?

Not a lot of opportunities in my opinion. And if they start phasing out resp therapy back to nursing, even those positions will be lost.

When I did hosp, I did respect respiratory and came to rely on them. Even in LTC, I sometimes would call over to our primary sending-hospital and ask to talk to an RT for some question I had. God love them; they always answered my questions.

jaskdfjlaskjdfl · Oct 11, 2014

My LTC has a 24-hr RRT in the facility. Rarity? Maybe. But opportunities are still there.