resp therapy vs RN

Hi I am a student and am lookng for some opinions/advice. Our local ADN program is impacted to the gills (even with top grades, still a minimum of two year wait to enter the program). Our local RT program is wide open and recruiting (with CAs filthy air, lots of need for RTs) THe prereqs are the same, the programs are the same length, the starting wages/bonuses are the same (roughly). My question is, do you think this might be a good option? The RT instructors have been visiitng the prereq classes and touting how much faster their program is becuase they have no impaction, plus smaller class sizes and student/teacher ratios.

Laura

I'm a relatively new RN and wondered this same thing a few years ago. My daughter has been an RRT for about 6 years with experience in NICU, ER and CVICU so I'll simply tell you what she told me . . .

"While I love being an RRT, more often than not I feel the job is too mechanical than anything else. It just doesn't have enough in the career field to interest me. I know you (Dad) and really think you should go the RN route. While the pay starts off about the same, RNs pay over time increases substantially higher than RRTs and oftens hundreds of other specialty options."

My nursing class had two RRTs (one had 14 years experience and the other had 23 years) working towards their RN and told me her comments were quite accurate.

My daughter is currently in a Pharmacy doctoral program but still works as an RRT on the weekends PRN.

Hope this helps.

Phil

While you may make more money and have more job opportunities, you'll certainly inherit all that is wrong with health care.

Our RT's are CRUISIN' compared to what we go through in 12 hours a day. And they don't have the family crap to put up with as much as we do.

We've got a Viet Vet RN who gave it up to manage vents and he's happy. Been with it a long time and makes as much as we do and he's STRESS FREE.

Don't be a nurse.

Hi,

I'm a RRT,RPFT and in Feb of this year will have 14yrs in RT. I am in my 2nd semester of nursing school. The job options in RT is somewhat limited but RT can be a rewarding field. Although we may not "put up with" family "stuff" as much as the nurses do, we do have to deal with some unpleasant situations. When working with sick people, one will always deal with such situations. I have chosen nursing because my desire is to be a physician's extender, i.e. nurse practitioner. Whatever choice you make, RRT or RN, it will be a good one because they both are rewarding and needed. As for pay, in Va. where I live, the RN's make more than RRT's; quite a bit more. Job opportunities, pay, etc., depends on where you live and it sure wouldn't hurt to talk to some new nursing and resp. grads.

Honestly, if you have a two year wait, I say go for the RT program. It seems like a rewarding career and I think there are plenty of opportunities out there. You can always go back for your RN and you will be cross trained as a respiratory therapist. I think RT skills would be great to know if you want to go into critical care too.

:) I have been an RRT and an RN for several years. I enjoy doing both jobs and all at the same time. As far as wages go, RN's get paid more in the long run.

Hi I am a student and am lookng for some opinions/advice. Our local ADN program is impacted to the gills (even with top grades, still a minimum of two year wait to enter the program). Our local RT program is wide open and recruiting (with CAs filthy air, lots of need for RTs) THe prereqs are the same, the programs are the same length, the starting wages/bonuses are the same (roughly). My question is, do you think this might be a good option? The RT instructors have been visiitng the prereq classes and touting how much faster their program is becuase they have no impaction, plus smaller class sizes and student/teacher ratios.

Laura

One needs to know what they can stomach. We have a saying around my hospital, Nurses takes care of the BROWN stuff and the RTs take care of the GREEN stuff.

As for me I chose RT and I am very happy.

Hi I am a student and am lookng for some opinions/advice. Our local ADN program is impacted to the gills (even with top grades, still a minimum of two year wait to enter the program). Our local RT program is wide open and recruiting (with CAs filthy air, lots of need for RTs) THe prereqs are the same, the programs are the same length, the starting wages/bonuses are the same (roughly). My question is, do you think this might be a good option? The RT instructors have been visiitng the prereq classes and touting how much faster their program is becuase they have no impaction, plus smaller class sizes and student/teacher ratios.

Laura

hi laura.

My sister is an RN and I am an RT student. Also my husband is almost done with his RN.

My sister told me that if you like more patient care then go for RN but if you like technology and health care then go for RT.

I like the technology and the healthcare, I was going to go for Radiology Technology but I waited 2 years, did all my pre reqs and general ed. but I still didnt get in. Its the same thing with the nursing program.

SO i decided to go for RT since theres no waiting list. Before any of these , I orginally was going for RN but I like to work on a specific. I dont like to work all over areas. I also dont like more patient care. I dont mind some but I rather go in and out of the patient room. I also dont like to dress wounds all the time and i dont like to take care of bed sores. No poops for me either. I like to be technical and do some healthcare at the same time.

If you like what I dont like then definitely go for RN.

Hi I am a student and am lookng for some opinions/advice. Our local ADN program is impacted to the gills (even with top grades, still a minimum of two year wait to enter the program). Our local RT program is wide open and recruiting (with CAs filthy air, lots of need for RTs) THe prereqs are the same, the programs are the same length, the starting wages/bonuses are the same (roughly). My question is, do you think this might be a good option? The RT instructors have been visiitng the prereq classes and touting how much faster their program is becuase they have no impaction, plus smaller class sizes and student/teacher ratios.

Laura

Dear Laura:

I've been an RRT for 30 years, and remained academically active and ultimatly earned an MS in Respiratory Physiology. I'm now in a bridge program and completing an RN on-line, which is an option open to a RRT.

My advice is a combination of both is a good idea, and with the present congestion of applicants to RN programs, you could opt to " kill 2 birds with one stone" I would advise that being an RT has its downside. While you are vital to the delivery of critical care your efforts are often over shadowed by RNs. Historically the relationships between the 2 professsions (depending on where you live) has been arduous. There is an old expression RTs and RNs get along like 2 dogs with 1 bone.

These 2 professions need to mend fences and blend skills, so my advice go for both first RT then bridge to RN. Persons, with dual degrees could contribute greatly to this goal.

Best of luck to you.

Tom MS RRT

What program are you doing that bridges RT to RN?

I think I read that Excelsior bridges RT to RN

The bridge is Resp Therapy to RN.

I was a practicing Pediatric/Neonatal RT for 20 years and then 10 years ago moved over into Clinical Research. I was a victim of the healthcare reform cut backs in RT

In addition to Respiratory Therapy, I continued my studies and completed an MS in Respiratory Physiology.

I now work in Pediatric Pharmaceutical research and am a consultant to the Pharmaceutical industry and work on clinical trials of new medications and also on regimen optimization in the Pediatric clinical setting.

In the past 10 years working in a research setting, I came to find that global patient assessment is a crucial tool in research, and I feel these skills will be optimized by dual creditials.

I would encourage all of my allied health colleagues to broaden their knowledge base and diversify their skills, if they sense burn out or the development of complanency in their present profession.

I'm also a strong advocate of improving the relationship between nursing and the other professions. The end result is improved delivery of both modes of care and mutual respect and acceptance of the many great professionals that make healthcare delivery work at its best.

During healthcare reform in the early 90s Respiratory Therapy was the hardest hit, and those practioners, who were packing a heavy CV were deemed too expensive and had to face pay cuts and drastic cuts in the work force.

We now live with the consequences of the downsizing, ventilator borne nosicimial infection has shot up 300% in the past 10 years, placement of ventilator dependant patients into chronic care facilities instead of controlled ventilator liberation in an acute care setting has dramatically impacted the long term survival of COPD patients.

All of this change in healthcare delivery, has down graded our quality to levels unspeakble by the practices before reform. Working together, instead of against each other, we will hopefully spare our industry further interference by outside influences namely Health Care Administrators, who know nothing of direct patient care.

If either RN or RT would like to swap roles or play at both, we should form a new fraternity.

Regards,

Tom