respiratory nursing? ddoes it exist?

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Is there such thing as respiratory nursing?

Why didn't they just make respiratory a specialty of nursing and instead created a whole new field for it with respiratory therapists?

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It depends where you work. In my large teaching hospital, there is a floor where patients with respiratory issues stay. In smaller places you will find these patients in a general medicine floor.

Pneumonia is a common problem, especially with the many elderly patients I used to work with. COPD and complications from CHF factor in as well. Respiratory problems that get a person admitted are often one of many cormorbidities. It is all med-surg nursing.

RT really came into practice in the early days of ventilators. They were complex pieces of machinery that were not user friendly, kind of like the earliest computers.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

Yes there is a nursing specialty for pulmonary nursing. What the RRT does is completely different from nursing responsibilities.

[h=2]Pulmonary Nursing[/h]

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