RT Career?

[k9bite]

I'm sorry my question is probably a little out of place here, but I'm having trouble finding an unbiased and timely answer to my question, and there don't seem to be any active RT specific internet forums.

I'm getting ready to retire from my government job, am in my early fifties, and am looking at RT as a second career. I am seeing many contradictory reports on the current job market for new grad RT's. Anyone able to shed some light? I live in the Phonix area.

Also, I realize age discrimination is illegal, but do you think my age will be a strike against me?

Todd

[tmw73]

No you didn't miss interprete his statement. That's exactly what he was trying to say.im not sure where he works but I assure you it doesn't work like that. You'll meet some people who have superiority complexs but that's how ignorant some people can be . They're the first ones to call for help since they know so much.they try to compare some back woods hospital to one's with major ICU'S.i can tell you I've been doing it for 20 years and this reaction is NOT typical of all nurses.alot of them know we are a team and don't have this attitude. But every now and then you meet one who really don't know what we know then are surprised at what we do know and look small in the process. If you want to go for it then do it.you won't regret it.

[tmw73]

And also NO.as long as I've been doing this we have never had to answer to a nurse.they are not and have never been our boss.

[GrannyRRT]

I would like to start off by saying I am not a nurse. I am a Registered Respiratory Therapist with about 35 years of experience. I love the profession very much which is why posts likes tmw73 saddens me. It shows complacency by not staying informed about what the profession is going through. This is especially unfortunate when there a blaring headlines on almost every RT professional associations' websites.

Right now, Texas RTs are going up for their Sunset meeting and with only 3000 signatures on their petition it doesn't say much since that is from nationwide and there are over 15,000 RTs in TX.

Sunset Commission Update- June 4th - Texas Society for Respiratory Care

Texas is not the only state facing Sunset. There are others and some have just squeaked by. At some point RT will not be able to pull out of the lack of member support at the last minute.

We also just had another major headline which started the RT forums buzzing.

Kentucky One Health laid off 20 RTs from its ERs

KentuckyOne Health cuts respiratory therapists from ERs - WDRB 41 Louisville News

Unemployment is also very high in RT right now especially for new grads just like nursing. But, there a fewer RTs used and we have over shot our predicted need and failed to take several other factors into consideration. One person listed these on one LinkedIn forum and they make sense.

CAHs are very hard hit and do not need RTs in the hospital 24/7. It is not uncommon for nurses to manage the ventilators and BiPAP machines when there are no RTs present.

Also, none of our Respiratory department heads answer to any of the nurses.

This is a false statement in several hospitals. If you look at the line management diagram, you will see RT Department heads report to some VP who may very well be an RN holding an administrative position and is responsible for several departments. In a few rare situations it might be an RT who has advanced through the ranks but most of the time it will be a nurse.

RT departments are also being placed under a nurse manager directly as a cost saving measure to eliminate an expensive RT department head. RT department heads can even be reporting directly to a nurse manager who may at one time been their equal. This has led to a high turnover for some department managers leaving the department wide open for a nurse manager to assume the reins.

Right now with so much uncertainty it is very difficult to recommend Respiratory Therapy as a profession. We used to have several job offers at graduation but not that is simply not the case. Some states have 1% or less vacancy rates. Considering the rate schools are turning out new RTs, the numbers are not in your favor.

Loving your RTs as RNs is great but it takes more than just being buddies to keep a profession afloat. I bet if RNs have the choice of picking up a few RT duties or being out of work, you would do the RT duties. This is what has been happening in several hospitals as RTs give up nebulizers, MDIs, arterial sticks, get the iSTAT and become more independent with ventilator or BiPAP management. This is not a snipe at either profession but just a statement of what is happening throughout the country as costs have to be contained.

You can find articles by several well known RTs in the profession on the professional association websites, journal sites and on the forums. The AARC is closed but you can still join with a paid membership. LinkedIn is another option. However, you will be using your own name, sometimes your employer's name and held accountable for your information which could be held against you by a current or future employer if you are out of line. This definitely makes the discussion more professional and credible.

tmw73, I would like to invite you to join the discussions on the RT forums and get involved. You have experience which could be of value but you need to get up to speed on current events in Respiratory Therapy. HR 2619 is not doing as well as you think since the numbers for RTs supporting it are small from each state given the total number of RTs.

EDIT: Sunset means the license is up for review to determine if it needs to remain in place.

[damrcngrl95]

Granny RRT, I hear what you are saying about RT department being under nursing and I understand that it happens. In my case that is not what is happening. To make a blanket statement ( which is what I responded to ) about all RT departments fall under a nurse or under the nursing department is simply not true.

[GrannyRRT]

[COLOR=#003366]damrcngrl95

Could you please provide the link to where you have read that all RT Departments fall under a nurse?

I would be happy to contact the author for a discussion or present the article on the AARC connect and the other RT forums.

[damrcngrl95]

It wasn't a link it was a previous poster in this discussion. You quoted my statement that was in response to another poster on this board. I was just trying to make clear that I realize that it is true that nurses in other hospitals do run the RT department or the RTs, but that isn't what is happening where I am at.

[GrannyRRT]

I thought I had read all of the posts in this discussion. The closest I saw to a blanket statement was this by traumasurfer.

Many RT departments are now under nursing.

It is true that many RT departments are probably under nursing either directly by nurse manager or indirectly by the VP line of management. Not all are but many are. RTs can also be directly under nursing if they work in Cardiopulmonary Rehab, Cath Lab, home health, ECMO, hospice, HBO, flight/transport, long term care including subacutes or LTACHs and in the Emergency Department.

Stay current. Several of the RTs who have lost their jobs also believed it couldn't happen to them or their hospital and did not take supporting their professional organizations seriously.

[damrcngrl95]

Stay current. Several of the RTs who have lost their jobs also believed it couldn't happen to them or their hospital and did not take supporting their professional organizations seriously.

This is such a true statement. I have heard stories of RT departments not showing their worth and basically giving away tasks/treatments to other departments willing to do those tasks/treatments. Those are the hospitals that say "why do we need RTs?"

[sam1971]

I am following this thread and wondered if there was any updated news. Is there still talk about deregulating the profession or has that been squashed? Does anyone know of a decent RT forum?

[damrcngrl95]

Yes. There is talk in Texas of delicensing.

There are several great sites my favorite is Respiratory Therapy Cave. Do a search and you will find his blog as well as other helpful sites to go on. He has been a therapist for over 20 years and his wife is a nurse. He pointed me to this site when I was trying to decide which career I wanted.

[GrannyRRT]

I am following this thread and wondered if there was any updated news. Is there still talk about deregulating the profession or has that been squashed? Does anyone know of a decent RT forum?

There are several on LinkedIn. The group called Respiratory Therapists is popular with the discussion about Texas. The Sunset Committee is meeting in a few days. Other states have managed to make it through Sunset. But, our luck may not last long considering the numbers brought out by this TX challenge showing complacency and lack of involvement in professional associations among the RTs.

[GrannyRRT]

You can follow the Sunset meeting for delicensing RTs in TX today and the rest of the week at:

RT Focus - news and resources you care about

The final decision will be in August.