Should Respiratory Care get its own mid-level provider credential?

[incrediblehulk2016]

I know this is primarily a nursing forum, but Respiratory and RRT/RN dual title holders are also very prominent in this forum, but me being an RRT/and current PA student, I have an interest in this particular question:

Every profession in allied health has been trying to do everything humanly possible to try and advanced their professions (Except Radiology it seems), PT now requires a doctorate to practice, PA's will soon follow the NP's whom are also going to require the doctorate to practice at an advance level and for RN's, the entry level degree will now be the BSN. For respiratory the profession will also eventually go BSRT just like Nursing is, and by 2015 the CRT exam will be retired. There also has been talk about the possibility of giving RT its own mid level provider possibly called a CPP or Cardiopulmonary Practicioner or ACPS- Advanced Cardiopulmonary specialist, and also trying to expand the reach of the current and much lesser known cousin to the CRNA in the anesthesiologist assistant, which only has 37 states that use A.A's and only a handful of programs in the country.

What do you think of the prospect of giving RRT's its own mid level provider similar to the NP or PA?

I'd love to hear from anyone but particularly RRT-RN's on here

[chrisspeilmanrules84]

Interesting.....

Ok , I just don't see why having more mid level providers I'd bad, but its ok for nursing to have everything?

[netglow, ASN, RN]

I think that if you keep touting anything that has "shortage" attached to it as a reason to go back to to college in order for you to be alleviating this "shortage" of whomever and thus securing ficticious future employment for yourself ...even after all the bogusness of the "nursing shortage" has been busted wide out into the open, well, then you'd pretty much be a fool.

[SycamoreGuy]

Interesting.....

Ok , I just don't see why having more mid level providers I'd bad, but its ok for nursing to have everything?

Its not bad per say... If there is a true need for an advanced level of respiratory care then by all means lets get them trained. I'm just not convinced that there is a need that can't be filled by existing professions (i.e. Pulmonologists, ACNPs, PAs, AAs, or even RNs). Its getting to the point where we have a specialist and the associated assistants for every disease.

[LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN]

Its not bad per say... If there is a true need for an advanced level of respiratory care then by all means lets get them trained. I'm just not convinced that there is a need that can't be filled by existing professions (i.e. Pulmonologists, ACNPs, PAs, AAs, or even RNs). Its getting to the point where we have a specialist and the associated assistants for every disease.

^agreed.

The logical sense is that if RTs want to bridge out at some point to a Bachelors, they could have the option to go for an already established Mid-Level practitioner degree, such as PA or NP. There are tracks already established for straight MSN programs, and RTs can make a great transition into these programs because of the familiarity of anatomy and physiology, physics, and that their specialty is an important part of bedside nursing.

In my opinion, we have plenty of bridges and overlapping of health team members. To reach a point of a team of people for every body system would do more harm than good...each "system" member would end up having potential opposing plans of care, potentially driving up costs and possibly increasing pt morbidity. There is a reason why there is a saying about "too many cooks in the kitchen..."

I think the best thing about having mid level practitioners are the ability to have these providers pull it all together. There are increasing NPs in ICUs, transplant teams, ERs, General Hospitalists, Endocrinology, Cardiology, Pulmonary/ENT, Surgery, Pediatrics...I have and are working side by side with them. I had a NP come by to see her pt last night who had reconstructive surgery for her trachea. She is an Pulmonolgy/ENT NP. So it's happening.

I have worked with co worker who went to PA school and was an exceptional PA for a Cardiology practice that my mother went to. They were a great team of MDs, NPs, and PAs. As well as seen PAs on a surgical team, Hospitalist team, dermatology, Family practice, as well. Again, it's happening.

The MD, NP, PA, Nursing, Therapist team is doing well. There are plenty of opportunities to go under an umbrella and practice...there is specifically no need to institute another umbrella.