r/respiratorytherapy

Hello I’m starting RT school in the fall and I’m worried about making friends. Did you make any friends in school? Was your cohort pretty close?

egan, pilbeam, they’re all TERRIBLY boring and they overcomplicate and over-describe the points.
I could use only PPTs but i like to cover all bases — so textbook, how can i circumvent this issue?

Hello fellow SRTs, GRTs and RRTs

Just to pick your brains for a moment here. What did you guys do as a student RT during your summer breaks? I am currently on one, no prior healthcare experience, or any sort of healthcare degree. Switched from corporate to RT as I was tired of resting myself on a desk whole day.

For what it's worth, just a little background about me!

2 sems down. I guess I am autistic (Will know in a couple days, but all signs are there), so studying wasn't an issue and I was a very quick learner. Spent less time studying, but secured a 4.1 GPA on both sems. I have a different way of remembering things when I study, but I surprised myself with my grades and some of my classmates too, who thought I was dumb during my initial days at class as I didn't know any basic thing. But I took some time to research and understand basics (things even before RT program like basic Chemistry and Anatomy) more than studying the actual content.

Now, they keep saying evidence based practice. How many of you actually spent the time studying articles while at school and how often are you still doing it? Question applies to all 3 RT categories. I just ended up having fun for 2 months in my summer break and I got another 2 more months to kill. But, I am more concerned about becoming a better RT. How often do I need to read articles to advocate for my patients. I know its an accountability that I need to take up for myself, but will I still be a good RT and do you think we can keep learning in the field once I get there. Haven't started placement or anything yet, but I am definitely so scared. I don't want to mess up on any of my patients.

And, will it be a safe place for someone like me, who is different than others, to work at hospitals? How do I make sure that I am a good team player and be a good RT. If I need to start researching articles, where do I start and how do I do it? Is it important that I keep reviewing them? I wanna do what's for my future team members and my future patients. Should I review anything else during the next 2 months or just chill and then grind it from 3rd sem?

Any insight or advice or anything is appreciated. Thank you for your time.

The only textbook I have so far is Egan’s fundamentals. What are some things I can start studying now to help me be better prepared before classes? I start next month and will have to work through the program so I’d like to get a little head start on studying if I can.

Hello, I’ve always struggled with biology and science classes throughout school it just never came naturally to me and tbh, in the past I was more focused on just passing than actually learning, and there were times when I even cheated to get through some of those classes. I know that wasn’t the right approach, and it left me with gaps in my understanding. Despite that, I’ve become really interested in becoming a respiratory therapist because the career genuinely excites me, I love the schedule and the pay.
Do you think it’s still possible for someone with my background to succeed in this field?
Are any of yall in or were in a similar situation or have any advice, I’d really appreciate hearing it. Are there any study methods, resources, or habits that helped you get through the science courses and the RT program? Thank you!

Tl;dr Burned out RT that is absolutely done with bedside care and the state of the respiratory profession and how seemingly the vast majority of hospitals (bordering on this being universal from what I’ve seen and heard from all my former classmates and coworkers) and how other healthcare professions treat us and I want to become a vent rep but don’t know how to find such positions or where to start. Also open to alternative suggestions as I am just starting this “exit RT” journey!

Hello r/respiratorytherapy!

I am a currently traveling respiratory therapist with 7 years of experience who has realized/reached the point that I know I need to leave bedside RT, likely healthcare in general. I am incredibly burned out and done with the profession and our “healthcare system.“ (it’s such a joke it’s hard to call it that). Ive tried a number of different hospitals both in regular FT positions, PRN positions, and traveling (multiple hospitals across 5 states) and the issues I have with the profession/the work environment for RT is present at every one of them to a very high degree. I have run into hospitals (okay a single hospital personally, my current contract) that were far better than typical while traveling and 100% of the time in my experience and the experiences/what ive been told by other RTs that I keep in contact with, if a hospital is better for RTs and they actually let us practice anywhere near our scope, every single time they view being allowed to actually do the job as it is described on paper and in the schooling, and not treating us like absolute dogshit as a form of compensation and not a basic expectation one can have for a job.

The hospital I am currently working a contract is actually awesome. Yes there are a number of issues still and they get about 2/3rds towards what I am looking for, but still fall short. They are, however, hands down by far the best hospital I’ve worked at in how it is for RT and it’s not even close. I thought I finally found the kind of place I was looking for where we had respect, autonomy, were actually consulted and listened to, and I asked them about going full time. They do not negotiate on salary and their offer to me was 12/hr or 27% less than I made with 1 year or experience in a far lower cost of living state. Thatmakes it so this isn’t a matter of me not being willing to make less money to be happier either. It’s such a large pay cut that I actually wouldn’t be able to afford it. Frankly I don’t understand how any of the RTs here are able to work here because it’s legitimately not enough for me to provide for my family.

I acknowledge that there is almost certainly a hospital that is what I’m looking for both in work environment AND compensation but at this point, the fact that every hospital either utilizes and treats us like shit, or pays us like shit because they see good treatment as a form of pay, I’m just done and do not want to continue searching and hoping. The hatred I have for the system and how hospital administration, and management I’ve had, behaves is too far gone and I am too burned out, bitter, and done with it all to be reversed.

I cannot afford to put myself back through college and my relatively unique circumstances from my time in college make me ineligible for financial aid anyways, so it’s all private loans or out of pocket and I’m in my 30s and don’t really want to have to go back to school but I would if I absolutely had to. Reallh would rather not though. I am however entirely open to a trade apprenticeship (ie I would weigh it as a possibility even if it’s not strictly necessary whereas school I will only do if it is somehow strictly necessary). But what I actually want to do is be one of the vent reps that comes around our departments and familiarizes us with the vents and brings us lunches lol. I just have no idea how to do that or even what the job title is to put in applications for such a role in the first place. I was recently told that there was an open position to be such a rep in the exact region I want to go back to because I view it as my home and didn’t leave by choice as I was forced by circumstance, but I cannot find such a position on the website of the company.

My experiences have left me admittedly angry, bitter, and filled with regret for choosing to become an RT when my original healthcare career plans didn’t work out (really they were actually. straight up taken from me but I’m not getting into that here, certainly does enhance the anger I feel though especially when I’m constantly told that I “should have been X“ all the damn time and what is meant as a compliment is a unknowingly a painful reminder) instead of either going to nursing school, because it has 100x the flexibility and advancement opportunities and IME they get treated way better and get way more respect even though they’re not what I’d call well treated either (compared to us IME they are though) or not entering healthcare entirely and I have little interest in finding a good hospital that isn’t like the ones I’ve worked for thus far after 7 years and multiple attempts at finding one only to, at best, have the rug pulled out from under me. I’ve also been lied to by my interviewers about at least one major thing in 100% of cases. Nursing school is on the table but I have a deep loathing for the American healthcare system at this point and think it’s probably a better idea for me to leave it entirely.

So my two questions are, firstly, how do I start making moves towards becoming a rep? What job titles do I search for? Is this a possible move for me or is there some absurd requirement like “we only take people that have done bedside care for 10 years” or anything along those lines? Lastly, what other career moves can I consider making that are not bedside care but that I can utilize my experience and education to do? Thank you guys in advance for your help!

Edit: spelling, grammar

Not gloating but also super relived. I passed my TMC n the first try, I scored a 110… despite losing a parent about 3 weeks ago. He was with me.In Gods name. I was studying for about 2 weeks for about 4-5 hours a day.

Things I used:
Kettering audio and the workbook

TMC test A& B - never took
them just used the rationale.

And lastly just take practice exams.
During the exam I thought. .. omg I don’t know any of this stuff. I just chose what the best answer was. I tried my best and there was a point I thought about leaving. But reminded myself. Stick it through. Keep going.

So I say this to you. Keep going.

Time for the CSE

I am wondering if this is normal or not. I work in a 116 bed suburban hospital alone at night. We have a busy ER, 10 bed ICU, 4 patient floors. No L&D or Pedi. Even during COVID we worked with one RT on at night. No option to call anyone. Just one RT alone. Lately we have super busy especially with local closures of other hospitals.

Typically we have anywhere from 1-4 vents on average, 1-4 bipaps between the ER and ICU. Multiple nocturnal CPAPs. We respond to all codes, RRts, do all ABGS, transport for them to CT and to and from ER, consults constantly for nurses who won't suction etc. Trach patients when we have them -and now the past year we have had to do all nebs on the floors and ICU. Taking care of the ICU and ER was busy enough and now we have usually 4-12 nebs at night.

Does anyone else think this is a lot for one person? We have tried to talk to admin and just get the whole, well it's not busy all the time! Which lately is is. Last night I worked I had a 2 bipaps in ICU, vent in ICU transported back and forth to CT, 4 nocturnal CPAPs, and about 10 neb txs total for the floors.

I feel like I'm putting my license on the line but nobody really cares.

Hi! I’m wanting some input on where yall are working and if you actually like your job? I came to Florida on a travel contract and am wanting to settle in the area just not where my contract was lol. I prefer to divert away from HCA facilities (boooo meditech) but if that’s where yall are feeling happiest any feedback is great!
I just want to work somewhere I don’t feel like I’m risking my license and coming home from work stressed every morning.

I have a misdemeanor domestic violence conviction(simple strike) on my record from an old toxic relationship i had 5 years ago(2021). I completed all terms but did plead guilty because i was scared and just wanted it to end. Now that i’ve turned a new leaf and have been a straight a student hoping to start a new career i’m faced with the possibility that I won’t even be able to be licensed. I have read that i can seek exemption from disqualification through the AHCA, but what will this look like and what are my likelihoods of ever having a career in healthcare?

Hello everyone! For this next fall semester, I have to take A&P 1. A&P 1 is the last class I have to take to apply for the respiratory care program at my school. Fortunately, I won't be taking additional classes in the fall. Like other people, I want to get an A in the class. Any tips or what is the most important content I should focus on? Thank you in advance!!

I’m have a BS and MS in a non medical field (poli sci) from my previous life before RT. Would you add these degrees after your name on LI even though they are not RT? It feels weird.

Hello guys, I recently got a full time job in order to pay bills better. However, I am unable to switch from full time to part time until the end of the upcoming fall semester. I was wondering the level of difficulty will it be if I tried to juggle both at once. I understand RT school is extremely hard and fast.

So being absolutely done working in the hospital/critical/emergency setting, and by done I mean I mentally cannot do it anymore… I started applying intentionally to jobs that I feel I could do without issue. I was blessed to get 2 offers at once. One is an ortho type rehab where I don’t do any emergency anything there aren’t even airways at all in this particular facility. Pay is $40 an hour and benefits start immediately day 1. Rotating between 3 12’s and 4 10’s full time. But I also got the opportunity to work for an insurance company as a Senior Health Educator (pediatric asthma educator) and this is a remote position working Monday-Friday full time hours. They don’t want to start me for a whole month where the first job wants to start me next week.
I’m feeling so torn on what to do. I feel like this remote position is a job that I never thought I would get the opportunity for but also given my current financial situation and needing health benefits I’m leaning towards the first job. I just worry I’m going to regret letting that other opportunity slip away because I feel like it was super lucky of me to even land something like this.

Any advice would be so helpful. Thanks all

Hello everyone I’m a new grad rt. And soon to start my first ever rt job. Since I was student very recent ago the coded and rapids were something that were always scary in a way maybe it was because there was just a handful I experienced I feel like perhaps I need more exposure to them to truly comfortable with them. I have spoken to the staff rt during clinical and even then some always say the same thing, is that deep down inside they are also freaking out but try not to show it by using a poker face.

So I guess what I’m trying to ask is there ever a situation where one feels ready or is there always some fear lingering? Or is it something that gets builded over time?

I didn’t know what I wanted to do, so I went to community college and got an Associate of Arts and graduated with a 3.92 GPA. Of course I didn’t think to take A&P to fill my science gen ed requirement, I took 2 general biology courses.

I highly considered nursing, but for various reasons, I want to go RT.

I want to start pre-reqs in this fall and try to get into the respiratory program at the same community college I went to.

I do not healthcare experience or anything like that. I’m hoping I can do well in A&P (I did well in general bio…but I know this is a whole other beast), and score high on the HESI.

What other things can I do to boost my chances?

I have worked at the facility for a decent time and have worked hard at the facility. I recently found out they were hiring a new full time entry position with a minimum pay of what I am making an hour. Should I ask for more hourly?

Hi all,

I recently got accepted into the RT program at my local CC. I am a bit nervous as I hear that school is very challenging.

Is there anything that I should prepare for? What do you recommend I should buy for school? Any study tips? etc..

I am going to school full time and working full time overnight, so I am extremely anxious.

To my fellow respiratory therapist who now work in cath lab,
Seems like all jobs want experince and/or a RCIS cert/ rad tech cert. unfortunately, I can’t get an RCIS cert without actually working in cathlab for +600 hours or just going back to school for it for +18 months. Some jobs I have matching education (I have a bachelors in cardio respiratory science) but I’m missing literally everything else. I’ve looked into the different pathways and I don’t see how I can do this without having connections into cathlab so I can try and get licensure 😅 how did you do it?
I currently live in WA and want a change.

Thanks everyone in advance