r/respiratorytherapy

I recently read an article that said Mayo Clinic was doing away with RT at night. Do you think other hospital systems will file suit? Do you see RT coming to an end in the near future? Should I go back to school and study another career as a back up to RT? I love being an RT and would hate for the career to end.

Was at a 4 year university in another state but had to move due to family and transferred to a 2 year college expecting to immediately start the RT program due to me finishing all my gen eds, my counselor said that they didn’t take my anatomy courses and all I had to do was take anatomy in spring and I’d be good to start the program in fall. Talked to her in February about applying for the fall semester program and she looked at me like I’m an idiot, saying “how would you be able to apply while you’re in the middle of anatomy”. Essentially saying I can’t apply until AFTER the class finishes which by then the deadline would’ve long passed. It’s hitting me now hard since the spring semester just fully finished and now I’m just screwed over with no program starting in fall and no classes to even take

So I’m about 1 year into my first RT job. I work at a hospital that’s probably around 1200 to 1400 beds in a very large Medical Center. I have some leads that tell me that the workload is normal. However all my friends that graduated, and work at different hospitals around the state have told me that my workload is insane (which I agree). We have also had RTs come in with 10 to 15 years experience and say nowhere is like this. I just feel bad because I’m not able to adequately care for my patients. I also feel like I’m putting my license at risk. I have compiled a list of what some of my shifts have look like.

I’ve had up to 15 ventilators with no help by myself while also covering non-vent patients needing breathing treatments. those non-vintage patients often never get seen due to the quantity of vents I have.

I’ve covered 4-5med-surg floors with 20+ patients including nebs, IPV/CPT, etc.

I’ve had ICU assignments with 8 vents while simultaneously covering the ED.

STAT CT/MRI transports on ventilated patients are frequently delayed because there simply aren’t enough RTs available to take them. Then the doctors take it out on me.

Bronchoscopies completely derail my assignment when there’s no additional support. I’ve had shifts with 5+ bronchs in a unit and ended up only seeing some patients once the entire shift since i’m unable to complete my rounds because no one is available to help.

I’ve worked shifts with ECMO, nitric, multiple bronchs, nearly double-digit vents, and no lead/resource therapist.

I have been unable to have lunch several times.

Most shifts feel like nonstop triage from clock-in to clock-out.

Was hired at an ambulance company where they informed me at the very end I would be a “1099” employee. I know technically that’s not a thing since 1099 are contractors.
I have not started but don’t want to deal with all the tax nuance of being 1099.

Are positions like this normal? I’m leaning towards not doing this type of job. Thoughts?

Hi y’all,

I’m thinking of going back to school next year for resp therapy(I’ll be in my late 20s 😭) and I just want to make sure this career is what I think it’ll be. I personally thrive on chaos, some stress and a fast paced environment. I’m currently an RMT (only been in the career a year) and I am losing my mind cuz it’s so slow and boring… but I love people and the idea of working in healthcare. I am also in Canada (not sure how US and Canada would differ)

I’ve read a lot of the posts on here and it seems pretty split on people saying it can be boring/repetitive or others saying “you have time to be bored?”. Is this because of where you work or do you think it’s personality dependent? Or maybe a bit of both? In school do you find out what settings will be more chaotic?

Do you find there is enough day to day variety and novelty in the job or is it repetitive?

If you can guess I’m very ADHD, I saw a post earlier that most people were like “ya a lot of us have adhd” so I feel like that is a good sign lol. Any other ADHD folks who switched careers into this and are happy?

And I guess finally what’s your favourite part of this job?

Thank you so much in advance 🫶

Hello! I’m considering a career in Respiratory Therapy and have a few questions I thought you all might be able to help with.

Career College?: Will graduating with an RRT from a private career college negatively impact employment opportunities compared to a community college or university?

Bachelors Degree: From what I understand, a BSRT doesn’t offer a significant boost in pay or upward mobility. If that's true, would I be better off using an employer’s tuition reimbursement to get a BS/BA in a something like business and going into management?

Maybe one day: My ultimate (long-shot) dream is to work as an RRT while completing a bachelor's degree, and eventually apply to a Master’s program for anesthesiologist assistants. In this scenario, would having a career college background for my initial RRT hinder my acceptance into a CAA program, assuming I meet all the standard pre-requisites? Also is this path even viable?

Would love to hear any advice you guys might have. Thanks in advance!

This may seem like a dumb question but I was curious because I’m doing well in pre reqs and I wasn’t sure if the difficult level in actual RT school is harder or if they are about the same level of difficulty

Hey RTs, how much autonomy do you have at your hospital?

I’m noticing that hospitals seem to vary a lot in what RTs are allowed to do. Some places in my area allow RTs to intubate, place arterial lines, independently manage ventilator settings through protocols, etc., while other hospitals seem much more limited/provider-dependent.

I want to know what your experience is like where you work.
- What procedures and decisions are RTs allowed to make?
- What requires physician approval?
- Do you feel like you can practice your scope appropriately?
- Do you like the level of autonomy or wish it was different?

Thanks guys!

Basically what the title says, I will be graduating in May next year so I was just curious if they release info or if anyone has attended any seminars where they touched on the new exam for licensure!

I sacrificed 21 months of my life to complete respiratory therapy school after leaving behind a career I originally planned to stay in for the next 30 years. I never imagined myself working in the medical field, but once I entered clinicals and began helping patients in the hospital, I realized how much I genuinely loved it.

What became difficult for me was not the profession itself, but some of the experiences within the program. Early on, I believed we were entering a field built around teamwork, compassion, professionalism, and patient care. Unfortunately, as time went on, I witnessed a level of immaturity, disrespect, and toxicity among certain students that was honestly disturbing.

Some individuals carried themselves as if they already knew everything even acting as though they were above physicians, instructors, or fellow classmates. Confidence is important in healthcare, but arrogance is dangerous. The lack of respect shown toward instructors and toward one another made me question the kind of environment some people may eventually bring into patient care.

What bothered me most was the mindset of superiority instead of teamwork. Healthcare should never be about “I’m better than you.” It should be about supporting each other, learning together, and doing what is best for the patient. There were moments where I truly thought to myself: if my family were hospitalized, I would not want certain people involved in their care based on the attitudes and behavior I witnessed during the program.

At the same time, I understand that school does not always define who someone will become later in life. Some people mature after graduation, grow into the responsibility of the profession, and eventually become excellent healthcare providers. I genuinely hope that happens.

As for myself, I stayed focused on getting through the program, studying, and making it to the finish line. Looking back, there are things I probably should have spoken up about more, but I had a tremendous amount on my plate mentally, emotionally, and academically.

Despite everything, I am still moving forward. I will continue toward becoming a respiratory therapist, and I take my board exam soon. My hope is that the toxicity I experienced within this particular group is not representative of the majority of hospitals or healthcare teams, because the true purpose of entering healthcare is to help people whether it’s patients, coworkers, families, communities, or classmates.

People enter this field for a reason. That reason should never be forgotten. If someone is only here for money, status, or because they had no other direction in life, then they are entering healthcare for the wrong reasons. Patients deserve compassion, professionalism, humility, and teamwork from the people trusted with their care.

Hello everyone. So like the title says, I’m an RT in Southern California with 10+ years of experience. Because of certain stipulations, I cannot work for a place that is funded directly or in-directly by Medi-cal. Are there any places that are hiring or any ideas of where I can possibly work, preferably not out of state, thanks again everyone.

hi everyone! i just graduated last week, im taking the summer to study for my boards and planning to take them in the fall. i only have a few tattoos, all of which are covered by my clothes, but ive been wanting to get my ears tattooed as well as my hands. is this something that could affect my chances of getting a job? i know it differs from hospital to hospital, area to area. i live in ohio so pretty conservative area but i know at nationwide children’s in columbus they actually encourage tattoos because the kids like them! i am not looking to work at a hospital, there are a few pulmonary rehab centers i have in mind, not sure if that matters. thank you all!

I spoke with an RT about my interest in becoming a Perfusionist. My current path is to train as an RT, get certified in ECMO, and then apply to a perfusion program.

Knowing this, the RT that I spoke to recommended Perfusionist Assistant or Autotransfusion Tech over Respiratory Therapy.

Does anyone have experience in either of these roles, and can you tell me the salary and education differences in the two as they compare to RT?

I’m a new grad with an Associates degree in RT and i’m going back for my bachelor’s in the fall. I’m wondering if a masters degree is worth it because i’d really like to advance as much as possible as i crave achieving a higher level of academic success. I have thought about going for Pathology assistant schooling but honestly and unfortunately i don’t think i have the requirements and it’s very competitive :( …I still would love to have a masters degree so if PA can’t work out for me i’d love to get a masters in RT if it’s worth it.

I’m just glad to eat during some shifts😆

How would you feel if you were in a position many times of having only TWO RT’s on the sub-acute unit with about 60 patients, what is a safe ratio and is this deemed unsafe and illegal? I have been put in this unsafe position many times and haven’t said anything, but it has been so crazy hectic and dangerous. What are your thoughts about this situation?

How do y’all deal with nurses that cannot stay in their lane or just worry about themselves and their disciplinary UNLESS it’s for the concern of the patient as we are a multi-disciplinary team. This is not a bash on nurses but I’m just starting to hit my limit. I’ve been in this profession for 8 years now and feel like it’s just getting worse, especially post covid.
A few examples: 1. Typically when a patient is contact/enteric I always knock from the door to make sure patient is decent, not eating, wants to take their tx before gowning up so I’m not wasting a gown or wasting my time and can come back. Had a nurse this AM yell at me that I needed to gown up. It costs $0 to mind your business and all she simply needed to do was be nicer about it. I’m not blind and can read. 2. Patient in the ICU that’s on bipap, now just wearing HS, no acute distress, responsive, stable, sats stable and on low fio2-“are we gonna get an ABG?”. Stay in your lane. 3. Going in to give a breathing tx on med-surg and get a full interview on why I’m going in-read the MAR and the doctors notes like I did.
How do ya’ll respond to this? Please tell me this just isn’t a me thing. Again, not a bash on nurses because they are part of the job, but WTF. Stay in your lane, and I’ll stay in mine.

Over the last 6 months, I became really invested in the possibility of RT school. Unfortunately, I found out yesterday that I didn’t make it into the program, and I’ll instead be starting nursing school this fall.

Honestly, this has been really hard for me because I genuinely loved the field of respiratory therapy and had already started studying and envisioning myself in it. It’s a big disappointment, and being in this community now mostly reminds me of what could have been, which has been difficult emotionally.

That said, I truly believe everything happens for a reason, even if it doesn’t make sense right away. I’m grateful for everything I learned here and for everyone who answered questions or shared advice along the way.

Wishing all of you success in RT school and your future careers. Take care everyone.