Respiratory Therapists
Respiratory therapists are crucial health professionals that provide healthcare to individuals suffering from chronic respiratory diseases. There are several areas in which respiratory therapists work within each department. They include the emergency centers, cardiovascular centers, and child departments, which help them provide respiratory services that ensure that patients breathe easily. The knowledge and experience of respiratory therapists help them assess, educate, and treat patients effectively. Health organizations greatly value respiratory therapists and provide them with vast options for widening their careers. Respiratory therapist working conditions and environment influences them to be extra cautious to avoid infections.
They have been utilized in caring and managing patients with inhaling problems, especially those from surgical rooms. They deal with patients who range from infants to the elderly. They work with doctors and other healthcare staff to ensure that individual patient care plans are developed and modified. Some of these therapists from Chicago USA, after the management program, realized that patients needed to be helped because of their breathing difficulties (Pierson, 2007). The programs were first basic because the therapists had not received formal knowledge. Respiratory therapists have continued to advance and become more specialized, gaining essential skills and experience. These attributes help them take good care of patients with breathing problems and ensure reduced infections (Sreedharan & Varghese, 2020). They apply the knowledge they learned to avoid challenges that exist in their line of work. For instance, those who gain more experience advance from providing general care to patients to dealing with critically ill patients. Debates have continued concerning how these therapists can risk being infected because most of their work majors on interviews and physical examinations. After interviewing their patients, they are supposed to make the treatment plan in consultation with a doctor. Respiratory therapy has been one way to help the patients, among other factors, such as managing artificial airway devices.
Respiratory therapy includes assessing breath, tissue, and blood to identify the factors that cause breathing difficulties in the patients. Most of them work in emergencies, especially handling patients with injuries and illnesses (Kacmarek et al., 2019). To help injured patients, respiratory therapists use machines that provide oxygen. These working conditions are risky for the therapist and may result in infections due to body fluids. They are supposed to be cautious about being infected during this practice. Some conditions, such as COVID-19, exist, which may be risky to therapists as they assess their patient’s breathing conditions. They are supposed to wear protective gear during the operation to reduce the probability of being exposed to diseases and infections. Reports say that respiratory therapists work under the doctors’ instructions as they provide care to the patients. However, they are independent concerning the equipment, medications, and dosage they use on their patients. They teach the patients how to use their medications and equipment. They also do regular checkups on the patients and equipment.
Some of the challenges that affect them include irregular working hours. This aspect reduces their efficiency and reliability in care. They work in acute care hospitals, diagnostic laboratories, patients’ homes, physicians’ offices, and educational institutions (Pierson, 2007). Their work nature also ensures they work for long hours, including the evenings, nights, and weekends. As a result, therapists get exhausted, making them work ineffectively and exposing them to infectious conditions. They also face challenges of dealing with patients who cannot do what the therapists are telling them. Despite their hard work and commitment, some patients are non-compliant with the therapists’ directions for their healthcare. For instance, some of these patients who smoke may not quit smoking and drinking alcohol as directed by the therapists. However, despite the challenges, these aspects do not discourage the therapists from doing their duties because they continue supporting the patients to influence positive health outcomes.
Generally, individuals keen on becoming respiratory therapists are supposed to work hard in making sure they get the necessary skills and experience needed to be eligible for handling patients effectively. They should be cautious in this practice as they anticipate to produce positive health outcomes from their patients. They should improve health outcomes by assessing, diagnosing, and treating individuals experiencing health difficulties. They should be aware of the risks of being infected, exhaustion, and rebellious patients. Like other health professionals, they are prone to be involved in services that expose them to danger. Their contribution to healthcare is guided by the nursing values of compassion to reduce pain and suffering. Therefore, respiratory therapists should be aware of the many dangers of their profession and work on how they should be safe while carrying out their duties to patients.
Pierson, D. J. (2007). Respiratory care: a decade of challenge and progress. http://rc.rcjournal.com/content/respcare/52/12/1680.full.pdf
Kacmarek, R. M., Stoller, J. K., & Heuer, A. (2019). Egan’s Fundamentals of Respiratory Care E-Book. Elsevier Health Sciences. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=z5fFDwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=The+History+of+Respiratory+Therapy&ots=ALYTij4YO6&sig=25WBvKNrJtjFCk1i3iZfrA-ebL0
Sreedharan, J. K., & Varghese, S. (2020). Twenty-five years of excellence; respiratory therapy in India-Past, present, and future. Indian Journal of Respiratory Care, 9(1), 5. http://www.ijrconline.org/article.asp?issn=2277-9019;year=2020;volume=9;issue=1;spage=5;epage=11;aulast=Sreedharan