Friday, July 31, 2009
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Some Tweets on Obama's Health Care Conference
tracycoyle gee, from what I am reading, Obama doesn't think we need hospitals or surgeons....can we try Obamacare on Medicare patients first?
InPlace2 @jescocom I have been Dem all my life & I have never seen such lousy leadership I'm a citizen not a politician & I don't like or trust obama
rfarlow Rt @TheFlaCracker Do I like obama asking himself stupid retorical quest that no 1 wld ask, then answers them? No. Does he do it a lot? Yes
boxerpaws56 RT @wikiworf: RT @SamiShamieh: If Obamarescued the economy, why do we have to spend the rest of the stimulus money? #obamafail #tcot
DallasAinsley Look up incompetence=Obama-Ignorant, not qualified-over his head. Not very intelligent
JKonwinski Tired of seeing Obama on tv!!
goliath0519 I have come to the conclusion that Obama's health plan totally sucks ass
mpillette I agree. The plan Obama is promoting is insane. Must keep up the good fight
exposeliberals RT @steveshamy: Baracktologist | RT@RightWingArtist: Obama is like a rectal exam he says its for our own good but no one wants it
djsportland @drewhastings Obama is a giant assbag and he is so full of himself I can't stand it. It's only a few trillion bucks I guess
Rocafort Please prove Obama is and loves america. To date I have felt no love for us in his heart. So far quite the opposite
infantry1 If President Obama is serious about health care reform, he hould begin with the sick state of the economy and give Chase Bank an enema
billhobbs Obama: "Taking profit motive out will incentivize the insurance companies to do better." Obama is an idiot - or playing Americans for fools
Izuhhbel Obama had a news conference on health care tonight and it's not on the trending topics. Yet the Taco Bell Chihuahua is. So sad. Seriously
Obamapocalypse RT @TexasRV Obama is now apologising to himself in the mirror for bombing tonights prime time sales pitch
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Thursday, July 2, 2009
PDA ligation
I just got home from almost a week in the NICU (2 more weeks till graduation, btw).
One of the many things I got to be a part of was a PDA ligation on a neonate.
What is it:
The ductus arteriosus is a temporary fetal blood vessel that connects the aorta and the pulmonary artery before birth. The ductus arteriosus should be present and open before birth while the fetus is developing in the uterus. Since oxygen and nutrients are received from the placenta and the umbilical cord instead of the lungs, the ductus arteriosus acts as a "short cut" that allows blood to bypass the deflated lungs and go straight out to the body. After birth, when the lungs are needed to add oxygen to the blood, the ductus arteriosus normally closes.
However, when it does not close, a PDA ligation is needed.
How to diagnose PDA:
Diagnosis is most often made by detecting a heart murmur heard through your stethoscope. Tests such as a chest x ray,and ECG determine the severity of the PDA.
************
When I found out I was going to get to go in on the ligation I was waiting on it all day! It's kind of like when you were a kid on Christmas Day waiting and waiting....and waiting... for mom and dad to say you could open gifts. It was like Christmas for me! But when you're waiting on the one and only neonatal cardiology surgeon in town, you're on his time.
I compare the RT department here to a fishbowl because it is surrounded by windows so that if you go into the department you are still able to see babies and their vitals.
Anyway. I was sitting in the fishbowl reading (I may or may not have been starting to nod off because all the lights are dim in the NICU)when I thought I overheard someone say "PDA" my head popped up and I looked around to see if anyone else heard it or if I was just dreaming. I figured if they did they would start walking over to that neonate. Because, after all, who HASN'T been waiting on this all day?! Nobody acted like something freaking cool was about to happen, but I walked out there anyway. And guess what! It was time!!!!!! I saw the nurse starting to scrub up to prep the patient. YYEEEEEEEES! I went and got the RT I was following because I was too scared to be in there without him in case something happened. I didn't want to shit my pretty greys anatomy scrub pants(shutup).
We scrubed up: gown, gloves, chef hat, mask. This is now a sterile area. No more fun and games.
People in the room: a few scrub tech people, anesthesiologist and his carts with goodies, RN, me and my RT, and the surgical cardiologist.
The baby gets turned to his side and secured in a comfortable position. Everything gets draped with blue sheets. *Anything blue is sterile. Don't touch it. The ceiling and windows will crash in, fighter jets will land right beside you and you will be taken hostage due to your ignorance*
The anestheologist gives his meds so the baby is comfortable and doesn't feel any pain.
Surgeon marks the spots on the babies skin with a marker.
Someone cleans and sterilizes exposed baby skin. Then it starts.
The area is cut open and the surgeon does his magic and uses the worlds smallest stapler to close the PDA. Then sews up the opening.
The whole time this is happening we are monitoring the patients vitals. If his sats start to drop or if his heart rate or blood pressure get out of normal limits we are perfectly positioned at the starting line to take off and do OUR thing. The babys sats do drop into the 70s and the bp raises. We change some settings on the vent and continue to monitor.
Everything slowly normals out.
Doc calls for chest xray.
Nurse tells another nurse (who is not scrubed up) to call radiology for cxr stat.
Surg techs start to pack up their stuff to go.
Radiology comes, I leave so I don't get nuked.
Film comes back. We look and you can see the little metal staple.
There was a very small pneumo on cxr. If the pneumo is large enough, a chest tube will need to be placed during the pda ligation. But we didn't have to do that this time.
Yes it WAS freaking awesome and I left with clean scrubs.
Some pictures I found for you:
One of the many things I got to be a part of was a PDA ligation on a neonate.
What is it:
The ductus arteriosus is a temporary fetal blood vessel that connects the aorta and the pulmonary artery before birth. The ductus arteriosus should be present and open before birth while the fetus is developing in the uterus. Since oxygen and nutrients are received from the placenta and the umbilical cord instead of the lungs, the ductus arteriosus acts as a "short cut" that allows blood to bypass the deflated lungs and go straight out to the body. After birth, when the lungs are needed to add oxygen to the blood, the ductus arteriosus normally closes.
However, when it does not close, a PDA ligation is needed.
How to diagnose PDA:
Diagnosis is most often made by detecting a heart murmur heard through your stethoscope. Tests such as a chest x ray,and ECG determine the severity of the PDA.
************
When I found out I was going to get to go in on the ligation I was waiting on it all day! It's kind of like when you were a kid on Christmas Day waiting and waiting....and waiting... for mom and dad to say you could open gifts. It was like Christmas for me! But when you're waiting on the one and only neonatal cardiology surgeon in town, you're on his time.
I compare the RT department here to a fishbowl because it is surrounded by windows so that if you go into the department you are still able to see babies and their vitals.
Anyway. I was sitting in the fishbowl reading (I may or may not have been starting to nod off because all the lights are dim in the NICU)when I thought I overheard someone say "PDA" my head popped up and I looked around to see if anyone else heard it or if I was just dreaming. I figured if they did they would start walking over to that neonate. Because, after all, who HASN'T been waiting on this all day?! Nobody acted like something freaking cool was about to happen, but I walked out there anyway. And guess what! It was time!!!!!! I saw the nurse starting to scrub up to prep the patient. YYEEEEEEEES! I went and got the RT I was following because I was too scared to be in there without him in case something happened. I didn't want to shit my pretty greys anatomy scrub pants(shutup).
We scrubed up: gown, gloves, chef hat, mask. This is now a sterile area. No more fun and games.
People in the room: a few scrub tech people, anesthesiologist and his carts with goodies, RN, me and my RT, and the surgical cardiologist.
The baby gets turned to his side and secured in a comfortable position. Everything gets draped with blue sheets. *Anything blue is sterile. Don't touch it. The ceiling and windows will crash in, fighter jets will land right beside you and you will be taken hostage due to your ignorance*
The anestheologist gives his meds so the baby is comfortable and doesn't feel any pain.
Surgeon marks the spots on the babies skin with a marker.
Someone cleans and sterilizes exposed baby skin. Then it starts.
The area is cut open and the surgeon does his magic and uses the worlds smallest stapler to close the PDA. Then sews up the opening.
The whole time this is happening we are monitoring the patients vitals. If his sats start to drop or if his heart rate or blood pressure get out of normal limits we are perfectly positioned at the starting line to take off and do OUR thing. The babys sats do drop into the 70s and the bp raises. We change some settings on the vent and continue to monitor.
Everything slowly normals out.
Doc calls for chest xray.
Nurse tells another nurse (who is not scrubed up) to call radiology for cxr stat.
Surg techs start to pack up their stuff to go.
Radiology comes, I leave so I don't get nuked.
Film comes back. We look and you can see the little metal staple.
There was a very small pneumo on cxr. If the pneumo is large enough, a chest tube will need to be placed during the pda ligation. But we didn't have to do that this time.
Yes it WAS freaking awesome and I left with clean scrubs.
Some pictures I found for you:
Monday, June 29, 2009
nicu clinical mon
Lots of babies today.
42 babies in the unit.
Tiny whole little humans.
Feet as small as my fingertip.
The other student with me changed a diaper today
for the first time EVER
and it was on a 2 pounder.
Lots of PDA ligations.
I thought it was more rare than what I saw today.
Substernal retractions.
Heart murmurs.
5 toes.
Helped with 5 C-sections.
Have yet to help with a vaginal delivery.
Used lots of bili lights, need to do more research on that.
As well as caffeine given IV.
Then saw a healthy birth.
The baby seemed HUGE!
For now....
Sleep.....
42 babies in the unit.
Tiny whole little humans.
Feet as small as my fingertip.
The other student with me changed a diaper today
for the first time EVER
and it was on a 2 pounder.
Lots of PDA ligations.
I thought it was more rare than what I saw today.
Substernal retractions.
Heart murmurs.
5 toes.
Helped with 5 C-sections.
Have yet to help with a vaginal delivery.
Used lots of bili lights, need to do more research on that.
As well as caffeine given IV.
Then saw a healthy birth.
The baby seemed HUGE!
For now....
Sleep.....
Friday, June 19, 2009
Getting closer
The time I have left before graduation keeps getting less and less. Which, I guess is a good thing. We had our pictures taken last week. The pictures are for our graduation announcements that we will send out for invitations. I thought they turned out pretty good. I even thought about ordering a few extras so I could give one to my mom and dad - until I looked at the prices. I cant even get one single picture for less than 30 dollars, regardless of the size. So........ I may be reconsidering that decision. Students are poor. They need to change their prices! Oh, BUT the thing that I really did like about the pictures was that they took one single picture of each student with just a plain white background. That one is so we can use it when we apply for our state license since you have to add a picture. And the licensing boards can be pretty picky about the picture (and well the whole process for that matter). Anyway,there will be a big framed picture of everyone that will be hung on a wall in our classroom. In a way thats not a big deal, but then again, I do feel kind of honored because we are the very first graduating RT class this school has had. So every class that comes in from here on out will see our pictures hanging on the wall (like we are starting the tradition sort of).
I have had 3 weeks off (excluding the state rt convention last week). My clinicals start again next week. These clinicals will be different from the past two years, though, because it will be in the pediatric and neonatal units. Granted I have had a few clinicals in a pediatric unit in the past, but let me enhance the word "FEW". I have A LOT to learn. And that fact in itself scares the living hell out of me. Why? Because I graduate in ONE month. WHAT IF I'M NOT READY TO GRADUATE. WHAT IF I DON'T WANT TO WORK AN RT SHIFT ON MY OWN BECAUSE THEN I WONT HAVE ANYONES DECISIONS TO RELY ON BUT MY OWN. OH GOD!
Oh god how am I going to pass my test? Have I studied enough? Do I know enough?
This is getting stressful................
I have had 3 weeks off (excluding the state rt convention last week). My clinicals start again next week. These clinicals will be different from the past two years, though, because it will be in the pediatric and neonatal units. Granted I have had a few clinicals in a pediatric unit in the past, but let me enhance the word "FEW". I have A LOT to learn. And that fact in itself scares the living hell out of me. Why? Because I graduate in ONE month. WHAT IF I'M NOT READY TO GRADUATE. WHAT IF I DON'T WANT TO WORK AN RT SHIFT ON MY OWN BECAUSE THEN I WONT HAVE ANYONES DECISIONS TO RELY ON BUT MY OWN. OH GOD!
Oh god how am I going to pass my test? Have I studied enough? Do I know enough?
This is getting stressful................
Sunday, June 14, 2009
State Conference - OSRC
Just got back to town from the state OSRC Conference...
The conference was at the Reed Center.
Let me tell you..... it would have been much better if students could actually use the CEU's. There was one presentation that stood out to me. It was a lecture about HFV - High Frequency Ventilation on adults. I learned quite a bit from the speaker.
For those of you who don't know, last year at OSRC, our class played in the state sputum bowl. We entered the competition thinking we didn't know NEAR enough to actually win, but we did it for fun. Well, we ended up winning the entire competition and got an expense paid trip to California this past December for the National Respiratory Conference. That was sooooooo much fun!
So........... this year we entered the competition again - and won - AGAIN! Can you believe it!? The national conference this December will be in San Antonio Texas.
We graduate NEXT MONTH!!! Cant wait cant wait cant wait cant wait!
The conference was at the Reed Center.
Let me tell you..... it would have been much better if students could actually use the CEU's. There was one presentation that stood out to me. It was a lecture about HFV - High Frequency Ventilation on adults. I learned quite a bit from the speaker.
For those of you who don't know, last year at OSRC, our class played in the state sputum bowl. We entered the competition thinking we didn't know NEAR enough to actually win, but we did it for fun. Well, we ended up winning the entire competition and got an expense paid trip to California this past December for the National Respiratory Conference. That was sooooooo much fun!
So........... this year we entered the competition again - and won - AGAIN! Can you believe it!? The national conference this December will be in San Antonio Texas.
We graduate NEXT MONTH!!! Cant wait cant wait cant wait cant wait!
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Only a few more months......
Ok, so its been a while since my last post. I guess Ive had time to calm down from the pissy post".
We only have a few months left until we graduate! Graduation day is the last day of July. Looking back, it has gone by so fast. But looking forward, graduation couldn't come fast enough.
We have been preparing for the board exams quite a bit, actually. At least once a week for the past year we have done the kettering review together as a class.
This summer we are going to a kettering review seminar and we are also going to a Persing review seminar. So, yes I am nervous about the boards, but I am pretty optimistic about all the review we will be doing.
Another change coming - We are moving to IOWA!! Matt is going sooner than I am since I cant leave until I graduate. It will be 8.5 hours away from home. So I guess I will be looking for hospitals up there. EEEK! Scary to think about......
We only have a few months left until we graduate! Graduation day is the last day of July. Looking back, it has gone by so fast. But looking forward, graduation couldn't come fast enough.
We have been preparing for the board exams quite a bit, actually. At least once a week for the past year we have done the kettering review together as a class.
This summer we are going to a kettering review seminar and we are also going to a Persing review seminar. So, yes I am nervous about the boards, but I am pretty optimistic about all the review we will be doing.Another change coming - We are moving to IOWA!! Matt is going sooner than I am since I cant leave until I graduate. It will be 8.5 hours away from home. So I guess I will be looking for hospitals up there. EEEK! Scary to think about......
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Pissy Post
*Before you read this, know that I am not a mean person. This is me venting. I will return to my normal happy bubbly self after this post*
I was pissed at my last clinical. Before I gripe about what happened I want to say that I do appreciate clinicals and the preceptors and the RT directors that let students do clinicals in their hospital. I know that even the mundane things can create a learning experience. That being said, my class goes to hospitals all over the state. We go to both small hospitals and several of the biggest ones around. Actually traveling 2 hours for clinicals is not abnormal for any of us. Anyway, as you all know I am in my final semester of class. This semester is CRITICAL care III and Neonatal and pediatrics. The hospital I have been at for the past month does not specialize in children so my goals there were all critical care related. Critical care III - this is the THIRD semester dealing with critical care. We are not just starting it. For all our critical care rotations we have to be in the ICU. We have had LOTS of training, labs, reading, tests etc for critical care and mechanical ventilation. So the point of the clinical for critical care is to provide the hands on skills and training. I NEED to SEE the vent, I need to see the patients in ICU. I need to know why certain settings are what they are so that when Im NOT a student I will know what Im doing.
Anyway I get to the hospital at 545 am. They put me on the regular adult floor, not ICU. This is the first thing that frustrated me. I said that I am in critical care rotations and that I need to be in ICU. And you know what they told me? They were TOO BUSY and they needed me on the floor. You know what? I really dont give a flying &^$# if they are busy or not. If they are THAT busy, HIRE me and I will do whatever work is required of me as an RT. But today I am a student in this hospital and I am not here for free labor. I am here to LEARN period. I am not here to get half of an RTs workload so that you don't have to call in someone else. I dont care if there are only 2 patients in the ICU. If that is the case, let me do ICU rounds FIRST and foremost, THEN I will help out other therapists just the same as anyone does.
Anyway, I didn't want to start crap so i took my patient sheet and we went to the pyxis to pull meds. She handed me all the meds that I needed and she said this is for room whatever number, she looks at her sheet and says "Wait... wait wait.... that person takes their treatments with bipap so you cant do him"
HOLD THE &^$%^&*^ PHONE!!
I said "I can do bipap as a student". Afterall, I have done lots and lots and lots and lots.......... of bipap treaments! She acted like I was out of my mind. You should have seen the look on her face. She said "No. Unless it is on your license you cant do bipap." Please tell me you are kidding me. You have to be kidding me right!
Me: "I dont have a license in this state.... I am a student." (I said in this state because I AM a licensed SRT-student respiratory therapist in the adjoining state because I live close to the state line. And yes, on that license there are no limitations, including bipap treatments.)
RT: eyes got big "OOOOH.... NO then DEFINATELY NOT"!!!!!
First of all. WTF do you think students do? Stand around holding a book in the hospital twirling their hair. Appearantly she thought all students could do were neb treatments. Even students in thir final year, final semester.
Second, according to your theory if I cant do bipap treatments because its "not on my license", then guess what, I cant do nebs either.
I bit my tongue and gave her the bipap patient and took all the nebs. I had one patient left and was walking down the hall to do it when I see my preceptor sitting on her ass in a chair out in the hallway. She was done with her patients and was sitting there doing NOTHING while I finished her scut work. Not to mention she didnt even give me a pulse ox to use for the day because "they cant be checked out to students" Tell me HOW THE &^%^ am I supposed to document all of a patients vitals without the 02%? I am working under YOUR license so YOU should really care about that too!!
By the end of the day there were FOUR extubations in the ICU that I didnt get to be a part of. I didnt even get to stand back and WATCH them because I was giving neb treatments.
After first rounds, I texted my teacher. Here is our texting conversation:
Me: Can I do bipap as a student?!
Teacher: Yes you can.
Me: They arent letting me do anything but nebs only
Teacher: You can do bipap and you need to be in the ICU with vent patients. I will talk to the director and tell them what you are allowed to do but just make the most of the day
Me: OK
In my opinion he should have picked up the phone, called the department and just said hey, you know, my students need to be in icu. It would have taken 2 minutes. But anway....
I have always been told that clinicals are like job interviews. When you are at clinicals you are being evaluated by other RTs and by the director to see if you would be a good candidate for working there after school. BUT this works both ways. Students are also evaluating the hospitals to see if we would want to work there, in that environment, with those people...... I can guarantee you there is not a shortage of hospitals looking to hire RTs. And I can also guarantee you I will not work for a hospital that treats their students as work horses or as free labor. What does that make us think? It sure doesnt make me want to get hired on to find out anything else.
I was pissed at my last clinical. Before I gripe about what happened I want to say that I do appreciate clinicals and the preceptors and the RT directors that let students do clinicals in their hospital. I know that even the mundane things can create a learning experience. That being said, my class goes to hospitals all over the state. We go to both small hospitals and several of the biggest ones around. Actually traveling 2 hours for clinicals is not abnormal for any of us. Anyway, as you all know I am in my final semester of class. This semester is CRITICAL care III and Neonatal and pediatrics. The hospital I have been at for the past month does not specialize in children so my goals there were all critical care related. Critical care III - this is the THIRD semester dealing with critical care. We are not just starting it. For all our critical care rotations we have to be in the ICU. We have had LOTS of training, labs, reading, tests etc for critical care and mechanical ventilation. So the point of the clinical for critical care is to provide the hands on skills and training. I NEED to SEE the vent, I need to see the patients in ICU. I need to know why certain settings are what they are so that when Im NOT a student I will know what Im doing.
Anyway I get to the hospital at 545 am. They put me on the regular adult floor, not ICU. This is the first thing that frustrated me. I said that I am in critical care rotations and that I need to be in ICU. And you know what they told me? They were TOO BUSY and they needed me on the floor. You know what? I really dont give a flying &^$# if they are busy or not. If they are THAT busy, HIRE me and I will do whatever work is required of me as an RT. But today I am a student in this hospital and I am not here for free labor. I am here to LEARN period. I am not here to get half of an RTs workload so that you don't have to call in someone else. I dont care if there are only 2 patients in the ICU. If that is the case, let me do ICU rounds FIRST and foremost, THEN I will help out other therapists just the same as anyone does.
Anyway, I didn't want to start crap so i took my patient sheet and we went to the pyxis to pull meds. She handed me all the meds that I needed and she said this is for room whatever number, she looks at her sheet and says "Wait... wait wait.... that person takes their treatments with bipap so you cant do him"
HOLD THE &^$%^&*^ PHONE!!
I said "I can do bipap as a student". Afterall, I have done lots and lots and lots and lots.......... of bipap treaments! She acted like I was out of my mind. You should have seen the look on her face. She said "No. Unless it is on your license you cant do bipap." Please tell me you are kidding me. You have to be kidding me right!
Me: "I dont have a license in this state.... I am a student." (I said in this state because I AM a licensed SRT-student respiratory therapist in the adjoining state because I live close to the state line. And yes, on that license there are no limitations, including bipap treatments.)
RT: eyes got big "OOOOH.... NO then DEFINATELY NOT"!!!!!
First of all. WTF do you think students do? Stand around holding a book in the hospital twirling their hair. Appearantly she thought all students could do were neb treatments. Even students in thir final year, final semester.
Second, according to your theory if I cant do bipap treatments because its "not on my license", then guess what, I cant do nebs either.
I bit my tongue and gave her the bipap patient and took all the nebs. I had one patient left and was walking down the hall to do it when I see my preceptor sitting on her ass in a chair out in the hallway. She was done with her patients and was sitting there doing NOTHING while I finished her scut work. Not to mention she didnt even give me a pulse ox to use for the day because "they cant be checked out to students" Tell me HOW THE &^%^ am I supposed to document all of a patients vitals without the 02%? I am working under YOUR license so YOU should really care about that too!!
By the end of the day there were FOUR extubations in the ICU that I didnt get to be a part of. I didnt even get to stand back and WATCH them because I was giving neb treatments.
After first rounds, I texted my teacher. Here is our texting conversation:
Me: Can I do bipap as a student?!
Teacher: Yes you can.
Me: They arent letting me do anything but nebs only
Teacher: You can do bipap and you need to be in the ICU with vent patients. I will talk to the director and tell them what you are allowed to do but just make the most of the day
Me: OK
In my opinion he should have picked up the phone, called the department and just said hey, you know, my students need to be in icu. It would have taken 2 minutes. But anway....
I have always been told that clinicals are like job interviews. When you are at clinicals you are being evaluated by other RTs and by the director to see if you would be a good candidate for working there after school. BUT this works both ways. Students are also evaluating the hospitals to see if we would want to work there, in that environment, with those people...... I can guarantee you there is not a shortage of hospitals looking to hire RTs. And I can also guarantee you I will not work for a hospital that treats their students as work horses or as free labor. What does that make us think? It sure doesnt make me want to get hired on to find out anything else.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Surviving RT School
I am almost finished with RT school. So, even though I am far from reaching an expert status, I do believe that I have a few pointers to get the new RT student through the tough times to come.
1.) Be organized. This seems trivial but DONT forget your supplies: book, paper, pencils, etc. Always bring your supplies to class. Be prepared to take notes. In fact, even when you are in your final semester of class there will be plenty of times when you wish you had taken better notes in the first sememster because you will continually refer back to past studies, formulas, facts, and figures. Everything is important, if not now, later. I always have my binder with me. My binder is organized with tabs and a calendar section, extras section, and board review section. My teachers give me some extra just FYI sort of things: Job postings, conferences, things like this. I keep these in the "Extra" tab. The most important tab I keep in my binder is "Board Review". Everytime I come across a formula or something I think is important or that might be used in the future, I flip over to this section and I jot the information down. My hope is that when school ends and its time to study and review for the board exam, most of the information I need to study will be compiled into one organized place. Also for this same reason, keep your study guides, and your books! I realize that you will get money for selling your books back, but these books will be used for referrence for a long time. Don't sell them back. Print a calendar and keep it in the front of your binder. Use this calendar to write down important dates, tests, quizzes, conferences, etc.
2.) Your resume. If you dont have a resume, make one now. If you already have a resume, update it. Make your medical/educational resume. During the tenure of your RT school, you will be exposed to TONS of things you will be able to add to your resume. This includes conferences, training affiliations, lab certifications, presentations given, etc. Have your resume updated and ready at all times. Have a hard copy and a printed copy handy. Most applications are online and will require you to submit a hard copy, however, several smaller hospitals do not and will require you to mail or fax your application and resume. Compile a list of referrences. This includes people you have worked with, your instructors, your clinical director, respiratory therapists you have trained with in clinicals, respiratory directors, etc. Ask them for permission to use them as a referrence and add them to your resume.
3.) Record your experiences. Whatever method you prefer, use it. Blog, journal, write a book. Your two years of RT school only happen once. Write about your clinicals. Write about what you learn, what you dont understand, what you love, what you hate. It will be fun to look back on this later. What you do is important and consuming. Be proud of it. Let others know what you do and why you love it!
4.) Make time for fun. Never use every minute you have for studying. Dont lose sight of who you are and what you love to do. So do your homeowork, go to class, love the medical field. But keep up with your friends and extra activites that you love to do.
5.) Get a student job. You can get a student job after one year of studies. That means that for the last year of school, you can also be working in your field and getting paid for doing it. Granted, you will not get as much money as a certified or registered therapist, but that is only fair. Working as a student will give you more hands on experience than school work and even clinicals. Many hospitals will even refund your tuition for working for them. To get a student job, you will need to print of the student application for your state. You can find this online and your teachers should be able to help you with the resources on this. When you get the application, a portion is yours to fill out, and also your instructors need to complete a portion. And the preceptor where you plan to work will have to complete a section. The application will need to be notorized is several different places and you will need to attach a recent picture of yourself. Print the application because it is sometimes time consuming to complete. The exact process as well as the cost of the application is different for each state. So get it printed and get it ready before you need it. When you get an interview, be professional. Dress professionally. Act respectful. You are a respiratory therapist. Respect your profession and others will follow.
The decision I made to go to RT school is one of the best things Ive done. I really feel fullfilled with what I do and the profession I've chosen. If you have already made that decision and you are in Respiratory school, I don't think that "surviving" it will be a complication that comes up. If you do what you love, then you will love what you do, and that will show in all aspects of your life.
1.) Be organized. This seems trivial but DONT forget your supplies: book, paper, pencils, etc. Always bring your supplies to class. Be prepared to take notes. In fact, even when you are in your final semester of class there will be plenty of times when you wish you had taken better notes in the first sememster because you will continually refer back to past studies, formulas, facts, and figures. Everything is important, if not now, later. I always have my binder with me. My binder is organized with tabs and a calendar section, extras section, and board review section. My teachers give me some extra just FYI sort of things: Job postings, conferences, things like this. I keep these in the "Extra" tab. The most important tab I keep in my binder is "Board Review". Everytime I come across a formula or something I think is important or that might be used in the future, I flip over to this section and I jot the information down. My hope is that when school ends and its time to study and review for the board exam, most of the information I need to study will be compiled into one organized place. Also for this same reason, keep your study guides, and your books! I realize that you will get money for selling your books back, but these books will be used for referrence for a long time. Don't sell them back. Print a calendar and keep it in the front of your binder. Use this calendar to write down important dates, tests, quizzes, conferences, etc.
2.) Your resume. If you dont have a resume, make one now. If you already have a resume, update it. Make your medical/educational resume. During the tenure of your RT school, you will be exposed to TONS of things you will be able to add to your resume. This includes conferences, training affiliations, lab certifications, presentations given, etc. Have your resume updated and ready at all times. Have a hard copy and a printed copy handy. Most applications are online and will require you to submit a hard copy, however, several smaller hospitals do not and will require you to mail or fax your application and resume. Compile a list of referrences. This includes people you have worked with, your instructors, your clinical director, respiratory therapists you have trained with in clinicals, respiratory directors, etc. Ask them for permission to use them as a referrence and add them to your resume.
3.) Record your experiences. Whatever method you prefer, use it. Blog, journal, write a book. Your two years of RT school only happen once. Write about your clinicals. Write about what you learn, what you dont understand, what you love, what you hate. It will be fun to look back on this later. What you do is important and consuming. Be proud of it. Let others know what you do and why you love it!
4.) Make time for fun. Never use every minute you have for studying. Dont lose sight of who you are and what you love to do. So do your homeowork, go to class, love the medical field. But keep up with your friends and extra activites that you love to do.
5.) Get a student job. You can get a student job after one year of studies. That means that for the last year of school, you can also be working in your field and getting paid for doing it. Granted, you will not get as much money as a certified or registered therapist, but that is only fair. Working as a student will give you more hands on experience than school work and even clinicals. Many hospitals will even refund your tuition for working for them. To get a student job, you will need to print of the student application for your state. You can find this online and your teachers should be able to help you with the resources on this. When you get the application, a portion is yours to fill out, and also your instructors need to complete a portion. And the preceptor where you plan to work will have to complete a section. The application will need to be notorized is several different places and you will need to attach a recent picture of yourself. Print the application because it is sometimes time consuming to complete. The exact process as well as the cost of the application is different for each state. So get it printed and get it ready before you need it. When you get an interview, be professional. Dress professionally. Act respectful. You are a respiratory therapist. Respect your profession and others will follow.
The decision I made to go to RT school is one of the best things Ive done. I really feel fullfilled with what I do and the profession I've chosen. If you have already made that decision and you are in Respiratory school, I don't think that "surviving" it will be a complication that comes up. If you do what you love, then you will love what you do, and that will show in all aspects of your life.
Last Night's Dream...
Everyone that knows me knows I have some STRANGE dreams. Last night wasn't in the top 10 strange but anyway here it is...
I had a dream I was delivering someone's baby.
Why did I dream this? Well I did watch the Andy Griffith episode recently where Andy delivered a baby in the thunderstorm.
So in my dream I had to explain to myself where the head was and where the butt was in the Mom's belly. This was the criteria to determine if I had the skills to deliver the baby.
Then I got the baby out and I immediately suctioned it. (Only an RT would dream of suctioning a patient.) But there was no yankauer in the room. So I had to rig one up Macgyver style with what I had in the room. Anyway, the stuff I was suctioning was really white and thick. (Of course and RT will describe what she suctioned.) And I didn't have to intubate the baby because it was doing well. But it never cried. It was just happy. And the whole time I was doing this procedure in my dream I kept thinking "OH GOD is THIS what I learned in class" I kept saying that to myself over and over. And I thought, I know that the baby needs to take a deep breath and scream and cry to get enough oxygen and for the DA to close, but this baby is not screaming and crying, but the oxygen is fine... "what did I learn about this in class" "Why are they letting me deliver a baby" "Am I doing everything right" "Did I forget something really important"
Then after it was over and I woke up, I was thinking about it. And I thought, you know, what would normal people think or do with a new baby? They would see if it is a boy or a girl, they would count the fingers or toes, they would think how cute it is and they would want to hold it or give it to the mother. But what did I think? I never looked to see if it was a boy or a girl, I don't know if it had all its fingers. I don't know if it was even cute. All I could think of is keeping the baby alive. And I did it and it was over. I guess the whole concept of keeping emotional distance from patients is turning in to a subconscience thing...?
I had a dream I was delivering someone's baby.
Why did I dream this? Well I did watch the Andy Griffith episode recently where Andy delivered a baby in the thunderstorm.
So in my dream I had to explain to myself where the head was and where the butt was in the Mom's belly. This was the criteria to determine if I had the skills to deliver the baby.
Then I got the baby out and I immediately suctioned it. (Only an RT would dream of suctioning a patient.) But there was no yankauer in the room. So I had to rig one up Macgyver style with what I had in the room. Anyway, the stuff I was suctioning was really white and thick. (Of course and RT will describe what she suctioned.) And I didn't have to intubate the baby because it was doing well. But it never cried. It was just happy. And the whole time I was doing this procedure in my dream I kept thinking "OH GOD is THIS what I learned in class" I kept saying that to myself over and over. And I thought, I know that the baby needs to take a deep breath and scream and cry to get enough oxygen and for the DA to close, but this baby is not screaming and crying, but the oxygen is fine... "what did I learn about this in class" "Why are they letting me deliver a baby" "Am I doing everything right" "Did I forget something really important"
Then after it was over and I woke up, I was thinking about it. And I thought, you know, what would normal people think or do with a new baby? They would see if it is a boy or a girl, they would count the fingers or toes, they would think how cute it is and they would want to hold it or give it to the mother. But what did I think? I never looked to see if it was a boy or a girl, I don't know if it had all its fingers. I don't know if it was even cute. All I could think of is keeping the baby alive. And I did it and it was over. I guess the whole concept of keeping emotional distance from patients is turning in to a subconscience thing...?
Thursday, February 12, 2009
How do the lungs of a bird differ from those of a human?
The lungs of birds differ significantly from those of mammal. In addition to the lungs themselves, birds have posterior and anterior air sacs (typically nine) which control air flow through the lungs, but do not play a direct role in gas exchange. They have a flow-through respiration system.
When a bird inhales, air flows in through the trachea to the posterior air sacs, while air currently within the lungs flows into the anterior air sacs. When the bird exhales, the fresh air now contained within the posterior air sacs is driven into the lungs, and the stale air now contained within the anterior air sacs is expelled through the trachea and into the atmosphere. Two complete cycles of inhalation and exhalation are, therefore, required for one breath of air to make its way through the avian respiratory system.
See http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Lung for more information.
When a bird inhales, air flows in through the trachea to the posterior air sacs, while air currently within the lungs flows into the anterior air sacs. When the bird exhales, the fresh air now contained within the posterior air sacs is driven into the lungs, and the stale air now contained within the anterior air sacs is expelled through the trachea and into the atmosphere. Two complete cycles of inhalation and exhalation are, therefore, required for one breath of air to make its way through the avian respiratory system.
See http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Lung for more information.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Call for Papers
Call For Papers
Literature and Medicine: Women in the Medical Profession
(guest editor Prof. Dr. Carmen Birkle, University of Marburg)
This special issue of gender forum focuses on the intersections between medicine, literature, and gender, also taking into account the relevance of ethnicity and class. The interest in the interface of literature and medicine from the specific point of view of gender is triggered by the intriguing similarities between the medical and literary disciplines. The doctor, like the literary scholar, is faced with a text, a narrative voiced by the patient either through language or bodily symptoms. In order to understand this narrative, the doctor, like the scholar, needs to listen closely, to examine the constituents of the narrative carefully, to consider the subjectivity of the narrative, to read between the lines, and to interpret ambiguities coded in metaphorical language. The relationship between reader and text – on both levels – is embedded in the gender matrix of a given context. Furthermore, Sontag’s analysis of the ways in which illnesses are used as metaphors to express social, political, moral, or cultural crises offers fruitful ground for discussion.
We invite papers that discuss both the situation and positions of women in the medical world – for example, as patients, doctors, nurses – and the representation of these situations in literature.
Possible topics include, but are not limited to, discussions of
— patient narratives
— women doctors
— doctor-patient relationships
— nursing the nation
— engendering the hospital
— women and madness
— illness as a metaphor
— the female body as subject to discourses of health, in regard to
pregnancy and birth
(cosmetic) surgery
breast cancer
food and eating habits affecting women (e.g. bulimia, anorexia, weight
reduction)
Contributions by medical practitioners, scholars of medical history as well as by scholars of literature, culture, media, history, and related disciplines are invited.
Submission of 200-word proposal as well as a 200-word CV by March 1, 2009
Submission of finished papers by April 30, 2009.
The issue is scheduled to appear in the summer of 2009.
For more information, click here.
Literature and Medicine: Women in the Medical Profession
(guest editor Prof. Dr. Carmen Birkle, University of Marburg)
This special issue of gender forum focuses on the intersections between medicine, literature, and gender, also taking into account the relevance of ethnicity and class. The interest in the interface of literature and medicine from the specific point of view of gender is triggered by the intriguing similarities between the medical and literary disciplines. The doctor, like the literary scholar, is faced with a text, a narrative voiced by the patient either through language or bodily symptoms. In order to understand this narrative, the doctor, like the scholar, needs to listen closely, to examine the constituents of the narrative carefully, to consider the subjectivity of the narrative, to read between the lines, and to interpret ambiguities coded in metaphorical language. The relationship between reader and text – on both levels – is embedded in the gender matrix of a given context. Furthermore, Sontag’s analysis of the ways in which illnesses are used as metaphors to express social, political, moral, or cultural crises offers fruitful ground for discussion.
We invite papers that discuss both the situation and positions of women in the medical world – for example, as patients, doctors, nurses – and the representation of these situations in literature.
Possible topics include, but are not limited to, discussions of
— patient narratives
— women doctors
— doctor-patient relationships
— nursing the nation
— engendering the hospital
— women and madness
— illness as a metaphor
— the female body as subject to discourses of health, in regard to
pregnancy and birth
(cosmetic) surgery
breast cancer
food and eating habits affecting women (e.g. bulimia, anorexia, weight
reduction)
Contributions by medical practitioners, scholars of medical history as well as by scholars of literature, culture, media, history, and related disciplines are invited.
Submission of 200-word proposal as well as a 200-word CV by March 1, 2009
Submission of finished papers by April 30, 2009.
The issue is scheduled to appear in the summer of 2009.
For more information, click here.
Join my Linkedin Group!!
If you haven't yet heard of linkedin it is a website devoted to online networking. Go sign up, add me as a connection, and join the Respiratory Therapy Group. In the group, you can read and post news, discussions, cool case studies, and also meet other RT's from around the world! See ya there!
Here is the link to the group:
http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=1781173
Here is the link to the group:
http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=1781173
Thursday, February 5, 2009
25 random things about me
1. I love to cook, but I dislike recipes. I usually make up random stuff. So it might be good, it might not. If you like it, don't get use to it, because I have no idea how I made it and thus, might never be able to replicate it.
2. My favorite NFL team is the Colts because I like the color and the horseshoe and because I have read coach Dungy's book.
3. I like the health care field so much that when I retire, I want to be a traveling RT (or PA) so that I can retire, travel, and still do what I love.
4. I read constantly. And usually more than one book at a time because I get bored easily and need a change.
5. I love to get dressed up.
6. I also like to lounge around in my PJ's on the weekend.
7. I actually like school. Especially Chemistry and Biology.
8. I like to sew. Quilts, blankets, pillows, curtains, clothes, I just like to make stuff.
9. I use to run and eat really healthy. I miss it a lot. However, I’m too lazy to get started again.
10. I only have one kidney. So be an organ donor.
11. I am notoriously difficult to figure out and rarely think conventionally.
12. I am a conservative, right-winged, republican, and I'm proud of it.
13. Beth has been my friend since before school. We were best friends in day care.
14. There is nothing I love more than my family.
15. I love going to the movie theater to watch a new movie I've been waiting for.
16. I love music.
17. I don’t like going to bed before midnight.
18. I hate drama, so most of my friends are guys. You can understand why.
19. I love to travel. Geography is not my best subject and the best way for me to learn and enjoy it is to go and see it. The two places I want to see before I die are London and New Zealand. I also want to visit all 50 states and I collect post cards from every place I visit.
20. I hate cold weather because I cant wear my flip flops.
21. I am currently in the middle of writing and publishing my first book.
22. I drink way too much pop but I have no desire or inclination to stop.
23. I am not a morning person, but I wish I was.
24. I love my sense of humor but I know that it does not appeal to everyone.
25. I have given my life to God; I read the bible; I go to church. This is what gives direction to my choices and way of life.
2. My favorite NFL team is the Colts because I like the color and the horseshoe and because I have read coach Dungy's book.
3. I like the health care field so much that when I retire, I want to be a traveling RT (or PA) so that I can retire, travel, and still do what I love.
4. I read constantly. And usually more than one book at a time because I get bored easily and need a change.
5. I love to get dressed up.
6. I also like to lounge around in my PJ's on the weekend.
7. I actually like school. Especially Chemistry and Biology.
8. I like to sew. Quilts, blankets, pillows, curtains, clothes, I just like to make stuff.
9. I use to run and eat really healthy. I miss it a lot. However, I’m too lazy to get started again.
10. I only have one kidney. So be an organ donor.
11. I am notoriously difficult to figure out and rarely think conventionally.
12. I am a conservative, right-winged, republican, and I'm proud of it.
13. Beth has been my friend since before school. We were best friends in day care.
14. There is nothing I love more than my family.
15. I love going to the movie theater to watch a new movie I've been waiting for.
16. I love music.
17. I don’t like going to bed before midnight.
18. I hate drama, so most of my friends are guys. You can understand why.
19. I love to travel. Geography is not my best subject and the best way for me to learn and enjoy it is to go and see it. The two places I want to see before I die are London and New Zealand. I also want to visit all 50 states and I collect post cards from every place I visit.
20. I hate cold weather because I cant wear my flip flops.
21. I am currently in the middle of writing and publishing my first book.
22. I drink way too much pop but I have no desire or inclination to stop.
23. I am not a morning person, but I wish I was.
24. I love my sense of humor but I know that it does not appeal to everyone.
25. I have given my life to God; I read the bible; I go to church. This is what gives direction to my choices and way of life.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Auto Injectable Epinephrine for Asthma Control
Auto-Injectable Epinephrine Self-Medication Regulations
The following is a list of states with legislation that allows students to possess and self-administer prescribed auto-injectable epinephrine:*
Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Delaware
Florida
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
South Carolina
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wyoming
States that have not yet enacted policies to allow students to self-medicate auto-injectable epinephrine at school are:*
Connecticut
Georgia
Louisiana
Mississippi
New York
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Dakota
Wisconsin
*As of September 2008
The following is a list of states with legislation that allows students to possess and self-administer prescribed auto-injectable epinephrine:*
Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Delaware
Florida
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
South Carolina
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wyoming
States that have not yet enacted policies to allow students to self-medicate auto-injectable epinephrine at school are:*
Connecticut
Georgia
Louisiana
Mississippi
New York
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Dakota
Wisconsin
*As of September 2008
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Where were you when history happened?
I was born in the 80s. So. I have only lived through one democratic president in my lifetime. Which could possibly explain my Republican standing. Who knows. But looking back on all the major historical events in your lifetime, you always remember where you were and what you were doing when it happened. Like the September 11th events, for example, I was a senior in High School. The first time I heard about the plane crashes was in my CHEM II class - the first class of the day. We didn't really have classes that day in my small town. Instead, in every class, the TV was tuned to the News stations. Every teacher and every student sat and watched the events on TV all morning. Up until that exact day, I had no reason to be concerned about the government, about my safety, about terrorists. I never had the thought that one day my little brother would be one of the soldiers deployed to Iraq to fight for our freedom had never even crossed my mind. I can imagine all the text messages sent that day.
But what about the inauguration this year? I've seen many examples of parents writing letters to their kids about that important day. When their kids and grandkids are older they will have a piece of history written by a member of their family when they could only otherwise read about it in history books. My problem with that is - well, I don't have kids. Nonetheless, I will without a doubt remember where I was that day.
It was a Tuesday. I will remember that because Tuesdays are the day that I have clinical rotations. Every Tuesday, of every week, of every month, I wake up at ungodly o'clock in the morning to drive an hour, maybe two, to the hospital chosen by my Respiratory Care clinical instructor to complete my training hours required of my medical profession. Now, on a typical day in any hospital some patients watch TV; some don't. Usually I can't even tell if a patient is watching TV at all until I go into their room. But this day was much different. Every TV in every room was set to the same program. I could hear the inauguration in every room, in every office, in every hallway, in every waiting room. It was like an echo everywhere I went. There were rumors of about two million people at the event. I even heard math jokes if you can imagine: "2 million people divided by 5000 porta potties = what?". I thought that I would miss the most historical inauguration event ever to take place thus far due to my clinical training. Instead, it was intertwined with my life, with my education. It was ringing in my mind all day, embedding itself in my memory. Politics aside, I feel honored to be able to experience a piece of history that day. Although I don't have children to share it with in a letter, I am sure the inauguration of 2009 will be a day I will always remember.
But what about the inauguration this year? I've seen many examples of parents writing letters to their kids about that important day. When their kids and grandkids are older they will have a piece of history written by a member of their family when they could only otherwise read about it in history books. My problem with that is - well, I don't have kids. Nonetheless, I will without a doubt remember where I was that day.
It was a Tuesday. I will remember that because Tuesdays are the day that I have clinical rotations. Every Tuesday, of every week, of every month, I wake up at ungodly o'clock in the morning to drive an hour, maybe two, to the hospital chosen by my Respiratory Care clinical instructor to complete my training hours required of my medical profession. Now, on a typical day in any hospital some patients watch TV; some don't. Usually I can't even tell if a patient is watching TV at all until I go into their room. But this day was much different. Every TV in every room was set to the same program. I could hear the inauguration in every room, in every office, in every hallway, in every waiting room. It was like an echo everywhere I went. There were rumors of about two million people at the event. I even heard math jokes if you can imagine: "2 million people divided by 5000 porta potties = what?". I thought that I would miss the most historical inauguration event ever to take place thus far due to my clinical training. Instead, it was intertwined with my life, with my education. It was ringing in my mind all day, embedding itself in my memory. Politics aside, I feel honored to be able to experience a piece of history that day. Although I don't have children to share it with in a letter, I am sure the inauguration of 2009 will be a day I will always remember.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
7 Reasons to become a Certified Asthma Educator
The National Asthma Education Certification Board (NAECB) has been in existence since 2002. Since its inception there have more than 2,000 healthcare practitioners who proudly claim the title of a Certified Asthma Educator (AE-C®). More than half of them are respiratory therapists. There is a tremendous opportunity for more respiratory therapists to achieve this lofty title. In fact there are seven good reasons…
Reason #1—By passing this examination you can validate your role as an asthma educator. This validation will be a means to demonstrate that you have the skills necessary to be a certified asthma educator as deemed by a nationally recognized and respected certification board.
Reason #2—You may be able to pave a new career path. Many employers are starting to recognize the authority that this credential provides. In fact your skills may allow you to start a home, clinic, or acute care-based program.
Reason #3—There is the possibility of additional reimbursement for you and your employer for asthma educational services. In 2006 the CPT coding manual specified three specific codes that specify respiratory therapists as qualified asthma educators.
Reason #4—You can be the first one in your department to hold the credential.
Reason #5—The AE-C® credential may actually be a means of allowing you to climb the career ladder in your department.
Reason #6—Since the numbers of AE-C® respiratory therapists are limited your services to a prospective employer may be much more valuable.
Reason # 7—And, most importantly the patients who you treat and educate will be assured of your expertise to be a certified asthma educator.
And there’s a great way to prepare for the credential. Attend an AARC Asthma Educator Certification Preparation Program. The content of the course is based on the content outline of the NAECB examination and will assist the participants in recall, application, and analysis as it relates to specific areas of the examination.
Found HERE!
Reason #1—By passing this examination you can validate your role as an asthma educator. This validation will be a means to demonstrate that you have the skills necessary to be a certified asthma educator as deemed by a nationally recognized and respected certification board.
Reason #2—You may be able to pave a new career path. Many employers are starting to recognize the authority that this credential provides. In fact your skills may allow you to start a home, clinic, or acute care-based program.
Reason #3—There is the possibility of additional reimbursement for you and your employer for asthma educational services. In 2006 the CPT coding manual specified three specific codes that specify respiratory therapists as qualified asthma educators.
Reason #4—You can be the first one in your department to hold the credential.
Reason #5—The AE-C® credential may actually be a means of allowing you to climb the career ladder in your department.
Reason #6—Since the numbers of AE-C® respiratory therapists are limited your services to a prospective employer may be much more valuable.
Reason # 7—And, most importantly the patients who you treat and educate will be assured of your expertise to be a certified asthma educator.
And there’s a great way to prepare for the credential. Attend an AARC Asthma Educator Certification Preparation Program. The content of the course is based on the content outline of the NAECB examination and will assist the participants in recall, application, and analysis as it relates to specific areas of the examination.
Found HERE!
Peak Performance USA
What is Asthma?
Learn more about the chronic disease that creates breathing problems for people of all ages.
Asthma Facts
Interesting bits of information about the leading chronic childhood disease in America.
What is PPUSA?
Peak Performance USA is a national asthma awareness/school health program.
Program Goals
Peak Performance USA seeks to teach students to manage their illness and lead healthier, more active lives.
How to Apply
Parents, teachers, school nurses, and respiratory therapists are encouraged to join Peak Performance USA.
For more information click here for PPAUSA's direct website.
Learn more about the chronic disease that creates breathing problems for people of all ages.
Asthma Facts
Interesting bits of information about the leading chronic childhood disease in America.
What is PPUSA?
Peak Performance USA is a national asthma awareness/school health program.
Program Goals
Peak Performance USA seeks to teach students to manage their illness and lead healthier, more active lives.
How to Apply
Parents, teachers, school nurses, and respiratory therapists are encouraged to join Peak Performance USA.
For more information click here for PPAUSA's direct website.
What is a Respiratory Therapist?
According to the United States Army's web site:
The respiratory care practitioner (RCP) is called on to help evaluate patients with respiratory problems and disease processes. From there they have to determine a treatment plan. The ideal RCP not only carries out the plan but also evaluates the results and makes timely suggestions to the attending physician. Today, the competent RCP is an extension of the eyes and ears of the physician. Respiratory care is a dynamic and ever changing health profession in which RCP's manage life-sustaining devices, administer sophisticated tests, and participate in research studies. RCP's are called upon to assess patients, develop care plans, treat patients, educate patients, and solve problems in a variety of patient settings.
The respiratory care practitioner (RCP) is called on to help evaluate patients with respiratory problems and disease processes. From there they have to determine a treatment plan. The ideal RCP not only carries out the plan but also evaluates the results and makes timely suggestions to the attending physician. Today, the competent RCP is an extension of the eyes and ears of the physician. Respiratory care is a dynamic and ever changing health profession in which RCP's manage life-sustaining devices, administer sophisticated tests, and participate in research studies. RCP's are called upon to assess patients, develop care plans, treat patients, educate patients, and solve problems in a variety of patient settings.
Dementia patients
Dementia patients..... I realized that the best thing you can do for them is to pat their arm and say nice things like "You're ok" "You're doing a great job" or "Youre fine, Im right here" The best way to learn palliative care is to be the one giving it. Sad to think about........
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