Respiratory Therapy Reflection

Today, I was with respiratory therapy for a second time. This time I was with Amy G., who is a registered respiratory therapist at Deaconess. Amy was working on the 4800 unit today, which is the trauma intensive care unit. This intensive care unit is the largest at Deaconess Midtown Hospital. In the 4800 unit, there is an office space dedicated to respiratory therapy. In this room, there are two computers for charting and storage for equipment such as ventilators. Amy started her one o’clock rounds be checking on a ninety-year-old patient who was on a BiPAP machine. BiPAP stands for bilevel positive air pressure and is a form of therapy for patients struggling with sleep apnea. Respiratory therapists must check BiPAP machines, ventilators, and CPAP machines every two hours to ensure that they are functioning properly. The next patient Amy saw was in need of a ventilator check. In order to check a ventilator, respiratory therapists record the data that the machine gives off and change the settings as needed. Ventilators also display a graphic on their screens that models the patient’s inhalation and exhalation. This graphic can allow respiratory therapists to see exactly what the patient’s breathing pattern is and can also help them recognize any problems the patient might have. For example, a patient with emphysema can not exhale
My mom is an RRT, so I knew that it stood for registered respiratory therapist, but I was unsure what a CRT was. I asked Amy what the difference is and she explained to me that CRT stands for certified respiratory therapist. To become a certified respiratory therapist you must take a national board exam and score high enough to obtain certification. Registered respiratory therapists must take an exam and undergo a simulation test, in which the therapist is given a scenario and must decide what should be