Respiratory Therapist Role Analysis

A Respiratory Therapists role in long-term care facility and Homecare My time working at CCOH and RHCS was exciting and interesting. Although they are both respiratory therapist jobs, they each demonstrated something different. While CCOH showed how it is to work in a long-term facility and have consistent patient interaction. At RHCS driving around to the client’s place of business or residence to check on, or collect the equipment, made it personal able. Although they were two different experiences, both share common goals of a respiratory therapist. On my first clinical day, I was paired up with my classmate Rachel to assist the Respiratory therapists at CCCOH. After arriving early, I along with Rachel checked in with the front desk and …show more content…
Checking their vitals consisted of listening to breath sounds, monitoring their SPO2, heart rate, and respiratory rate. After I examined the patient, I assisted Fred with trach care. This entailed changing out the split sponge, inner cannula, wiping around the trach, and occasionally changing out the valve to a speaking one. While I was performing trach care for the patient, Fred would be checking on the ventilators. This long-term facility uses the LTV in all of the ventilator dependent patient rooms. Lastly, I suctioned the patient with the Ballard after powering a tiny machine that looked like a mini generator. I wasn’t used to this type of machine, and it was much different than I was used …show more content…
Although I enjoyed working with all of the patients, there were a few of them that surely stood out. There was this lady who is diagnosed with ALS it is a nervous system disease that weakens your muscles and is not reversible. She had limited movement with her eyebrows and had none in her arms, legs and mouth. Another patient that I enjoyed helping was an older man who was traced. At first the man was a bit hesitant when I first helped him knowing that I was a student. Surprisingly, by the end of day, the patient told Fred, that I was doing a better job than him and may put him out of a job. I believe gentleman may have been joking, then again, I will take whatever compliment I can get. I am a student for pet’s sake! This last patient that I found interesting was a woman that was most likely in her late 50s. Her room was surrounded with all sorts of possessions. I needed to assist her since the other therapist stepped out to help a patient that was not doing well. Usually the woman wouldn’t allow a student to suction her, however there was no other option, unless she wanted to wait. As I began to suction her she raised her voice and asked me to move the trach from side to side. I thought this was unusual and that she would have been in pain, but she appeared to enjoy it being done this way. It showed me