Last Updated Sep 2013
There is a group of individuals who claim that the reason there is a lack of respect for the respiratory therapy profession is because physicians see too many of us sitting around being lazy.
This was an idea noted by one of our co-workers:
"I think it is because too often doctors and others witness the lazy and uninspired RTs and I think we are all like that. If you want respect from others in healthcare, you have to first demand respect from your own colleagues and hold your colleagues to a higher standard. From my experience, a credential or respiratory therapy degree does not necessarily make an excellent RT."
The thread I'm referring to occurred over at the National Alliance of Respiratory Therapist's Facebook page. Of course, you know I agree with that last sentence, but the rest of that paragraph is pure poppycock in my humble opinion, and I say that with all due respect.
My response was as follows:
"You see many physicians who are lazy, and we still have respect for them if they do the job right, I mean."
So this inspired me to create my own thread at Respiratory Therapy Cave Facebook page. I wrote:
"There's a lot of talk about making RT a 4 to 6 year program. They say this will generate better respect for the profession. At present, physicians have a hard time believing someone with an associate's degree could possibly know more than them about something. To me, this seems ridiculous."
It seems it would make more sense for physicians to accept the fact that we, RTs, are well educated and knowledgeable. This would make more sense, as compared to forcing students who are interested in respiratory therapy to go to school longer, spending twice as much money to learn what we already know, in the hope that they will like the job in the end. If RT was a 4 to 6 year program, I know I would not be one, and many of you would have chosen another field also. It would make more sense for physicians to accept us as we are, rather than force us to become what is not necessary and costly. The NBRC, AARC, and schools have done a phenomenal job of educating us. It's high time the rest of the community recognize this.
Then I started another thread:
"I'm tired of people complaining about lazy RTs being the reason for the lack of respect for our profession. There are lazy RTs and lazy doctors and lazy nurses as well, and there's no talk of lack of respect there. Yes, there are lazy RTs, but much of this is probably due to RT apathy caused by lack of respect for RTs. In other words, much of the "laziness" is the effect, not the cause."
The reason there is lack of respect for RTs is because many doctors simply can't fathom the idea that someone with only an associate's degree could possibly know more than they do about respiratory therapy.
So, more important, what are your thoughts about this, therapists?
About the Author: Rick Frea is a licensed and Registered Respiratory Therapist and author of the Respiratory Therapy Cave.
Click here for more information and articles by Rick Frea.
Therapy professionals, if you enjoy writing or would like to share your expertise and are interested in becoming a PutMeBackTogether contributor, please click here.