In My Opinion

Old Habits Die Hard

2009-11-25T13:15:00Z

Old Habits Die Hard I'm a creature of routine. I love routine. I love the predictability of doing the same thing over and over, of knowing what's around the next corner. I start planning things in January that won't be done until July so I can plan everything out. I cut my hair the same time of the day on the same day of the week every week. I do it myself because I know my head better than anyone else I know, and haircuts are pretty easy for me (since I don't have much hair to cut). I like coming...(read more)

Health Care Reform

2009-11-19T17:11:00Z

Well, the first hurdle for the health care reform bill has been jumped. Now, it's more debate, more revisions and more scrutiny. Whether you are for or against the bill, I think you'll agree with me that it's time to do something. The American health care system is broken. The system is not really a system at all. The term system would imply multiple parts of a bigger piece all work together to ensure the citizens of the U. S. of good health care. Ours does not. It's a fragmented, complex, unethical...(read more)

Honor Our Vets

2009-11-11T13:15:00Z

Every veteran is a hero. Whether it is the vet who signed up for the college money or the careerist, each veteran has done his or her part to assure us of the freedoms we so proudly display. Even those freedoms many do not agree with are kept safe by these brave men and women. At a moment's notice, these folks can end up in the heat of combat or just guarding a post somewhere most would never travel to. So on this Veterans Day, please thank a vet. Take the time to actually offer your hand as your...(read more)

I Hope You Enjoyed Respiratory Care Week

2009-11-04T16:52:00Z

Respiratory therapists are some of the brightest, talented, selfless and caring people I know. They work long hours, receive less pay than others with our workload and education, and are grossly underappreciated. Although we are needed for so many things, we usually end up in a broom closet-sized office somewhere at the end of a hallway located at the furthest point from our patients. We are tasked to do things no one else wants to do, not because it's our job, but because we're respiratory and nothing...(read more)

Reaching Out To Youth Smokers

2009-10-28T19:17:00Z

Yesterday, I was privileged to speak at Wentworth Military Academy in Lexington, Mo. The county health department asked me to give my perspective on smoking because I am a former smoker, a veteran and a respiratory therapist. The kids were attentive, despite a small class size and several boxes of pizza that were waiting for them once I left. While they were licking their chops, I explained to them the types of patients we see on a daily basis. We all see the same COPDers over and over. Asthmatics....(read more)

Driving with Mirrors

2009-10-21T13:59:00Z

Good drivers know how to use their mirrors. They use them to back up.They check them frequently for other cars and pedestrians in their blind spots and the look at them often to see what's going on around them. Respiratory therapy should do the same thing. We have come a long way. Some changes over the years are great. Some are not. While we now work with a fairly competitive pay scale, we lack basic respect from other departments in the hospital. Our failure to secure our niche has allowed physical...(read more)

COPD Educator Course Was Great

2009-10-07T14:16:00Z

Last weekend, I was in Denver attending the COPD Educator Course sponsored by the AARC and the COPD Foundation of Colorado. The conference was excellent! If you've never been to one, you should go the next time it's offered. The speakers were great. The host hotel, the Doubletree in Denver, was a beautiful building with comfortable rooms and friendly staff. The conference started on Thursday afternoon. After registration, a crowd of about 200 was welcomed and the speakers introduced. The hall was...(read more)

Making Successful Changes in the Workplace

2009-10-01T13:59:00Z

Every once in a while, we all need some change. Individuals do, departments do and hospitals do. Everything changes. We get older, time passes more quickly and the things we used to love eventually go away, giving way to something new and more modern. How we make the change is much more important than the change itself. A lot of hospitals at which I have worked do it exactly backwards. The changes come from the top and trickle down, rather than having active participation from employees at the start....(read more)

Time to Celebrate Happy Fall Days

2009-09-23T18:19:00Z

Well, fall is finally here, even though Missouri hasn't had much of a summer this year. I believe we had only one day over 100 degrees, and it's been wetter than I remember it used to be. The fall colors promise to come out early this year and are expected to put on a good show. Wherever you are, please take some time to take a break. My kids would say that I need a "chill pill." It's important to take a bit of a break this year because we didn't have our typical "summer slow down." Plan now to take...(read more)

Showing Respect

2009-09-17T17:41:00Z

This morning on the way to work, an ambulance went by. People, including me, pulled off to the side of the road and allowed it to rush by without any delay. A few days back, a funeral procession went by the house while I was getting mail. People pulled over and let the cars in the procession go by. A few even stepped out of their cars and bowed their heads. The best thing about living here in Lexington, Missouri is the people. They work hard, they play hard, and they are genuinely good people. Living...(read more)

Technology Pays Handsome Dividends for Savvy RTs

2009-09-11T16:11:00Z

Isn't technology great? When it works the way it's supposed to, it can be awesome! Unfortunately, it seems like I am always the guy in line at the store when the computer breaks down and the cashier must actually use her brain to make change. That simple coin transaction can take a while in some cases. Still, a few things I have been doing lately have reminded me just how far we have come in our technology and how great the results can be. Conference calls have been around forever, but I just finished...(read more)

The Devil's Advocate

2009-09-04T18:18:00Z

On Aug. 24, a jury ordered Phillip Morris USA to pay $13.8 million to Jodie Bullock, daughter of a deceased smoker who passed away from lung cancer which her family and their attorneys state came from smoking Benson & Hedges and Marlboros, both Phillip Morris products. Reading this makes me think of how dumb people are. Without trampling on the deceased, let's state that she knew, at the tender age of 17 when she started smoking, what she was choosing to do was harmful to her health. As she continued...(read more)

Walk Boosted Asthma Awareness

2009-08-28T12:38:00Z

It's an exciting time for me. The " Walkin' for Wheezers " project I launched in May netted $1,580. People gave much more than expected, and I enjoyed some "celebrity status" for being the nut job doing the walking. As I have spoken to groups across the county since, the one thing I can count on is that someone will mention the 90-mile walk that apparently accomplished the mission of boosting asthma awareness. Even other counties that surround our little hospital are calling and asking me if I could...(read more)

AAE Meeting: Where Are the RTs?

2009-08-13T11:40:00Z

Hello, all. I have been gone for a while, attending the Association of Asthma Educators conference and taking a much-needed vacation, but now I'm back. One of the things I noticed was the lack of respiratory therapists at the meeting. Many of the attendees were either nurses or doctors. The respiratory field was not well-represented at all. We have talked before about how this profession can get respect. First and foremost, I think we have to get involved. Our lack of involvement speaks volumes to...(read more)

In Our Right Minds?

2009-07-23T17:13:00Z

There's a saying "left-handed people are in their right minds." Being a lefty myself, I tend to agree. Here's why. Most people I know are right-handed. By this theory, they're not in their right minds. These are the people who put non-rebreather masks on at two liters, bag without oxygen, or think CPR -- without the resuscitation part -- works. They just don't make sense. So this goes out to all my lefty friends who make the world go around. We have been subjected to discrimination from day one....(read more)