We have spent the last couple of months discussing jobs, licensure and work-life balance. This month, particularly for all you who are new to the field, I thought we could discuss some organizations you can join to help further your career. Our professional organization is the American Association for Respiratory Care, or AARC. The AARC ...

As I go around and set up people on CPAP machines, I am always struck by the fact that sleep labs miss the opportunity to educate patients about what CPAP is, what goals of therapy are attainable, and how CPAP may help improve their sleep. In over a year, I have yet to have a patient tell me that the sleep lab told them anything about what they ...

USA Today is again running a story they have been following for a while. The title: ''Hunt is on for overseas college students'' (Marklein, 2011). Some things just upset me more than most. Usually they have to do with politics or ignorance, but this one puts a burr in my saddle because I am a college student and respiratory therapist, and I know ...

I've been thinking a lot lately about my missed opportunity to become an RRT. Through this blog, I have received some comments about the RRT credential being the entry level for respiratory care. Most cite that it is necessary in order for the profession to grow and gain respect. I have to say, I agree. The AARC is now trying to pass a bill that ...

Consider this: In 1929, U.S. health care costs were about $4 billion. By 2007, those costs were more than $2 trillion. Increased technologies, procedures, and specialized medicine led health care costs to skyrocket to the anticipated 20 percent of our GDP by 2015, compared to 5 percent earlier in the century. People pay to stay healthy. It's basic ...

October 24-30 marks National Respiratory Care Week -- a time to ponder what we've accomplished, how far we've come, and how far we have to go in our profession. Over the years, ''respiratory technicians'' have evolved to being college- and university-trained clinicians who work in a variety of settings, including home care, transport, hospitals, ...

This year, many kids will get hurt playing school sports. Some injuries will go unreported because of our mindset of ''walking it off'' or ''sucking it up.'' This is stupid at best. Injuries are a part of sports, but we can minimize the long-term effects by treating those injuries and not allowing our children to resume the game until they have ...

The education section of the AARC Connect is having a wonderful discussion (and several sub-conversations) about the two-tiered system used in our profession to designate CRTs from RRTs. The first highlight is how educators may be failing our graduates in getting them prepared for the RRT exam and how that has adversely affected our profession. ...

In recent months, I have been trying to win a grant from Pepsi in their ''Refresh Everything'' challenge. Although I have not won yet, I have come close a few times. What I have done is involuntarily give myself lessons in marketing, social relationships, team-building, data collection, performance measurement, and outcomes. These are lessons that ...

Well, it's May. Time for spring to finally bust loose, tornadoes to crisscross the Midwest, and my annual ''Walkin' for Wheezers.'' I started WFW last year, walking about 90 miles across my county. It's a way for me to raise asthma awareness and money for asthma programs in the local schools. My county has a higher than average asthma rate. I'm ...