A report in USA Today on June 2, 2013 suggested that climate change may be responsible for an increase in allergens we breathe in. It seems allergy sufferers are having more trouble, and that the incidence of allergic reactions to things in the air are resulting in more emergency room visits. The report states that ''scientists see a link to ...

It seems that the longer I work for this place, the more committees I find myself on. As I mentioned a few blogs ago, there are the weekly ''huddles'' all the departments in my hospital must participate in due to the impending HCAPS reimbursement. Along with those there has been the formation of various ''Service Excellence'' committees, one of ...

In Santa Monica, California a crazed man went on a shooting spree killing and injuring several people. This scene seems to repeat itself more often than it used to. Movie theaters, schools, houses of worship and in the streets, the blood of the innocent runs like a river of red. As respiratory therapists we owe it to our communities to be ...

''Do you think it is really worth it?'' This question was recently posed to me by a new grad hire at our hospital concerning my upcoming membership renewal in the AARC. I don't believe she was being sarcastic, she just wanted to know if the AARC was worth being a part of as she embarks on her career as a full-blown RT. I guess I had never really ...

The recent storms barreling across the Midwest have shown us once again how important it is to have a contingency plan. Contingency planning involves preparing an organization for possible scenarios that could occur. I used to work and live in Oklahoma; almost all of the hospitals, and especially the larger ones dealing with more critical ...

So once a week the hospital is requiring us to have ''huddles.'' In these huddles we cannot sit, we have to stand and actually huddle up. In these huddles we are supposed to encourage one another, address grievances, state what we, as an RT department, have done well over the past week and what we can do better in the coming week. We have to be ...

Well, talking to people, it appears allergy season is here. I know we have talked about it before, even recently, but this time of year is when respiratory therapists can really shine. Not only can allergies lead to hospitalizations, but they also afford us the opportunity to reach out to our communities in several ways. Many ...

As I mentioned a few blogs ago, I am currently taking a prep course with the goal of obtaining my Asthma Educator credential. I am very excited and thankful for the opportunity to do this, as the hospital I work for is footing the bill, and have no doubts that having my AE-C will be a good thing for me as a Respiratory Therapist and for my ...

In a bold move, the government is now publicly revealing how much hospitals charge. The differences are pretty amazing. Even within the same city, the difference in charges for the same services can be huge. These increased costs are not because of better care or outcomes. They are not for the normal reasons given about regional economy, older or ...

I suppose it was bound to happen. You can't go through your life being beloved by everyone you meet. Sometimes, for reasons difficult to understand, or for no particular reason at all, people just don't like you. I decided to pick up the weekend shift and help a buddy out who had overbooked himself. I was cruising along nicely on Saturday when I ...