The best part of the job

As I stroll through the lobby, a warm smile greets me. "Are you respiratory?" a kind lady asks.

"Yes," I reply.

With gratitude in her voice, she shares a touching memory from 2015. Her husband, once in a coma for seven days, was breathing on his own thanks to our intervention. She recalls how I explained the significance of the purple marker on the ventilator and encouraged deep breaths. Her appreciation fills the air, reminding me of the profound impact our work has on people's lives.

Such moments are the heartwarming highlights of this job. We dedicate ourselves to our work, striving for excellence without seeking recognition. Yet, it's touching when someone remembers and acknowledges our efforts with such genuine gratitude.

As the lady in the waiting room smiles, I'm reminded once again of the power of compassion and connection in our work.

----

Later, I meet her husband, the former patient, who greets me with a beaming smile. "Is this the former patient?" I ask, looking at his wife.

"It sure is," she replies.

Although he couldn't recall our encounter, he expresses profound gratitude for the care he received during his time here. He said his memory faded until his last few days as a patient, after which he was transferred to a nursing home for rehabilitation.

"And here I am," he exclaims, exuding joy, "as happy as ever." he adds, gesturing toward his wife, whose radiant smile mirrors his own. 

His resilience and gratitude serve as a poignant reminder of the transformative journey he had undertaken. It reaffirms the profound impact we have on individuals' lives, even when the details may fade from memory.

Getting Away From Our Religious Roots Has Caused Chaos

What we presently experience in Western civilization is largely built upon Christian morals. And these morals were learned by trial and error over thousands of years. These morals encompass fundamental principles such as 'do not commit murder,' 'do not steal,' and 'do not covet thy neighbor's wife,' as well as guidelines regarding marriage and premarital sex, among others.

These rules were widely accepted as they were believed to align with divine will, with deviation understood to lead to chaos in both individual lives and society as a whole. Much like parents teaching their children not to touch a hot stove, these moral guidelines were adopted without question and ingrained in society.

Religion historically addressed these issues, effectively removing them from societal discourse. It conveyed the message akin to 'do not touch the stove,' promising a good life in return and facilitating the development of individuals into productive members of society.

This underscores the significance of religion in maintaining societal order. As a wise person once shared with me, 'Even if you choose not to believe in God, instilling the teachings of the church in your children is crucial.' Early civilizations recognized the importance of adherence to rules for societal harmony, realizing that values advocated by the Church were effective in this regard.

This recognition of religion's importance is exemplified by a notable event shortly after the founding of our nation. Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, despite not adhering to traditional religious beliefs, acknowledged the historical precedent of religion in fostering societal stability. They concluded that promoting religion was essential for the nation's cohesion, leading to phrases like 'In God We Trust' on our currency and prominent displays of the 'Ten Commandments.'

This approach proved effective, contributing to the nation's unity and orderliness for the first two centuries of its existence.

Then their was a fundamental shift!

In the early 20th century, a significant shift began occurring as people began questioning traditional rules rather than accepting them blindly. Instead of adhering to principles such as "do not touch the stove," they adopted an attitude of experimentation, asking questions like, "What will happen if I touch the stove? Let's find out." This shift towards questioning and experimentation gradually gained momentum, resulting in ongoing attempts to remove God and religion from society. The sentiment became, "Let's get rid of the rules because, hey, it's all about my own personal happiness, and those darned rules just get in the way."

Today, when we observe the chaos in our own nation, we can see the consequences of this shift.

It's evident that certain societal issues, once minimized through generations of wisdom, have resurfaced with increased prevalence. Instances of suicide and euthanasia have seen a significant rise in recent years, which, in my view, correlates with a departure from religious principles that emphasize the sanctity of life. This shift away from religious values has also contributed to a growing acceptance of practices like abortion, essentially the taking of innocent life. These were practices prevalent in the pre-Christian Pagan world but were largely curbed for thousands of years following the spread of Christianity worldwide.

Drug abuse continues to plague the West, a persistent issue for several decades. Additionally, pornography has become widespread in availability, usage, and addiction, with effects similar to drug addiction. Moreover, it detrimentally impacts relationships between men and women, reducing women to mere objects and fostering disconnection from others.

This societal shift affects crucial aspects of a functioning society such as marriage and childbearing.
The rising number of childless women and the significant proportion of individuals choosing alternative family structures contribute to these challenges, indicating a decline in efforts to form traditional family units essential for societal stability.

Observing the chaos prevalent in our world today, characterized by an increase in crime and murders, and leaders seemingly neglecting the importance of securing borders, underscores the wisdom of early civilizations. They recognized the stabilizing influence of religion, a sentiment echoed by our founding fathers who emphasized the significance of religion in maintaining order within our nation, a belief that has been proven correct time and again.

And this is why it is so important to find a church, especially where children are involved. 

I Started Out As A Journalist

In high school, I attended a career day where I had the opportunity to speak with a respiratory therapist. When I asked about the program requirements, specifically questioning the necessity of taking chemistry, he affirmed that it was a requirement. Given my struggles with chemistry at the time, I made the decision to explore another path. With a passion for writing, I ultimately chose journalism.

My decision to pursue journalism felt somewhat like drawing a ball from a lottery bucket, and the ball I selected had "journalism" written on it. That chance moment guided my college choice and set me on the path of studying journalism.

At this time I wasn't the best student. I loved to learn, but had yet to master the art of making what I learned stick in my head. Actually, what I lacked was organization and self discipline. So I mostly got B's and Cs and the occasional D. And I made it through the 2 year associates's degree program. 

We had a school newspaper called the Torch. And I was a writer for one trimester, and this was where I learned the skill of being a reporter. And, being that I am an introvert and have social anxiety issues, it was difficult for me to motivate myself to get interviews. Plus, since I was naive about the world at this time (after all, I was only 18), sometimes I misunderstood what I was being told in interviews. So, this made it a bit challenging for me as a reporter. 

Despite the initial challenges, I persevered and found my footing. During the first trimester, my roommate assumed the role of editor for the Torch, and I was fortunate enough to be appointed as the assistant editor. Little did I know, this would become the most impactful position in my college career.

As the assistant editor, my responsibilities included meticulously reviewing all articles in the news section, a task that significantly contributed to my growth. Critiquing the work of others allowed me to identify flaws, ultimately enhancing my own writing. This role served as a crucible for improvement.

As I became more acquainted with my colleagues and overcame my initial hesitation in communication, especially over the phone, I gradually became more adept as a reporter. This increased comfort translated into a significant improvement in my writing style. I adopted a concise paragraph structure, a stylistic choice that would later carry over into my blog posts.

Although working as a journalist on a college campus presented its challenges, I am grateful for the experience. It not only equipped me with valuable skills but also played a pivotal role in shaping the writing techniques I now employ in my current endeavors.

What Causes RT Grumpiness

Sometimes we RTs are busy. And sometimes we are not. And there are two different types of busy. There's the type of busy that involves things that make you feel proud of the job you do. And then there's the type of busy where you're busy because doctors are writing a bunch of stupid doctor orders. 

Let's say someone comes in severely short of breath. And you are a part of the team that helps that patient feel better. This creates a sense of pride and joy. It makes you happy that you have the job that you have. This is the good type of busy. 

But, then you have those days when you are unable to sit down all day becasue you are running from room to room doing breathing treatments for heart failure, cough, no cough, heart failure, pneumonis, influenza, COVID and rickets. And just as you sit down, you get a text that there is an outpatient EKG. And as soon as you are done, and you sit down, you get a page for a STAT EKG on a preop patient.

If a patient has COVID, they get automatic QID breathing treatments. Same for influenza and pneumonia. Of course then you have to gown, glove and wear a mask in every patient room. And then when you are done you ask, "Do you feel any better?" And the patients all say, "NO!" 

Yep. You know what I mean. At the end of the day your feet are burning and you are irritated as all get out. This, my friends, is what causes RT burnout. This is what causes RATS, otherwise knows as Respiratory Therapy Apathy Syndrome. 

My Greatest Fear As An RT

There's an old saying that there's nothing to fear but fear itself. Although, I think this saying is poppycock. How can you be afraid of being afraid? A better saying is: 'There's nothing to fear but not being prepared.'

So, this brings me to my greatest fear as a respiratory therapist. It is... spilling that coffee that is sitting on the patient's bedside table.

What did you think I was going to say?

And, as soon as I walk into the room, I prepare myself. I say, 'John, you will not spill that coffee.' It's challenging, especially as I move past the bedside table to plug in the treatment to the flow meter. I worry that my jacket might brush against the coffee and spill it.

Or, worse, that I would forget it was there and knock it over because I wasn't paying attention.

In my 28 years on this job, I've only done it once. And, it wasn't a cup of coffee; it was one of those narrow vases holding a flower. It shattered all over the floor, and I had to apologize. Then, I had to go on a hunt for a new flower vase.

What were you thinking I was going to say? What is your greatest fear as an RT? 

The Unspoken Truth Is A Little White Lie

Sometimes it seems like the higher ups keep adding responsibilities to the to do list. And sometimes it seems that they do this because they have nothing else to do. And some of these new responsibilities have literally nothing to do with anything. And they add nothing to the great care that we already give to our patients. 

So, you want an example? Well, I don't want to get myself in trouble. Yet I will give one example here that I think I am safe sharing. We are told that we are to wash ventilators between patients. And this is common sense. But now they added a step. 

Drum roll please!!!

Now we are to wipe the ventilator down for two minutes. And when I'm asked if I do this I say, "Yep!"

I say this even though there is no clock in our storage room. And i say this knowing I do not have a watch. So there is no way possible I can even keep track of time while I am wiping a ventilator. 

Heck, every person is different. And we all clean things at a different pace. And I can't help it if I happen to wipe the entire thing (every spot) in 30 seconds. Why should I stand there wasting another 1.5 minutes wiping over what I have already cleaned? 

But this is how it is when you have large corporations running things. They want everything in every branch to be the same. And so they come up with these little policies that don't effect them but create more things for us to do. It's fine, I suppose, when it's not busy. But, when we're busy, and you finally get a chance to rest, most of us aren't going to waste that 1.5 minutes wiping for no reason. 

And you can take this analogy to a variety of other tasks doled upon the workers in pretty much any business. And we understand. They have to create these tasks so they can monitor how something is improving. They have to do this so they have something to do, to justify their existence. And if we had such a job, we would do the same. We know this. So, to help them out, even if we don't do things exactly as they plan, we make it look like we do. That's what we do to keep the peace. 

"Did you wipe down that ventilator for 10 minutes?"

"Yep!" Your white lie resonates off your face like a distant echo in an empty canyon, lingering with the unspoken truth—even though you know you did not wipe for 10 minutes.

And it's the same the other way around too. You ask your boss, "Did you talk to the doctors about not ordering COPD education on patients who do not have COPD." 

"Oh, yes I did," Your boss says, her lie resonating off her face like a confident echo in a quiet room, concealing the unspoken truth—even though she knows she didn't address the issue with the doctors. 

And that's fine. That's the way it often goes in the intricate dance of workplace dynamics, where keeping the peace sometimes means navigating through these unspoken agreements.

Happy To Suction That 1-Year-Old's Nose Out

In our role as respiratory therapists, suctioning infants' noses is a common task, especially during RSV season. At my workplace, we use devices called Booger B' Gones connected to suction for this purpose

I'm assigned to suction an infant's nose in room 224. As I gather my equipment and don a mask, I enter the child's room. The little one is sitting contentedly on his mother's lap, playing a game on her phone. She's perched on the hospital bed, cradling her child. My objective is to improve the child's comfort, even if it entails a momentary bout of displeasure.

Noticing the nurse preparing for a COVID swab, I suggest, 'Let's do this at the same time. We'll have the mother hold the child. You can get your swab, I'll suction the nose, and we'll be done quickly.'

I explained the procedure to the mother, detailing her role in holding the infant on her lap and securing the child's arms, while I held the head for suctioning. The nurse was ready to perform the swab. 

The coordinated effort unfolded seamlessly; the child, although upset, remained relatively still with held arms and head, allowing us to efficiently complete the tasks. The nurse successfully obtained the swab, and I suctioned both nares quickly, extracting a substantial amount of mucus. While I'm confident this will make the child feel better, it also brings me a deep sense of satisfaction.

As soon as the child's arms were free, he vigorously wiped at his nose with his hands, tears still in his eyes. His mom showed him the iPhone, and the child quickly became distracted by it. Within moments, he was happily watching the show again, only now breathing much easier.

Well, that's why I wear a mask," I said. "Because that way, he doesn't know who I am. If I need to come in later on to do something, he will not fight me out of fear that I will do that again." This remark prompted laughter from the nurse and the mom, while the child remained engrossed in whatever was on the iPhone.

The entire procedure was less than five minutes. And, in the end, all parties are satisfied, and breathing easy.