life as a respiratory therapist can definitely be difficult and challenging at times it takes
a special type of person to work in the medical field and treat patients who are sick therefore
respiratory therapists must have a particular set of skills in order to succeed which is the topic
of this video keep watching because i'm going to share the most important skills that rts need
in order to be successful so if you're ready let's get into it a respiratory therapist
is a healthcare professional who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of respiratory
disorders therefore they essentially care for patients with conditions of the heart and lungs
respiratory therapists work with patients of all ages from newborns to the elderly population they
typically work in hospitals but may also work in clinics home care settings and other health care
facilities as previously mentioned the field of respiratory therapy is not for the faint of heart
to be successful as a respiratory therapist it requires certain skills and a specific personality
type the first requirement is physical endurance respiratory therapists are required to work
12-hour shifts if you weren't aware that is a very long time to be on your feet and moving around
this is why it's important to have physical endurance when working in this profession you
must be able to withstand long hours and still have the energy to treat your patients properly
next up is physical strength not only do you need to have endurance but you also must be
to be a respiratory therapist but having at least some physical strength is often
required to work in this field next up on our list is gross motor ability
gross motor skills refer to the ability to use your large muscles to move your body
this is important because respiratory therapists are constantly on the move
they must move within confined spaces and maintain their balance while sitting or standing
the job also requires the ability to reach above your shoulders and below your waist therefore
you will need this everyday skill to get from one place to another in the hospital while completing
general tasks on the job and that leads to the next skill which is fine motor ability
fine motor ability focuses more on the activities that you must complete with your hands
this is an important skill for respiratory therapists because they are required to complete
delicate tasks such as number one auscultation number two inserting an endotracheal tube
number three sticking an abg number four suctioning a patient's airway and number five
cleaning a patient's tracheostomy just to name a few rts must also be able to
measure and record a patient's vital signs such as heart rate and oxygen saturation
next up on our list is mobility respiratory therapists are required to be very mobile in
order to move quickly throughout the hospital during emergency situations have you ever heard
of the term code blue this is when a patient's heart stops and they need to be resuscitated
in these situations a code blue announcement is made throughout the hospital the rapid response
team including respiratory therapists must be able to respond quickly in order to help save
the life of the patient which means that this profession also requires good hearing
hearing respiratory therapists must have excellent hearing because they are required
to listen to a patient's lung sounds with a stethoscope this device amplifies a patient's
breath sounds and provides helpful information about their condition
rts must also be able to hear ventilator alarms pagers and important announcements such
as a code blue as i just mentioned and of course respiratory therapists must also have good vision
vision that is because they need to be able to see a patient in order to perform an assessment and
provide the necessary treatment good vision allows respiratory therapists to notice symptoms such as
hypoxemia which requires immediate intervention respiratory therapists also need good tactile
skills which refers to the sense of touch this is important because rts are required to perform
skills such as number one checking a patient's pulse number two chest palpitation number three
assessing respiratory rate and number four assessing body temperature this skill allows
respiratory therapists to learn a lot about a patient's condition using their ability to touch
next up is smell the sense of smell is another factor that you might not think would be important
for respiratory therapists but it actually is by working in a hospital you're going
to experience a fair share of foul smells this can unfortunately be a turn off for some people
however the ability to smell unusual odors can actually tell you a lot about
a patient's condition this is why this is an important skill for medical professionals
next up on our list is reading reading is an important skill for medical professionals because
they must be able to interpret and understand a patient's medical record this document includes
important information such as the patient's number one medical history number two current medications
number three allergies and number four procedures that have been performed reading comprehension
is also important when it comes to being able to interpret the doctor's order otherwise how
would you know how to treat the patient this next skill on our list is surprising to most people and
it is arithmetic you're probably wondering why do respiratory therapists need to know how to do math
well it turns out that arithmetic is actually a very important skill for this profession
some examples include number one calculating medication dosages
number two calibrating equipment and number three counting the patient's pulse and respiratory rates
this skill is also required to perform certain calculations including minute
ventilation temperature conversion and calculating a patient's ideal body weight
now there's no need to panic you do not need to be a mathematician to become a respiratory therapist
however some basic arithmetic skills are required
switching gears just a bit next up on our list is emotional stability emotional stability is
probably one of the most important skills for respiratory therapists because they need to be
able to handle a variety of emotions they will work with patients who are number one angry
number two anxious number three depressed and number 4 in pain
it's important for rts to remain calm in order to provide the best possible care for their patients
this is also helpful when dealing with difficult patients as well the next required skill is
analytical thinking analytical thinking is important for respiratory therapists because they
must be able to solve problems quickly for example you might need to troubleshoot equipment that
isn't working properly or come up with a plan to treat a patient who isn't responding to treatment
it's also helpful to evaluate outcomes and transfer knowledge from one situation to another
all while using long and short-term memory problems will also arise while on the job
therefore respiratory therapists must be able to break down the problem and come
up with a solution in a timely manner which leads to the next skill on our list which is
critical thinking critical thinking is another important skill for respiratory therapists
because it allows them to make sound decisions this might include making a decision about whether
or not to intubate a patient or when to start chest compressions respiratory therapists must
be able to think quickly and make decisions that could mean the difference between life and death
interpersonal skills are also important for respiratory therapists because they must be able
to connect with patients and their family members this includes being able to number one explain
procedures number two give instructions and number three provide support it's also important to build
trust and establish rapport with your patients after all they are entrusting you with their lives
and one of the absolute most important skills for being a respiratory therapist is communication
this is an essential skill because rts must be able to communicate effectively with patients
their family members and other members of the healthcare team respiratory therapists must be
able to speak clearly and distinctly in order to provide instructions and explain procedures
they must also be good listeners because listening is one of the most important
aspects of communication therefore respiratory therapists must be able
to listen carefully to their patients in order to accurately assess their condition
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it and there should be some other helpful videos popping up on your screen right about now that i
think you will enjoy and just a quick reminder we are not doctors this video is for informational
purposes only thank you so much for watching have a blessed day and as always breathe easy my friend