D. Robert Handy, CRT, EMT-I
When I was a young man, about 17 years old, I had the opportunity to work at a baseball stadium for a local Minor League team. I held several positions over my 3 years there, but the one I worked the longest and was best known for was being the “Cracker Jack Guy.” I was a concession hawker and I carried this huge Cracker Jack bag full of food to sell to the hungry (and sometimes inebriated) patrons and fans. The job wasn’t bad, I got to see a lot of neat things, and I got paid (however meagerly) to do it. However, I was known in that small world as nothing more than the “Cracker Jack Guy.” I did other things that weren’t apparent to the general populace, I had a good work ethic, I was skilled at what I did, and I was well liked by my co-workers and my boss. Nevertheless, I would see people around town or even before or after the games, and people said “Aren’t you the “Cracker Jack Guy?”” They knew the baseball players by name, had their stats memorized, and idolized some of them. They knew the girls that worked the front gate taking tickets, the club owners, and were friends with Kenny our chief beer guy. Yet in this popularity contest, I was just the “Cracker Jack Guy.”
If we fast-forward to today, you find me as a Respiratory Therapist young in the field and eager to prove myself. I have been an EMT for nearly a decade, and bring good skill set with me. I still have a good work ethic and as far as I know, my co-workers and boss like me. In my day-to-day job, I work hard and do things that aren’t necessarily apparent to the general populace, and even sometimes my patients. And yet, I still will see recurring patients or other people and they say “Hey, aren’t you that guy?” It seems as though I have moved forward in life to hold the same position in the popularity contest that is modern Healthcare.
Respiratory Therapists are an indispensable and integral part of today healthcare team. We work closely with physicians, nurses and other providers to assess, treat, and care for a myriad of patients. Many other healthcare professionals look to us for advice, guidance and suggestion in patient care and condition, as well as other aspects of medical knowledge. We are considered experts, having a finite knowledge of the respiratory system and how it relates and integrates with the rest of the human body. We are the ones who are called upon when other are not sure what to do or when a patient’s life may be in potential danger. Yet despite all of this, we are still just “that guy (or gal).” In this contest it seems as though the Doctors and Nurses are the Prom King and Queen, while we are the shy kid by the punch bowl.
Most of us aren’t working as Respiratory Therapists to win awards or some kind of glamour contest, but it is disheartening to meet people who ask “What do you do for a living?” only to have them say “What’s that?” when you tell them you’re a Respiratory Therapist. Within our own world, RTs are respected and revered by many, and known by all. However, once you start talking to people outside of healthcare, you get some mixed responses. Some have heard of RTs but really aren’t sure what they are or do. Others are well informed, while some have no idea what your job is or entails. For this reason, we need to promote our profession.
Scores of other healthcare professions are featured in pop-culture, Doctors and Nurses are the focus of many television shows and movies. EMTs and Paramedics are featured in shows and movies, even radiology techs and nurses’ aides are mentioned. These shows inspire scores of young people to explore and chose these career paths. Without the support of outside sources, Respiratory Therapists are left by the way side to educate those around us ourselves.
Some of you may think that you would like nothing more than to stay out of the lime light, and you may even ask “What benefit is there by promoting the Respiratory Therapy profession?” For starters, it is one thing that is expected of you. The AARC vision/mission statement states, “The American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC) will continue to be the leading national and international professional association for respiratory care. The AARC will encourage and promote professional excellence, advance the science and practice of respiratory care, and serve as an advocate for patients, their families, the public, the profession and the respiratory therapist.” This should be a guide for you to follow in your career, allowing you to be the best in what you do.
Another reason would be to gain the professional respect we deserve on a larger scale. Over the past several years, many leaders in our profession have been promoting the Medicare Respiratory Therapy Initiative Act, which has existed in several forms over the past few years. Currently being reviewed by the Subcommittee on Health, this act would change the way Medicare pays for services provided by a Respiratory Therapist under the general supervision of a physician. This would likely increase revenues for your employer (and with any luck result in some increase in your personal revenues). If the general public better knew and understood our profession, this initiative may have passed a little sooner, with a little less effort on our part.
Many patients depend on our skills, caring attitude, and expertise on a day-to-day basis. Promoting our profession will allow us to better care for them in an ever expanding environment. With you help and efforts, we can make the words “Respiratory Therapist” a household name. Join me in being the best therapist you can be, and share the love of what you do with those for whom you provider care.