Exploring Respiratory Therapy: insights and international reinforcement!

Respiratory therapists (RTs) play an indispensable role in the management of critically ill, surgical, and chronic pulmonary disease patients. Their clinical skills and critical thinking have to be top-notch. To celebrate the beginning of Respiratory Therapy Week, here are five facts about an RT’s essential work

Respiratory therapists are on the frontlines of critical care. They’re the go-to experts when patients need resuscitation or advanced breathing support, and they’re crucial to code blue calls, making sure to manage a patient’s ventilation and oxygenation. Patients receive immediate cardio-pulmonary respiratory care thanks to them. RTs are most often crucial with the management of critically-ill patients in the emergency department (ED), the intensive care unit (ICU) as well as the operating room (OR).

Each operating room at the MUHC is staffed with an RT. Due to the intricate nature of surgeries performed at the MUHC, having an RT dedicated to the anaesthesia team ensures the utmost quality of care during the patient’s perioperative visit. The RT works closely with an anesthesiologist to keep everything running smoothly and safely.

RTs work in the sleep and pulmonary function labs to help diagnose and treat sleep disorders an pulmonary diseases. They help assess and manage conditions (such as sleep apnea, asthma, COPD) alongside a multidisciplinary team. Their expertise in the Sleep and PFT lab helps patients achieve better rest and overall health.

The field of respiratory therapy faces significant shortages. This impacts the entire province; only around 150 new graduates enter the field each year in Quebec, however, with retirements and those who leave the profession for other reasons, the net gain is about half that. To address the issue, the MUHC has been actively seeking the recruitment of experienced RTs from abroad. This year, thanks to a new joint initiative run by the ministries of health, education and immigration, the MUHC welcomed five professionals with extensive experience in anesthesia from Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco to complete stages in critical care, anesthesia, pediatrics, and pulmonary function testing.

“Most of them have immigrated here with families,” says Davy Lambiris, Coordinator of Multidisciplinary Services, Adults. “They are extremely dedicated people! They put in a lot of time and effort as adult students. They are doing brilliantly well.”

You may come across one of these special RTs at the Lachine Hospital, the Neuro, the Montreal General, the Montreal Chest Institute, the Children’s, or at the Royal Victoria Hospital! Each recruit has committed to join the MUHC once their intensive 10-month CEGEP program is complete and they obtain their professional licenses.

The field of respiratory therapy faces significant shortages. This impacts the entire province; only around 150 new graduates enter the field each year in Quebec, however, with retirements and those who leave the profession for other reasons, the net gain is about half that. To address the issue, the MUHC has been actively seeking the recruitment of experienced RTs from abroad. This year, thanks to a new joint initiative run by the ministries of health, education and immigration, the MUHC welcomed five professionals with extensive experience in anesthesia from Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco to complete stages in critical care, anesthesia, pediatrics, and pulmonary function testing.

“Most of them have immigrated here with families,” says Davy Lambiris, Coordinator of Multidisciplinary Services, Adults. “They are extremely dedicated people! They put in a lot of time and effort as adult students. They are doing brilliantly well.”

You may come across one of these special RTs at the Lachine Hospital, the Neuro, the Montreal General, the Montreal Chest Institute, the Children’s, or at the Royal Victoria Hospital! Each recruit has committed to join the MUHC once their intensive 10-month CEGEP program is complete and they obtain their professional licenses.