So, yesterday I mentioned that we get no celebration of RT Week. RNs get their yearly celebration, even get free gifts and donuts from the admins, but we RTs get nothing -- not even a card.Okay, you hear it all from our politicians:
There's Joe the Plumber, Katrina the Nurse, Larry the Contractor, Sandy the Teacher, Alice the Secretary, Jake the Janitor...
What about Rick the Respiratory Therapist?
If I ever heard that phrase come out of the mouth of a politician on TV I'd do a back flip. I'd eat my mouse pad. I'd tell my teacher I need a raise equal of the one nurses will get this year.
Well, you know nurses get a bigger yearly raises because, "the supply of nurses is down and," clears throat, "nurses are a much better respected profession."
Hey, take credit in knowing we are at least referred to as a profession. Where I work, we are still referred to as ancillary staff.
We fix broken pipes with our bronchodilators. We keep the flow of oxygen moving through the pipes of the human body to feed the brain. We help people breathe better. And I bet we even get paid less than Joe the Plumber.
We save more lives than Joe the Plummer, and yet he gets all the respect.
We just kind of hide out here under the shadows of our respective RT caves, do all the work, and, as Rodney Dangerfield once was famous for saying, "We don't get no respect."
Yep, it's true. In honor of RT Week I'd like to say that we RTs get no respect from anyone except the patients who benefit from our company, our brilliant RT wisdom, and our excellent service.
I want to hear it: "Rick the Respiratory Therapist."