Add a Respiratory Therapist to President-Elect Biden's Covid Task force
The Issue
The COVID Task Force announced by President-Elect Joe Biden is staffed by physicians and scientists, but does not include any Registered RespiratoryTherapists. While Respiratory Therapists are not the largest group of healthcare employees in the United States, during the Covid Crisis Respiratory Therapist are among one of the top most essential employees to care for Covid Patients right next to physicians and nurses. From the very second a Covid patient becomes critical, Respiratory is always right there at the bed side to manage airways and life saving respiratory devices. While these patients are in the care of a Respiratory Therapist, RT's conduct assessments of the patient based on their direct and specialized knowledge of mechanical ventilation, High Flow Nasal Cannulas, Bipaps, arterial blood gases other Respiratory based practices that aid in treating these patients. While Respiratory Therapists have not received the same recognition as doctors and nurses but to some have become known as the " unsung hero's" of the pandemic, Covid Units could not possibly run without a Respiratory Therapist to be able to assess the respiratory needs of patients who have impaired lung function due to this virus. They work closely with many interdisciplinary teams to either wean these patients off of a vent or help to transition them to trachs while still caring for them afterwards. But the role of the Respiratory Therapist does not end there. After the surviving patients leave the hospital, RTs are still at the bed side at rehab and long term care facilities as well as patient's homes continuing care.
With all this said, Respiratory Therapists have become crucial assets in the fight against Covid 19 making it undoubtedly clear there should be a Respiratory Therapist on President- Elect Joe Biden's Covid Task Force.
Pictured above is NOT an image I took off of the internet. This is a real photo taken of a team of nurses,doctors and a single RespiratoryTherapist at my hospital working together to prone a patient with an RT , my coworker, at the head of the bed managing the airway of this patient, one of the most important roles in proning.
Inspired by Theresa Brown,RN and her petition for a nurse to also be on the Covid Task Force
The Issue
The COVID Task Force announced by President-Elect Joe Biden is staffed by physicians and scientists, but does not include any Registered RespiratoryTherapists. While Respiratory Therapists are not the largest group of healthcare employees in the United States, during the Covid Crisis Respiratory Therapist are among one of the top most essential employees to care for Covid Patients right next to physicians and nurses. From the very second a Covid patient becomes critical, Respiratory is always right there at the bed side to manage airways and life saving respiratory devices. While these patients are in the care of a Respiratory Therapist, RT's conduct assessments of the patient based on their direct and specialized knowledge of mechanical ventilation, High Flow Nasal Cannulas, Bipaps, arterial blood gases other Respiratory based practices that aid in treating these patients. While Respiratory Therapists have not received the same recognition as doctors and nurses but to some have become known as the " unsung hero's" of the pandemic, Covid Units could not possibly run without a Respiratory Therapist to be able to assess the respiratory needs of patients who have impaired lung function due to this virus. They work closely with many interdisciplinary teams to either wean these patients off of a vent or help to transition them to trachs while still caring for them afterwards. But the role of the Respiratory Therapist does not end there. After the surviving patients leave the hospital, RTs are still at the bed side at rehab and long term care facilities as well as patient's homes continuing care.
With all this said, Respiratory Therapists have become crucial assets in the fight against Covid 19 making it undoubtedly clear there should be a Respiratory Therapist on President- Elect Joe Biden's Covid Task Force.
Pictured above is NOT an image I took off of the internet. This is a real photo taken of a team of nurses,doctors and a single RespiratoryTherapist at my hospital working together to prone a patient with an RT , my coworker, at the head of the bed managing the airway of this patient, one of the most important roles in proning.
Inspired by Theresa Brown,RN and her petition for a nurse to also be on the Covid Task Force
The Decision Makers
Petition Updates
Share this petition
Petition created on November 21, 2020