Respiratory Therapist Career okay for CF patient?

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anonymous

New member
Hi,

I plan on going into the health care industry. I'm considering respiratory therapy because it would help me to understand my disease and my own lungs and I wouldn't have to deal with patients as much a nurse would, less stress, less responsiblity, etc. However, I would be exposing myself to respiratory infections, but maybe the only respiratoy infections I have to worry about are the ones from other CFers, in which case I could say I can't work with other CF patients. I will get info from my doctor about it, but I wanted the opinion of other CFers, and to find out if anyone here with CF works as an RT. Thanks!
 
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Purplelungs

New member
I dont think they would allow it. Not only are you putting your own health at risk you are putting other patients at risk, especially if they are immune supressed not just other cfers. There is to much risk of passng bacteria to one another especially respiratory wise. I know some cfers go on to be nurses but they have a limited range of where they can work. I have a friend here, jennifer, who is in nursing school as we speak and is an ER nurse. She says her self its not good for her health but she loves what she does. (Jen didnt you also say you might have problems finding a job after school because of cf? I dont remember if it was you or not). You can still persure a health care type job. Even be a nurse there are many places that need nurses but dont necessarily work with the sick. Like mental hospitals, doctor offices (alot of the receptionists are nurses). You can even work behind the sences as a lab technition or as a chiropratic assistant, dental assistant, cardio. Dont give up on wanting a health care career there are many opportunities and ways you can work with out actually being near those who are sick, especially with the respiratory.
 
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anonymous

New member
Hi,

Amanda is right, (btw I miss you Amanda) I am a nurse in an emergency room now and I am in school for my RN.. I don't not culture anything on a reg basis but if I did I would not do direct patient care. Right now I am putting myself at risk and no one else and I am okay with that for now.. I have worked there five years and so far my precautions have worked out.. It is not smart what I am doing and I know it...


As far as being an RT, the thing is, it depends on what your culture. If you culture anything, you can put your patients at risk. Many RTs work with vented patients. Vented patients are full and I mean full of bugs.. bad ones that you can get.. MRSA. Staph and much worse. You have to understand that as an RT you would be the one suctioning them. Their is a good chance you will be plemed on it is not safe for you, much less safe then being a nurse. ALso if you culture something, anyone that is immuno compromised such as cancer patients, HIV patients, steroid users etc all can catch our bugs.

RTs really take the brunt of the Resp infections which is dangerous. I have to say, I stay away from any Resp patients unless it is Asthma or COPD. In the past whenever I have been around a person with a resp. infection within a few days I had it.

I am not by any means discouraging you from following your dreams, just make sure it is your dream first. If I would have known I had CF before I started nursing school, I am pretty sure I wouldn't have done it.

Hope this helps.. Keep us updated on what you decide.

Jennifer 32 with Cf Dx at 29
 
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abloedel

New member
Jennifer - I think what you do as far as being an RN is great, but...have you thought through all of the potential consequences to your patients? I was just diagnosed this year, but from my understanding, you can still be infected with "stuff" but not culture it. For example, I only culture Staph, but my CF clinic STRONGLY thinks I have pseudomonas as well based upon the way my phelgm "looks" (not necessarily what I am able to produce while at the clinic) and other symptoms. I realize there is no way to prove this, but all I am saying is just because you don't culture stuff doesn't mean you don't have it, and by treating people with respiratory conditions, you put them (us) at risk.

Just my two cents...would love to hear your thoughts why I am wrong!!!

Amy
36 w/CF DX'd in March/2005
 
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JazzysMom

New member
At our CF clinic we had 2 brothers who had CF. One was Dr. John Jacoby who was a doctor in the clinic itself & his brother, Jeff who was a nurse on the floor where the CF patients get admitted. I had Dr. John as my doctor for many years. I dont know the protocal of which patients he got. I am assuming anyone that anyone who had high resistant bacterias were seeing the other doctors, but I dont know for sure. Jeff had a lung transplant & went on to be a Dad of triplets (when implanting the 3 eggs into his wife, they were hoping 1 took & all 3 took wow!!!). Both have since passed away, but I wanted it noted of that I have known CF patients who work not just in the medical field, but directly with other CF patients. Again I dont know what the precautions being taken were.
 
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anonymous

New member
Hi,

To answer you question. I have clear sputum it is not discolored at all. I guess I didn't make it clear before I do not work with Resp patients at all unless it is Asthma or COPD neither one of those ppl are immuno compromised. Most of the time if a patient has a resp illness at all including asthma, I am not assigned that patient.

I don't work around any patients when I am coughing, if I am having a bad day where I am coughing I do desk work, putting orders in or calling doctors. I have the utmost respect for all my patients and would never put them or myself at risk.

If the day comes when I culture something on a regular basis that will be the day I move out of direct patient care..That is not required by law but it is something that I feel morally obligated to do. I also hang out with other Cfers at times that I have met in another chat room. I allow myself to be around them as long as my cultures are clear.


Jennifer

32 with CF
 
A

anonymous

New member
Thanks for the clarification Jennifer...you has posted earlier that you don't work with immunio compromised patients...I didn't pick that one up.

Out of curiosity does anyone know that if your phlegm is clear that it means you aren't culturing anything at the moment?

Amy
36/ w CF
 
A

anonymous

New member
Hey Amy,

You can not base your cultures on the color of your pleghm. It needs to be based on sputum cultures, in fact if I understand correctly, you need to culture the same bug two times to be considered for sure that you have it.

For me personally, knowing my body, when my phlegm is clear and I am not coughing more then usual and I don't have fevers or and S&S I am usually not culturing anything, though whenever I go to clinic I give a sample to be sure... When my plegm is discolored, I am couhging more, or fever etc I am usually but not always culturing something. I know for ppl who culture stuff on a regular basis, they can tell they need a tune up or something from coughing more then usual, fevers, and stuff like that...


Jennifer
 
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luke

Guest
Anonymous


I worked as a RRT for 7-8 yrs in a hospital before I switched to the money side. I can honestly say that working as a "floor" RT was one of the more ejoyable parts of my career. I was pretty fortunate that the small hospital I worked for was understanding about my needs. I had a port-a-cath placed when I was younger so I often worked through my stints on I.V.'s. I was pretty healthy so I tolerted all of the walking, standing, sometimes jogging very well and actually it was good for me. The down side of course is the exposure to infection. I was kind of careless but I would recommend to always wear a mask while performing patient care. I always said that being a RT wasn't my best career option for my health but I enjoyed it very much and would recommend it to anyone so long as your smart about it.


Luke, MBA RRT
 
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anonymous

New member
When my daughter,almost 4 months at the time went in for RSV for 5 days and her RT had cf herself and was diagnosed with it real young. She is now like 32 or 33. She has a child if her own and does wonderful.So she was the first cf person I have ever known and my daughter was diagnosed like 7 weeks before this so I was thankful to see amom with cf let alone healthy and in her 30's.
Katina(mom of Saydee 9 months w/cf)
Keriona 3yrs. wo/cf
Etan 8yrs. wo/cf
 
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anonymous

New member
have you considered teaching within the health care industry? You could have the benefits of helping others (slightly removed) and maintain your own health at the same time!
 
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