It’s often very challenging for any of us to find the time or energy to do much more than what simply needs to be done in a given day. There seems to be more and more demands being placed on all of us, with so many competing priorities clamouring for our attention. Yet we know […]
Advances in computerized technology provide health care professionals with enhanced capability to monitor a wide variety of patient conditions and, hopefully, prevent adverse events. However, with that comes a multitude of alerts, alarms and – in the case of ventilators and cardiac monitors – a cacophony of noise and flashing lights. This has led to […]
Someone told me the other day that: “There is no point in me taking any extra courses or paying for a conference. I know all I need to in order to do my job. There is nothing more I need to learn.” I didn’t really know how to respond to that statement. Personally, I can’t […]
Earlier this summer there were several stories that appeared in the news about physicians who allegedly refused to provide certain non-emergency treatments (e.g., artificial contraception) on religious or moral grounds[1]. Consequently, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) undertook a review of its Physicians and the Ontario Human Rights Code policy and invited the […]
It seems like with every day that passes, RTs are having new responsibilities added to their roles. While most – including the CRTO – view this evolution of the profession as a positive thing, RTs sometimes express concerns about what could happen if they embark on a new endeavour and something goes wrong. One comment […]
At the recent CSRT conference, I had the pleasure of listening to Brent Kitchen an RRT from Saskatchewan speak about “Using Mistake Proofing to Prevent Harm”. In his presentation, he referenced the Canadian Adverse Events Study, which found that approximately 7.5% of adult hospital admissions involve an adverse event “resulting in death, disability or prolonged […]
In the healthcare setting, cultural competence refers to the ability to provide appropriate and effective medical care to members of various cultural groups. RTs provide care to patients/clients with diverse values, beliefs and behaviours. A practitioner therefore must become competent in providing equitable care though the process of gaining a congruent set of behaviours and […]
The therapeutic relationship between an RT and his/her patient/client is one of empathy, trust and respect. It is important to acknowledge that there exists within this relationship an inherent power imbalance. The RT has access to specialized knowledge, privileged information that the patient/client does not have. The RT also has the ability to advocate on […]
Lately, there has been a great deal of discussion in the news, in the courts and more recently in parliament, regarding “end-of-life”. Just last week, Manitoba Conservative MP Steven Fletcher tabled a private member’s bill that proposes the enabling of “assisted dying”. Mr. Fletcher, who was left a quadriplegic after a car accident, was interviewed […]
This November, Respiratory Therapy will have been regulated in Ontario for 20 years. In that time, as well as all the years before the CRTO came into being, we have witnessed tremendous growth in our profession. The most dramatic changes have occurred in the acute care setting, where RTs are now performing procedures and fulfilling […]
