Help Manitobans Breathe Easier – Shared Health

Respiratory therapy week 2022

The work of respiratory therapists (RTs) and the essential care they provide to people with chronic conditions like asthma or COPD, as well as those with acute respiratory illnesses like influenza, is loved by both the people who care for them and the colleagues who care for them , widely acknowledged to work alongside. But for the general public, the specialized skills and support that RTs provide to patients with breathing difficulties have been thrust into the spotlight, largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

As experts in airway management, RTs provide respiratory care and support for people with chronic and acute lung conditions, but also manage the airways for anyone requiring mechanical ventilation. They are a critical support in all healthcare settings – in hospitals, long-term care facilities, community settings and as part of interprofessional emergency and transport teams. In response to COVID-19, RTs’ expertise has been in high demand.

“If you haven’t been there, it’s hard to describe the experience over the last few years,” said Perry Komonko, an Advanced Practice RT and founding member of the Adult Patient Transport team, which has been involved in the safe transport of patients requiring respiratory support was required more than 22 years.

“Wearing full PPE, sweat running down our backs, transferring very challenging and critically ill patients, and constantly worrying about the COVID patients whose condition could change, often without warning.”

COVID isn’t the first time RTs have been asked to use their skills in a pandemic response. Highly trained to perform breath tests, monitor oxygen levels and assist patients who need specialized equipment, RTs are regularly called in during outbreaks of respiratory viruses – whether influenza, SARS, H1N1 and now COVID-19 – to help people breathe help.

It is a role that has no “typical” day, with treatments and duties largely determined by the care environment and supported patient population.

“In our heads we are constantly running through all the scenarios of what could come our way, what could happen and then what we would do, how we would react and how we would intervene,” Komonko said. “Anticipating and reacting are key skills that RTs develop over time. Regular skill days in the simulation lab are so important to an RT’s ability to anticipate and react as we keep our practice flowing and evolving.”

Komonko supports the continuing education of a number of colleagues in his role as Clinical Services Lead by assisting RTs in practicing scenarios involving conditions they may not often encounter and allowing them to refresh their training on equipment and skills that they may need when looking after a Patient.

“I hope that my experience and story can assist the team and provide a voice of reason or guidance to help them deal with their patients,” added Komonko.

It is this supportive environment, where experiences are shared and continuous learning is a priority, that motivates Todd Mortimer, an Advanced Practice RT and Clinical Services Lead with the Child Health Transport Team, and has invested in his work as an RT for more than 33 years.

“It’s more of an obscure allied healthcare profession, but it’s a fascinating field with broad opportunities to work in so many different areas, whether it’s acute, critical care, long-term or chronic care,” Mortimer said. “No matter what field you work in, you have to be agile, a problem solver, able to adapt and collaborate. We work with so many other healthcare professionals.”

COVID-19 is not Mortimer’s first pandemic. In 2009 he worked on the front lines of Manitoba’s response to H1N1 supporting the care of children admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit at HSC Winnipeg’s Children’s Hospital. His experience – and the role of respiratory therapists in Helping Kids Breathe Easier – helped inspire the next generation of RTs, including John Huynh.

“I became an RT about nine years ago after seeing a post about the role of RTs in HSC Children’s during the H1N1 virus,” said Huynh, RT and a member of the Shared Health Inter-Facility Patient Transport Team. “RTs obviously made a big difference for all of these kids by helping their breathing. I continued to delve into the role and to this day I’m so glad I somehow stumbled upon this profession.”

“Respiratory Therapy is the perfect career for anyone who wants to work in a profession that involves people and is committed to lifelong learning. You will make a difference every day and learn something new,” added Huynh.

The next generation of RTs includes recent graduates like Hannah Chale, who has only been on the job a few months since graduating from the University of Manitoba’s Rady School of Health Sciences.

“I’ve finished high school, but I have a lifetime to learn more about the role of RT and how we can improve the quality of care for our patients,” said Chale, who works at HSC as a member of the Adult RT team . “I can’t stress enough how much I love that this profession is evolving, expanding my skills and changing over time. Learning doesn’t stop at school.”

“RTs play a critical role in the hospital and community, assisting in the management of respiratory illnesses and improving the quality of life for the large population of people suffering from respiratory problems,” added Chale. “To be able to bring your skills and knowledge to bear and then see how much your work can improve someone’s bottom line and quality of life is very rewarding.”

As this week we celebrate the contributions of respiratory therapists not just this year, but every year, we invite RTs, their healthcare colleagues, and patients from across the province to reflect on the difference this group of professionals is making in life every day Manitobans. Send us your stories to [email protected] or tag @sharedhealthmb in your social media posts.

October 24-28 is Respiratory Therapy Week. Visit the Canadian Society of Respiratory Therapists website for more information.