2010 NCSRC Newsletter, Issue 3
- A Message from the President
- The Education and Program Committee
- NCSRC Research Committee
- NATIONWIDE SURVEY OF LICENSURE REQUIREMENTS FOR MANAGEMENT STANDARDS IN RESPIRATORY CARE PRACTICE ACTS.
- COMPARISON OF METHODS FOR MEDICATION STORAGE AND TRANSPORT BY RESPIRATORY THERAPISTS IN AN 800 BED MEDICAL CENTER.
- CAMP OPEN AIRWAYS
A Message from the president
I want to start by thanking the membership for electing me to the position of President for this great society. It means a lot to me to know the professionals in this state trust me to lead the NCSRC into 2011. I have a terrific team of professionals serving with me – all of whom you elected. So from the Board of Directors for the NCSRC, we all thank you for giving us the opportunity to serve you. Please let us know what we can do for you.
As I look back at the year 2010, I do so with mixed feelings. The economy took the jobs of many good therapists across the state and continues to haunt some of them with a lack of open positions. Many of you had the great blessing of keeping your job this year. I hope that you will never take it for granted. We all have good days and bad; we love most of the people we work with (others not so much). But in the end, we have the opportunity to work in one of the greatest professions healthcare offers. Every day, our patients look for you to enter their room or home, provide the care they need and ask before leaving – “is there anything else I can do for you”? Be proud of what you do and who you are. Never forget and always remember – there’s a patient at the end of every word you speak and every action you take.
I’m excited to say we had an exceptional 2010 Symposium. Our Program and Education Committee did an excellent job putting this program together. Despite the horrendous weather, we had record attendance. Was it the beach? Not sure. But we’ll be back in Wilmington in 2011. Mark your calendars!
Another aspect of 2010 that I am very proud of is the changes we’ve made to the NCSRC website. Our Communications/Publication Committee has done a wonderful job of updating the site, making it user friendly and very informative. Each of you has four Directors representing your region. If you have information or suggestions that you would like the NCSRC to hear, all you have to do is visit the website and click on the Director or Officer you want to communicate with. It couldn’t be easier to communicate with those representing you.
Going into 2011, I want to hear from you. I want to know what you’re doing for your community and your profession. We don’t hear enough “good” in healthcare lately, so let’s change course next year. Brag on yourself and your place of employment. Email me or click on the Chartered Affiliate link on the home page. Tell us what you’re doing so we can share with everyone!
One major goal of mine for 2011 is to increase our membership. We will be sending out a survey about membership. If you are contemplating allowing your membership to expire without renewal, or if you’ve never really considered AARC membership, please reconsider. We’d love to talk with you about the advantages of becoming and maintaining your membership. Take the survey when it comes out – we want to know.
Once again – thank you for this great opportunity. I’m here to serve you. Please let me know what I can do for you or your society.
Sincerely,
Jill Saye, President – North Carolina Society of Respiratory Care
jcsaye@novanthealth.org
The Education and Program Committee met via conference call on Wednesday, December 1, 2010 from 3:30-4:30pm. Participant evaluations and feedback from the September Symposium were discussed. The 2011 Symposium will be held September 27-30, at the Hilton Riverside Resort in Wilmington, NC and will be the last 2-half-day, 2-full-day format. Tentatively, the 2011 program will include a ventilator workshop, the return of the Open Forum, special lectures on the topics of end-of-life care and ethics, healthcare literacy, a panel-led report from agencies which effect our livelihood (NBRC, AARC, NCRCB...), an adult and neonatal peds critical care session, lectures aimed at the needs of managers, home-care focused lectures, sleep medicine and the role of the RCP, healthcare reform 1 year later, RCPs in research, professional conduct and interviewing skills/resume writing/making you the potential employee more desirable to employers, to name just a few of the potential topics discussed. Committee members are: Shelbourn Stevens, Harold Finn, Patty Kriegel, Kathy Short, Mike Gentile, Tiffany Mabe and Lanny Inabnit. Bill Kiger-Chair. We hope to have made substantial progress towards securing speakers and setting an agenda by the next BOD meeting in February. We also plan to have copies of Power Point slides/lectures submitted to the NCSRC to be posted and available on our website in PDF format and delete printing costs.
Respectfully submitted:
Bill Kiger, RRT, RCP
Chair
NCSRC Research Committee
Committee Members: Terry Smith, RRT, Dr. John Riggs, RRT, Pat Daley, RRT, Laura Conley, RRT, and Chair, Dan Grady, RRT
In order to recognize and encourage original research by Respiratory Therapists, we are making some changes to the NCSRC Open Forum for the upcoming year. Below please find the goals for the NCSRC Research Committee which outlines these changes.
Please note that the NC Respiratory Care Board allows 12 hours of Continuing Education credit for “Presentation of a Respiratory Care Research study at an NCRCB- approved continuing education conference”
So, please plan ahead to present your research. Guidelines for submitting abstracts will be forthcoming in the next newsletter.
Proposed NCSRC Research Committee Goals for 2010-2011:
To encourage and recognize original research, publication, and presentation at the Symposium and at the AARC Congress; the Research committee recommends the following:
- Provide certificates of participation to all Therapists who meet criteria and have studies accepted for presentation at the NCSRC Open Forum.
- Identify and secure corporate sponsors for prizes/awards.
- Recognize the corporate sponsors at the opening of the NCSRC Open Forum session.
- Award prizes for 3 best presentations and publication-ready abstracts presented at the Symposium.
- Take photos of research award recipients at the Symposium for publication in Newsletter and on NCSRC website.
- Recognize Respiratory Care researchers via publication of prize-winning research abstracts in NCSRC Newsletter.
- Present a lecture at Symposium (if accepted by Program Committee) for RT Role in New Product Research and Development.
- Develop written guidelines for poster/abstract presentation.
TITLE: NATIONWIDE SURVEY OF LICENSURE REQUIREMENTS FOR MANAGEMENT STANDARDS IN RESPIRATORY CARE PRACTICE ACTS.
AUTHORS: Terry Smith, RRT; Dan Grady , RRT; John Riggs, RRT, Devin Smith, and Floyd Boyer, RRT.
INSTITUTIONS: Respiratory Care, Mission Health System, Asheville, NC, North Carolina Respiratory Care Board, Raleigh, United States.
Background: There are multiple instances across the state of North Carolina where Respiratory Care Directors/Managers have been replaced by non-Respiratory Therapists. In North Carolina, Pharmacy and Nursing Practice Acts both contain language that requires managers in their respective professions are licensed practitioners. In the NC Respiratory Care Practice Act, no language addressed the qualifications for Management of Respiratory Care Departments.
Methods: This study inspected Respiratory Care Practice Acts of all 48 states in the United States. Each individual state Respiratory Care Practice Act was reviewed, noting the language for personnel requirements for the management of Respiratory Care departments.
Results: There was one state out of 48 (1/48 = 2.0 %) that required that a department Director/Manager must be a licensed Respiratory Care Practitioner.
Conclusions: Because of restructuring and cost containment initiatives which have replaced Respiratory Care Directors with non-Respiratory Care personnel, it is recommended that state licensure laws are reviewed and amended to include standards for management/administration of Respiratory Care services. North Carolina has adopted a rule change and drafted a position statement for Management standards of Respiratory Care services. The rule change states that,
“In addition to the general activities identified in G.S. 90-648(10), each of the following specific activities constitutes the practice of Respiratory care:
(l) managing the clinical delivery of respiratory care services through the on-going supervision, teaching, and evaluation of respiratory care.”
The North Carolina Respiratory Care Board has also published a position statement to further explain the above rule change and is available on the website at www.ncrcb.org under the position statement tab.
TITLE: COMPARISON OF METHODS FOR MEDICATION STORAGE AND TRANSPORT BY RESPIRATORY THERAPISTS IN AN 800 BED MEDICAL CENTER.
AUTHORS (LAST NAME, FIRST NAME): Grady, Daniel J.1; Riggs, John H.1; Smith, Terrence F.1; Campbell, Gregory 1; Mitchell, Harvey1; Erickson, Jordan 1; Miller, Jody, Mashburn, William2
INSTITUTIONS: 1. Respiratory Care , Mission Health System, Asheville , NC, United States.
Abstract body: Background: The US Pharmacopeia and pharmaceutical manufacturers publish temperature storage ranges for inhaled medications. Regulatory requirements have prohibited Respiratory Therapists from carrying medications in their lab coat pocket or fanny packs due to excessive temperatures which may cause drug breakdown.
Hypothesis: We hypothesize that there is no significant difference in temperature between the transported medications and medication stored in automated machines.
Setting: This study was performed in an 800 bed, acute care hospital system.
Methods: The temperature was measured in a total of 62 samples (n= 62) of unit-dose, normal saline medications. The mean temperature was compared in 2 groups: Group 1: saline stored in automated Pyxis machines was compared with; Group 2: saline medications transported by Respiratory Therapists. A total of 31 (n=31) saline samples were measured for temperature in each group. Method of transport by Respiratory Therapists included scrub pocket, lab coat pocket, and fanny pack.
Results: No statistically significant difference in temperature exists between medication stored in automated Pyxis machines and medication transported by Respiratory Therapists (mean difference in temperature was less than one degree Fahrenheit and equals –0.8 degrees, two-sample t test (P-value = 0.388). Both the Respiratory Therapist method of transport and the automated storage machines were similar in performance (about 50% for both methods) for keeping saline within recommended medication temperature storage ranges.
Major Conclusions: Because of the high cost associated with the inefficient process of obtaining medications; one at a time, from an automated storage machine in between patient visits; very significant cost reductions can be achieved by changing the process for medication retrieval. Instead of retrieving medications, one at a time, from a storage machine; our study indicates that multiple medications may be retrieved and transported without a significant difference in temperature of the medication. In the Mission Health System alone, this change in practice for medication retrieval will result in a 20% improvement in productivity for this procedure and cost savings of approximately $158,000 annually. A state-wide survey of 21 hospitals in North Carolina indicated potential cost savings of 1.6 million dollars annually based upon the above practice change for retrieving medication. We have developed a secure, isothermal, medication transport device (patent pending) which may maintain multiple transported medications within recommended temperature storage ranges and is available at www.outcomesolutions.net.
CAMP OPEN AIRWAYS
This past June 28th thru July 1st the Jeff Gordon Children's Hospital @ CMC-Northeast sponsored a four day camp for children diagnosed with Asthma. The camp was funded by a grant from the Speedway Children's Charity and the Community Care Plan of NC. The camp was held @ the Cannon Memorial YMCA in Kannapolis, NC. Forty two children attended the camp where they were cared for by RRT's and RN's form CMC-Northeast. Each day the children were assessed by the RRT's and on of the pediatric hospitalist or intensivist MD from Jeff Gordon Children's Hospital to determine if the were well enough to participate in the camp. There was a daily theme and a craft session each day along with a teaching session where Dr. Alan Harch, pediatric pulmonologst, would teach them about asthma, how to take their medications, how to identify and avoid "triggers" of their asthma. During the Camp Open Airways, some special guests showed up for a surprise. A baby white tiger came for a visit from Tiger Worlds in Salisbury, NC and Jeff Gordon's Pit Crew showed up one day with lunch and held the first ever "Wheezer 100" car race. In 2011 the camp will have their 10th anniversary. The festivities are already being planned by Wanda Black, RRT, NPS and Rachel Eves, Child Life Specialist @ CMC-Northeast. Overall Camp Open Airways was a huge success and families are already calling to register for next year.