Hi! I am on my 4th time taking the CSE. I remember asking about a patient that had not been suctioned and once I came into my shift what should I do? On the information gathering it was asking if I should let the supervisor know, I was unsure what if I should have clicked it or not?! Anyone have a question like this on the test? Thanks

I am having trouble on when to use dfib vs cardiovert. And I just know I’m going to get some on my CSE next week. How did you all learn what you’re looking at when they show the rhythem?

This may be a super silly question but I struggle with awkward silence when giving treatments to patients. I’m not shy and typically have no issue talking to strangers but I never know what to talk about with patients while they’re stuck in their hospital room. I don’t feel good about even asking how they are doing/feeling due to their circumstances. Many of the therapists I shadowed (I’m a student/intern) do not talk to the patients whatsoever but I enjoy talking while I’m setting up treatments.

Okay, I've been on the fence for these two careers for a while, but applications to the programs are due in the next couple months and I'm no closer to deciding. 😭😅

I love the idea of RRT and helping people breathe and educating them about their heart and lungs, but being an RN means being more hands on with the patient, and more opportunities. Most importantly, I want to be active in helping for most of my shift.

Can you guys share your experiences and advice to help me know which path is right for me? Thanks so much 🩷

Am wondering as I want to persuade RT do I have to take an entrance exam to even start the prerequisites .

Based on the title, is determining a person's arm span a valid way to determine their height if they are unable to stand? I think we believe, after all, that our height and arm span are not actually equal for some people.

For instance, px is 5'6" but has a 5’10" arm span. What impact would measuring the patient's arm span have on a pulmonary function test? Is the difference between the two measurements significant for the procedure's outcome?

Thankyou!!

help me out pls! im a fresh grad and im choosing which hospital to go.

hospital 1: ✅high salary ✅open contract ✅located in a city ✅with established rt unit ❌no icu, vents, bipap/cpap, & other respi management ❌only ABG, nebulizations, and ECG

hospital 2: ✅tertiary hospital ✅can manage from minor to critical cases ✅have icu, vents, peak flows, etc ✅located at small town ❌1 rt only ❌no rt unit ❌2yrs contract (although good for career growth) ❌low salary

RN here- Patient has a Shiley aire cuff- vented and someone put a red syringe cap on the cuff port to stop a leak.

I’ve never seen this practice and wondering if anyone could give insight or if this is even a thing.

I took the test two years ago and scored around 65. This time, I took it more seriously and used resources like the TMC Bootcamp, Kettering audios, and the NBRC SAE, but I still fell short by 12 points. I'm feeling pretty disappointed with the result.

Is there a way to see which questions I got wrong? And how does the retake process work? Do I get two more attempts before having to wait 120 days, or just one? Since I took it two years ago, how many tries do I have left before the 120-day waiting period kicks in? ?

The hospital I did my shadow at is a pretty decent sized facility in a metropolitan area. There were a handful of RTs on duty with a range of patients. But after each round of treatments, which only lasted about an hour, we had at least an hour of downtime. I know the quieter the better, but are other departments this relaxed? I imagine maybe sono or rad tech, but what about nursing?

Idk, just curious if this is healthcare in general I guess.

I'm a first year rt student and one of my classmates discovered on the internet that patients in special cases could require intubation through the eye. The picture of the person with an eye intubation did not provide a description as to what led to that being the plan of action. Why would such a thing be required?

I passed the CRT IN 1992. I went to a tech school, they only offered CRT. Figured I would go back to school. Never did due to the fact I was doing everything the RRT’s were doing and being payed the same.

Then the aarc and nbrc pushed for RRT credential In 2002 if I remember correctly. 2015 more changes came about. I contacted the NBRC they let me know the course I had to take to met the requirements to sit for the exams. I finally met the requirements. I passed the tmc recently.

I am currently try to find study material at minimal cost to help me pass so I can get on with my life.

I did the free one on the nbrc website. The adult other was no problem. Missed 3.

The issue arises with the infectious disease on I got 8 out of 15. I went back took the same two test multiple times and have just bombed them horribly. Totally over thinking it.

I am going to do the same 2 test Sunday w a CCRN tutoring me.

In closing it would be nice if the should the rationale when the mailed the results.

Thanks for any help

Getting one later today but I’m pretty sure it can’t do avapse setting, what would be the next best mode and setting for a Vivo?

Not their pre professional, but post professional (B.S. for those who are already RTs). If so, how was it?

Do you guys have experience with this mode? What do you think are the disadvantages of this mode?

Hey everyone,

I am an entry level RT who graduated last October and got my CRRT/RRT in December. I didn't start working until this August of 2024 due to family matters/unstable personal that didn't really allow me to start a new job because I did not want to overwhelm myself. I am currently working part time at a sub acute and part time registry which is hit and miss because they cancel on me half the time. As the winter season comes up, I find myself getting flustered and feeling hopeless as to securing a job. I've sent out and filled out countless applications and all of which I have no success in just even getting an interview. I am so close to breaking down but I don't want to quit. I live in the LA/OC area of Southern California so if there is any tips you guys can share with me, I would be so, so grateful to hear them. Thank you in advance.

I'm a new grad RT, and this is only my second week working. Today was my first day managing a floor of my own, and I had an experience that’s been weighing on me. One of my patients needed a bronchodilator and Mucomyst through IPV with an ambu mask, and the patient’s family member was watching every move I made, which made me nervous. I started with the bronchodilator first and added the Mucomyst after a minute to give it a chance to open the airways a bit before adding the other med. The family member asked why I didn’t mix them together, and I felt unsure of myself even though I know it’s okay to start the bronchodilator first. I also missed a CPT order during my first round because I hadn’t checked every tab in the chart (my mistake—I’m still learning to navigate the chart, but I should’ve caught it). The family member noticed the CPT hadn’t been done and asked about it. I double-checked with my preceptor, then returned to the room during my second round to do the CPT, apologizing to the family member for the oversight. He was nice about it and thanked me, but I still felt bad. Later, my preceptor was assisting with the CPT, and the family member mentioned a previous RT who had given a poor experience, saying that RT administered meds incorrectly, skipped CPT, and claimed it wasn’t in the chart, then didn’t come back. He even name-dropped the RT to my preceptor. I know he wasn’t talking about me since I’m new, but hearing it made me worry because I’m still finding my footing and don’t want to make mistakes like that. I made sure to come back with my preceptor to address the CPT, apologized again, and explained that I was aiming for a slightly different approach with the meds. I want so badly to get everything right for my patients and avoid causing any stress for their families and my coworkers. Today, though, I felt like I fell short. I’m still getting used to juggling charting, checking all orders, and having the right supplies ready. I found myself going back and forth for missing items that I hadn’t noticed earlier. Hearing the family member’s feedback about a previous RT made me anxious to do everything perfectly. I drove home frustrated, just wishing I’d done better today. Next week, I’m going to work hard not to repeat today’s mistakes. I really want the best for my patients and their families. If anyone has tips on organizing rounds or handling situations like this, I’d be grateful to hear them!

Hello, I am a pre med student not ready for medical school, I have decided to pursue rt next fall for the time being. Is my bachelors in chem & biology useless? More so will I be able to do anything in respiratory with it if I stay in rt and want to take a higher position? I have read that it is not a very diverse career and I am wondering if my degree has any value haha. Regardless I would not regret getting one, just wondering.

Hi guys

I’ve been looking through this subreddit for tips/tricks about NPS but haven’t found much luck, so here’s me searching again.

I’m a new grad, graduated in May and already have my PALS and NRP. I bought the Kettering study guide, workbook, and audio. I’ve been going through it and most of it seems like review, but people on this subreddit say that it’s a really hard test.

Is there something I’m missing? Do you have any tips on how to take it? I take it in one week and I worry that I’m just overlooking stuff as “review”. Help!

Hello all!

I am going back to school after being a behavioral therapist all my adult life 14+ years. My son has asthma and I have frequently interacted with RT's and I started looking into the field. I was looking into the pro's and con's of the field. I just don't want to spend all the money going to school and dislike what I am doing. Thank you in advance!

Hi everyone, I’ve posted before about this subject but thought I would ask again. I am currently working at a university hospital, and it’s not the ideal place. The pay is very low for the load we are given. What are some other hospitals around that are new grad friendly? I’ve been working in step down units for a couple months and did floors for a couple months. Just looking for a hospital that may change my mind about this career.

Hello everyone! So this is my second week as a new hire at this hospital and I'm not going to lie... it wasn't was I was expecting based off my clinicals at school and stories from my instructors. At the moment I'm trying to get the hang of everything. Charting, having many patients, treatment after treatment, etc... I've been following RTs here and there and seeing how they do it and them seeing me how I do it as well. Everyone is different. My classmate who was hired before me had a whole floor by themsel with a bunch of different things from trach care to ipv, vest, 4-5 meds for one patient, etc... after I was done with my preceptor (it was like around 7-8 pts we did, around 2-3 she did and I did the rest to get the hang of what she does exactly and how she does things, which helped me ngl) so we head back to my friend to help out with her floor. Honestly, I'm not sure if I can do all that work by myself, I'm really anxious and I'm trying to get the hang of everything right now, try to find what fits best for me so I can handle this amount of work while also managing my time as well. Any tips would be appreciated! Anything that you did that helped you through your way?

I’ve been working as a CRT for 7 years, and finally took my clin sims exam today. I passed with a 285/245! 🎉 thanks to everyone on this sub for helping me narrow down what to study for the exam, so I wasn’t cramming unnecessary info into my brain. You guys are awesome and really truly helped me!

If anyone is like me and hasn’t been in school for years (but wants to get their RRT), feel free to ask questions. I’d be happy to pay all the help I received here forward. It only took me 2 months to study, so if you’re feeling like you’ve been out of school for too long, you can still do this! It’s not as hard as everyone makes it out to be, I promise. You just have to re-learn what the NBRC hospital wants (instead of what we do in real life).

That being said, thanks again to everyone on here who helped me. Can’t wait to go home and play video games all night, and never look at another flash card ever again 🎉

If anyone has transferred from US to Alberta, Canada would love some feedback and advice.

From my reading it looks like as long as I have my RRT from a CoARC place, (I do) I don't need to test in Alberta? I can transfer licenses? I just need to submit my education documents to College and Association Respiratory Therapists of Alberta? Then apply for membership?

Is french required in Alberta? Finding mixed reports. Do I need a home address in Alberta first?

Has anyone traveled here from US as a travel RT and made it work?

Hi Canadian RTs,

Which province offers RTs the most autonomy and scope of practice in Canada?

Also for anyone working in BC, Ontario or Nova Scotia, any advice on which hospitals have better working conditions? Also which in your opinions are the best pediatric/neonatal hospitals?

Any advice/opinions on this general topic are welcome! :)

I have taken tmc twice and failed after studying both kettering and lindsey jones. i need help to pass. any suggestion /advice is highly welcomed. any tutor?

So I failed my TMC again(2nd time) today 💔😭😭 .. I know I can take it 1 more time but ugh! I was really confident this time. I even went through the test twice but I did change some answers. I even failed by more points this time then the first which is more discouraging but ugh! Hopefully 3rd times the charm 🥲😭 .. Any tips/suggestions are greatly appreciated I feel like I need all the help I can get

Also I used Examfacts & Kettering