{"id":5252,"date":"2021-08-24T04:29:21","date_gmt":"2021-08-24T04:29:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.inscol.com\/canada\/?p=5252"},"modified":"2022-09-29T11:44:14","modified_gmt":"2022-09-29T11:44:14","slug":"importance-of-respiratory-nurses-in-the-canadian-healthcare-system","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/inscol.com\/canada\/blog\/importance-of-respiratory-nurses-in-the-canadian-healthcare-system\/","title":{"rendered":"Importance of Respiratory Nurses in the Canadian Healthcare System"},"content":{"rendered":"

Medical advancements have been making many breakthroughs for supporting the quality of life for people who suffer from chronic respiratory conditions. An important part of treating respiratory problems is done by a healthcare professional called a respiratory nurse.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The respiratory nurses complete their\u00a0<\/span>registered nursing programs<\/span><\/b>, get advanced training and experience\u00a0after\u00a0working with patients\u00a0impacted by respiratory conditions. These nurses carry out many tasks on a daily basis and are extremely important for the healthcare system.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In this article, we will take a look at the role played by the respiratory nurses while understanding the importance of that role.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Who is a Respiratory Nurse?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n

A respiratory\u00a0nurse\u00a0completes\u00a0his\/her\u00a0<\/span>nursing education\u00a0<\/span><\/b>within this field of specialization and\u00a0is responsible for treating patients battling\u00a0respiratory conditions. The respiratory system is a rather complex and intricate system. It is divided into the upper tract and lower tract and includes areas such as the nose, sinuses, larynx, lungs, bronchi, and alveoli. If\u00a0something goes wrong with this physiological system, the patients need immediate and\u00a0sometimes\u00a0lifelong care.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

During and after the completion of\u00a0<\/span>nursing education<\/span><\/b><\/a>, the respiratory nurses get advanced training\u00a0on\u00a0helping\u00a0patients\u00a0in\u00a0critical care situations\u00a0while maintaining and improving their\u00a0quality of life. Some of the common respiratory illnesses include asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia, lung cancer, emphysema, etc. In recent times, respiratory nurses have played a big role in treating patients with COVID-19.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Basically,\u00a0the respiratory nurses are also engaged in the holistic care of patients who have lung diseases. They aim to maintain the highest nursing standards\u00a0while working in collaboration with other members of a healthcare team. They work in various healthcare settings and are often involved in preventive programs.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Job Duties of a Respiratory Nurse:<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n

Respiratory nursing professionals have vast knowledge in the specific complex areas of medicine. For this reason, they are trained extensively after their\u00a0<\/span>nursing study in Canada<\/span><\/b><\/a>. Some of the common duties handled by them range from conducting interviews and diagnostic testing including administering treatments like oxygen therapy, assisting and collaborating with patients, being respiratory therapists, and helping other healthcare professionals.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A significant part of a respiratory nurse\u2019s work includes direct collaboration with patients and their families. These nurses are also responsible for educating the patients. For chronic conditions related to the respiratory system, these patients and their families need the tools and education to manage their condition every day. A respiratory nurse offers critical care during emergencies while helping the patients learn how to live with respiratory conditions.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Oftentimes, respiratory nurses work with patients who are receiving oxygen treatments or are dependent on ventilators for staying alive. The nurses working within this specialization need to immediately become familiar with the key equipment, become aware of the trouble signs such as cold fingers and any extremities in patients, and know when to take the next step in case the patient\u2019s status does not improve.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Some of the job roles of Respiratory nurses are:\u00a0<\/strong><\/h4>\n
    \n
  1. Developing Evidence-Based Coordinated Care Plans<\/span><\/b>: The respiratory nurses are responsible for developing evidence-based coordinated care plans for specific groups of patients relative to the needs of patients and their caregivers. This includes performing quality-based procedures for chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases including the ones with complex needs and multi-morbid conditions for maximizing the health outcomes.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Using Critical Thinking Skills<\/span><\/b>: A respiratory nurse is supposed to assess the information on the patient\u2019s medical, biomedical,\u00a0ethno cultural\u00a0background, and lab parameters through the medical charts. The patient-centred\u00a0interviews help in assessing and addressing any potential barriers while guiding decisions for care and recommendations needed for therapy and treatment.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Offering Relevant Diagnostic Testing<\/span><\/b>: This includes point of care testing along with ensuring quality and maintaining devices in accordance with established medical and manufacturer standards. The maintenance includes pulmonary function testing, arterial blood collection, etc. but is not limited to this.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Quality Improvement:\u00a0<\/span><\/b>The respiratory nurse is expected to lead and participate in relevant quality improvement, evaluate and research initiatives within the hospital and other practice settings. This also includes collaboration with internal and external partners, assessing various processes, and outcome measures that affect the providers and patient experiences, health outcomes, and improving respiratory therapy practice.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  4. Clinical and Technical Expertise<\/span><\/b>: Respiratory nurse offers clinical and technical expertise for respiratory and critical care equipment including verification of the functions, application of treatment modalities, quality control and ensuring the quality and safety in the administering of respiratory care.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  5. Identifying and Managing Adverse Reactions:\u00a0<\/span><\/b>The respiratory nurses are expected to identify, monitor, manage, and timely report adverse reactions to medications, blood products, vaccines, allergies, and injections for facilitating the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of respiratory-related conditions.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Why are Respiratory Nurses Important?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n

    As important members of the health care teams, the respiratory nurses support the health organizations to realize their health care vision with the provision of their subject matter and skilled expertise. They provide healthcare services to patients, caregivers, inter-professional teams, students, and administrators through direct patient care, education, and diagnostic testing.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    They are considered important because:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n