SUMMER AIRWAVES 2020
Introducing President-Elect Paula Smith
Paula Smith, RRT CRE BHSc, RTSO President-Elect Dear fellow RT’s, My name is Paula Smith and I am a very friendly and proud RT. I am so excited to be part of the RTSO Board and represent the interests of all RT’s in Ontario. […]
Executive Message
Sue Jones RRT FCSRT LSSBB As we move into re-opening healthcare and the province, Respiratory Therapists are demonstrating leadership, resilience and compassion. Thank you all for your dedication to our patients and the profession! […]
Megan McFarlane – RTSO Secretary
I am excited to be joining the RTSO Board of Directors as Secretary and to support our members as an advocate for our incredible profession. […]
Editorial
Shawna MacDonald RRT FCSRT BEd Welcome to the summer 2020 edition of RTSO Airwaves! In addition to our regular features, some introductions are included in this issue. […]
Pandemic Pay Eligibility
As you know, on April 25, the government announced it is providing eligible frontline and support workers with temporary pandemic pay. […]
Fatima Foster – Health and Wellness Advisor
Fatima Foster, RRT CRE I have always wanted to give back to a profession that has given me so much – “when the kids are older”. That opportunity presented itself in 2018 with Co-Chairing the RTSOs PTSD Task Force. […]
COMMITTEE REPORTS
Community RT Committee Update
Sylvia Mortimer BSc RRT CRE The Community RT group have been working together on knowledge sharing during the COVID-19 pandemic. There is also a subgroup of individuals currently working on standardized spirometry medical directives. […]
Leadership Committee Update
Kelly Hassall, RRT FCSRT MEd Stephen Buziak, RRT MA These past few months have flown by quickly for the Leadership Committee, as we are sure they have for most RTs across the Province. […]
One System, One Team, One Single Point of Contact
Ana Marie MacPherson, MASc RRT CRE CTE I currently work as the Chronic Stream, Integrated Comprehensive Care Program (ICCP) Care Coordinator at St Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton (SJHH). […]
Research Interest Group (RIG) Update
Shirley Quach RRT HBSc Tina Yan HBSc RRT CHT It will be an unforgettable summer. When we last updated our members, things were a little different. […]
An Update From the Pulmonary Diagnostics Working Group
COVID-19 has highlighted the need to adjust routine practices for lung function testing in an effort to reduce potential spread, for both patients and staff. […]
COVID-19: What We Know and What We Hope to Figure Out
Submitted by: Mithin Koshy, BSc SRT COVID-19 has forced us all to accustom to a new ‘normal’ with several challenges. […]
Mental Health Awareness and Building Resilience During COVID-19
By Shirley Quach, RRT CRE HBSc Research and reporting on the pathophysiology, clinical diagnosis and management of Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) has garnered most of the attention over the last few months. […]
Social Media Update
Farzad Refahi HBSc RRT CRE FCSRT COVID-19 has brought various challenges for clinicians and organizations. With the 24-hour news cycle and never-ending social media feeds, the world quickly went into information overload. […]
Student Affairs Committee (SAC) Report
Wendy Foote RRT CRE Greg Donde RRT BHSc MSc It has been a demanding and empowering time for the RT profession over the last few months. It is inspiring to see the value, skills, and knowledge that students and graduates can provide. […]
COVID STORIES
Safe Work Practices in the Age of COVID-19
Submitted by: Taylor Ross, SRT, St. Clair College Protecting ourselves from bacteria and viruses not visible to the human eye has required evolution and innovation in protective products and everyday practices. […]
Reflections on COVID-19 as a First Year Student
Submitted by: Julia Chiarcos, SRT, St. Clair College COVID-19 has impacted all aspects of our lives in a way that no one could have expected. […]
Joining the Frontline During COVID-19
Submitted by: Aaron Lesouder, 2nd year Fanshawe Student When I first heard about COVID-19, I would have never guessed the effect it would have on the way we practice healthcare in Canada. […]
Stepping in as a Student: Working as a Respiratory Aide
Submitted by: Lynae Cooper, 2nd year Fanshawe Student With the onset of the state of emergency, my daily life shrank to a home office until I completed my fourth semester at Fanshawe. […]
With Novel Coronavirus brings Novel Ideas: Views from a Respiratory Therapist and Respiratory Therapy Aide
Submitted by: Deanne Mullis, RRT CRE BSc and Hannah Erhardt, SRT […]
The Covinator-FT: A pandemic ventilator built in a car factory
Submitted by: Yvonne Drasovean and Dave Wall, Fanshawe College On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak a global pandemic. […]
Student Reflection Through Covid-19
Submitted by: Erica Mack, BHSc SRT, Fanshawe College During the beginning days of the pandemic, I was deployed to work at London’s Covid-19 Assessment Center. […]
My New Journey as an OR Respiratory Technician Assistant
Submitted by: Kellie Melo, SRT Shortly after Ontario declared a state of emergency, I received a call from St. Michael’s Hospital for a position as an OR Respiratory Technician Assistant that I had applied for earlier. […]