WINTER AIRWAVES 2019-20
Volunteer Opportunities
RTSO Secretary The RTSO is seeking an RTSO member to join the Board of Directors as Secretary. This is a volunteer (unpaid) position for a minimum 2-year term.
The Pinnacle Award Recipient, 2019: Tony Kajnar
The Pinnacle Award is a premium award, awarded only to a Respiratory Therapist in Ontario who has contributed to the profession in a unique manner.
The Gord Hyland Award Recipient, 2019: Shawna MacDonald
Gord Hyland was CRTO Registrar and CEO from 2002-2006. He left an imprint on all who knew him.
President’s Message
Sue Jones RRT FCSRT LSSBB RTSO President As we embark on a new decade and so many changes coming at us in healthcare, it is imperative that we as a profession remain responsive and nimble to ensure Respiratory Therapy evolves and adapts to meet the needs of our patient population.
Editorial
Shawna MacDonald RRT FCSRT BEd Welcome to the first 2020 issue of RTSO Airwaves! We’ve kicked off the New Year by welcoming our new Board of Directors and Committee members.
COMMITTEE REPORTS
Student Affairs Committee (SAC) Report
Wendy Foote RRT CRE Greg Donde RRT BHSc MSc The Student Affairs Committee of the RTSO is on its way for 2020!
Social Media Update
Director, Social Media: Farzad (Raffi) RefahiHBSc, RRT, CRE, FCSRT In 2019, RTSO’s social media accounts shared more content and engaged with more followers than in previous years.
RTSO Student Achievement Awards
The Respiratory Therapy Society of Ontario (RTSO) Student Achievement Award is given each year to a graduating student from one of the accredited programs in Respiratory Therapy in the province of Ontario, who has demonstrated outstanding professionalism during their clinical training.
RTSO Pride: The Value of RTSO Membership
The RTSO wants you to know about the VALUE you and your membership bring to the profession.
Research Interest Group (RIG) Update
Shirley Quach RRT HBSc Tina Yan HBSc RRT CHT Welcome to the new year of 2020! In the coming months, we are looking to welcome motivated and enthusiastic individuals interested in joining the Research Interest Group to fill two regular member positions.
Leadership Committee Update
Sue Martin RRT MA FCSRT Kelly Hassall RRT FCSRT MEd It’s been an exciting start to the year for the RTSO Leadership Committee. We’ve had one meeting in 2020 and it was filled with updates on the many projects that we’ve been working on that are now coming to fruition.
Community RT Committee Update
Sylvia Mortimer BSc RRT CRE The Community RT group reconvened in the Fall and have been working on increasing membership and some new initiatives.
ARTICLES
The RTSO Workforce Planning Initiative From “Tank Jockeys” to Cardiorespiratory Specialists: Planning for the Future of Respiratory Therapy in Ontario
RTSO Interim Project Advisor: Nancy Garvey, RRT CRE MASc Since our humble beginnings as hospital-based inhalation technicians in the 1940s, the profession of Respiratory Therapy has evolved to encompass an ever-expanding skillset across the continuum of patient care.
The Launch of “Ready for My Surgery”
Patrick J. Nellis Ready for My Surgery The Launch of Ready for My Surgery by Patrick Nellis In the Fall 2018 edition of Airwaves, I had the privilege of sharing a little about the progress of my book, Ready for My Surgery: Be Informed, Stay Safe, and Take Control During Your Journey Through Surgery.
Review of Cannabis Information for Respiratory Therapists
Tara Fowler BSc.Kin. RRT CHT MHS Tina Yan HBSc RRT CHT The federal Cannabis Act and Cannabis Regulations law came into effect on October 17, 2018. Statistics Canada estimates twenty percent of Canadian males and fourteen percent of Canadian females consumed recreational or medical cannabis in 2019.
Research Tips 101: The Hierarchy of Evidence
By Desmond Chan, SRT and Shirley Quach, CRE RRT HBSc Similar to medicine and nursing, Respiratory Therapists (RRT) also utilize scientific evidence to guide respiratory interventions.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in Respiratory Therapists in the Province of Ontario
Fatima Foster, RRT, CRE Nancy Garvey, RRT, MAppSc Tania Del Rizzo, BSc RRT MBA (c)
Ministry Updates
Notice to Eligible Applicants: Allied Health Professional Development Fund
Management’s Corner
Given the new Ontario Health Teams (OHTs) that are the entire buzz today in healthcare, I was searching for some research and data specific to the healthcare workforce on successful large transformations.
Coronavirus COVID-19 Resources
At the time of writing this article, it has been 19 days since the first presumptive positive case of coronavirus, now being termed COVID-19, was identified in Toronto, Ontario.
Advanced Neonatal Care for the Respiratory Therapist (Certificate Program) #1441
Conestoga College is now accepting applications for the Advanced Neonatal Care for the Respiratory Therapist certificate program. Applicants will need to fax (preferably) or mail a completed Conestoga College Program Application form along with proof of registration with the CRTO or the regulatory body in their home jurisdiction. The program is set to commence on February 24, 2020.
RT WEEK 2019
RT Week at The Michener Institute of Education at UHN
October 2019 marked more than just Thanksgiving and Halloween Festivities, it also ushered in another year of celebrating the contributions of RTs in the field of healthcare and bringing awareness to their on-going and vital role in the care of patients throughout Canada.
RT Week at Hamilton Health Sciences
RT Week at Hamilton Health Sciences (HHS) has been recognized and celebrated for many years.
RT Week at Conestoga College
Submitted by Hannah Erhardt SRT, Hannah Grant SRT & Nadia Colavecchio SRT The official RT Week fell on our Student Success week at Conestoga, so the Conestoga Respiratory Therapy Federation (CRTF) and the faculty planned a number of events during official RT Week and the week before.
RT Week 2019 at Fanshawe College
Submitted by Laura Tangelder, SRT Respiratory Therapy Week was a success at Fanshawe College this year! Despite finishing midterm exams during RT Week, students made the most of the time that we were able to dedicate to promoting our profession around campus!
Inspiring Excellence at St. Clair during RT Week
Submitted by Carissa Coghill During RT week, St. Clair College’s Respiratory Therapy students inspired excellence in respiratory therapy at St. Clair College with some activities, learning and fundraising!
Student Perspective Literature Reviews
Respiratory Therapy programs throughout Canada have mapped their curriculum to the new National Competency Framework (NCF). One of the competencies that must be attained by all Student Respiratory Therapists is B0.4 Apply Evidence to practice. The first step in applying evidence to practice is finding and reading the research that is currently available. Students can accomplish this by completing a literature review and providing a student perspective on how the topic can impact and ultimately improve patient care.
The mission of the Student Affairs Committee (SAC) is to provide guidance and services that empower students to realize their educational goals and personal potential while they strive for lifelong learning. Students will be sharing their findings with the respiratory therapy community. This aligns nicely with the performance category B0.4.1 of the NCF.
The SAC committee hopes you enjoy reading and learning from the student’s submissions.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging: Applications for Lung Imaging
Submited by Brennan LeRoux, SRT Computed tomography (CT) imaging is increasingly being employed in the diagnosis of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), and for the evaluation of lung aeration.
Efficacy of Bovine vs. Porcine Exogenous Surfactant Therapy in Neonates Suffering From Respiratory Distress Syndrome
Submitted by Terra Dupuis, SRT The foundations of surfactant therapy have been under study for almost one hundred years.
Thank You to our Sponsors
RTSO Airwaves may not be reproduced in full or in part without prior permission from the RTSO.
Opinions expressed in RTSO Airwaves do not necessarily represent the views of The RTSO. Any publication of advertisements does not constitute official endorsement of products and/or services.
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Shawna MacDonald RRT FCSRT CONTRIBUTING EDITORS: RTSO BOD & Executive
GRAPHIC DESIGN & PRODUCTION SPECIALIST: Susan Aikenhead