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Burnout is a major challenge in health care and is associated with poor overall well-being, increased medical errors, worse patient outcomes, and low job satisfaction. There is scant literature focused on the respiratory therapist's (RT) experience of burnout, and a thorough exploration of RTs' perception of factors associated with burnout has not been reported. The aim of this qualitative study was to understand the factors associated with burnout as experienced by RTs amid the COVID-19 pandemic.We performed a post hoc, qualitative analysis of free-text responses from a survey of burnout prevalence in RTs.There were 1,114 total and 220 free-text responses. Five overarching themes emerged from the analysis: staffing, workload, physical/emotional consequences, lack of effective leadership, and lack of respect. Respondents discussed feelings of anxiety, depression, and compassion fatigue as well as concerns that lack of adequate staffing, high workload assignments, and inadequate support from leadership contributed to feelings of burnout. Specific instances of higher patient acuity, surge in critically ill patients, rapidly evolving changes in treatment recommendations, and minimal training and preparation for an extended scope of practice were reported as stressors that led to burnout. Some respondents stated that they felt a lack of respect for both the RT profession and the contribution of RTs to patient care.Themes associated with burnout in RTs included staffing, workload, physical and emotional exhaustion, lack of effective leadership, and lack of respect. These results provide potential targets for interventions to combat burnout among RTs.

BACKGROUND: Burnout is a major problem in health care, with rates of approximately 33% and 50% in nurses and physicians, respectively, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Respiratory therapist (RT) burnout rates and drivers have not been specifically examined. The purpose of this project was to determine resilience and burnout resources available within respiratory care departments and to provide an estimate of pre- and post-COVID-19 RT burnout rates. METHODS: A survey was developed to evaluate resilience and burnout resources in respiratory care departments. The survey was posted online to the AARConnect management, education, adult acute care, neonatal/pediatrics, COVID-19, and help line communities. Data analysis was descriptive. Key drivers of burnout among RTs were identified from qualitative answers. RESULTS: There were 221 responses, and 72% reported experiencing burnout. Ten percent of the departments that responded measured burnout; 36% utilized resilience tools, and 83% offered free employee assistance for those struggling with burnout. In January 2020, 30% of departments reported an estimated burnout rate > 40%, which increased to 44% of departments (P = .007) in the COVID-19 pandemic period. The most common drivers reported were poor leadership (32%), high work load (31%), and staffing (29%); 93% of respondents agreed that burnout is a major problem in health care, 33% agreed that burnout is primarily driven by external factors, 92% agreed that RTs have a similar risk of burnout as other health care professionals, 73% agreed that they were comfortable discussing challenging situations with colleagues, 32% agreed that their leadership provided adequate support for those suffering from burnout, and 79% agreed that they would be open to utilizing resilience tools from the AARC or other professional organizations. CONCLUSIONS: Most respondents experienced burnout and few respiratory care departments measured burnout. Resilience resources were not commonly used but employee assistance and wellness programs were common. Key drivers of burnout identified were poor leadership, staffing, and high workloads.

BACKGROUND: In the United States, care for COPD patients is frequently delivered by respiratory therapists (RTs). After implementing a therapist-driven protocol for COPD treatment, we sought to improve identification of COPD patients. We hypothesized that using an electronic medical record screening tool to identify subjects with COPD combined with a therapist-driven protocol would positively impact length of stay (LOS) and readmission rates. METHODS: Utilizing the electronic medical record to search the provider's admission notes for the terms COPD/Asthma, a report was generated. Subjects already receiving RT services were removed. An RT evaluated identified subjects using a therapist-driven protocol combining clinical assessment and FEV1 to calculate an air-flow obstruction score. Scores ≥7 received 24 h of bronchodilator therapy by RTs. Scores

BACKGROUND: Journal clubs are employed by education and healthcare institutions to facilitate learning about study design, to teach critical reading of the literature, and to help trainees and practitioners keep abreast in their fields. Our respiratory care department initiated a journal club that was open to all respiratory therapists in the community. The articles were selected by the journal club coordinator and posted on the club’s web site. However, attendance remained poor despite changes in venue, time, and day of the week. In Washington State, respiratory therapists are required to obtain continuing respiratory care education credits (CRCEs), so we hypothesized that offering American Association for Respiratory Care CRCEs for journal club attendance would increase participation. METHODS: We measured journal club attendance during the 8 months preceding and the 8 months following introduction of CRCE credit for journal club attendance. The journal club meetings were held during same time frame, on the same day of the week, and in the same geographic region during the pre-CRCE and CRCE periods. Advertising for the journal club was the same during both periods as well. RESULTS: Pre-CRCE attendance ranged from 5 to 8 persons per meeting (mean SD 6 1 persons), and CRCE-period attendance ranged from 7 to 10 persons (mean SD 8 1) (P .01). CONCLUSIONS: Providing CRCE credits for attendance was associated with increased participation in our departmental journal club. Key words: respiratory care; journal clubs; staff education; licensure; continuing education; management. [Respir Care 2011; 56(3):303–305. © 2011 Daedalus Enterprises]