Respiratory Therapist Job Perceptions: The Impact of Protocol Use

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Demand for respiratory care services and staffing levels of respiratory therapists (RTs) is expected to increase over the next several years. Hence, RT job satisfaction will be a critical factor in determining recruitment and retention of RTs. Determinants of RT job satisfaction measures have received little attention in the literature. This study examines the use of respiratory care protocols and associated levels of RT job satisfaction, turnover intentions, and job stress. METHODS: Four-hundred eighty-one RTs at 44 hospitals responded to an online survey regarding job satisfaction, turnover intentions, and job stress. Random coefficient modeling was used for analysis and to account for the nested structure of the data. RESULTS: Higher levels of RT protocol use were associated with higher levels of job satisfaction, lower rates of turnover intentions, and lower levels of job stress. In addition, RTs with greater experience had higher levels of job satisfaction, and RTs working at teaching hospitals had lower rates of turnover intentions. CONCLUSIONS: The study extends prior research by examining how the use of respiratory care protocols favorably affects RTs' perceptions of job satisfaction, turnover intention, and job stress. In a time of increasing demand for respiratory care services, protocols may enhance retention of RTs.

Anxiety, Distress, and Turnover Intention of Healthcare Workers in Peru by Their Distance to the Epicenter during the COVID-19 Crisis

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The Handle of the Broom

“…Moreover, in a concomitant survey, the PICU staff felt that implementation of the therapist-driven protocol provided greater consistency of care as well as more effective and more efficient care. Finally, as has previously been shown, 14 the PICU staff felt that implementation of the protocol elevated the status of the respiratory therapy staff and increased their perceived value as members of the PICU team.…”

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