NSRC-online.org

Professor offers virtual course on medical empathy

A professor turned brain surgery patient is offering a course on improving patient exit surveys, gaining patient compliance, easing pain, and calming fears.

"Lying still in my hospital bed, inundated with tubes and needles, aware of every interaction, but unable to respond, I experienced the best and worst of medical empathy," says Shari Bookstaff, author of Lifetime of Impact! "The drastic inconsistency in my experience as patient during many months in the hospital inspired me to refocus my career in the direction of encouraging the expression of empathy in every medical situation."

NSRC seeks nominees for board of directors

Elections to the Nebraska Society for Respiratory Care Board of Directors are approaching quickly. NSRC President Jill Sand is asking members to get involved with your state society.

"We are always looking for those therapists who would like to be progressive and become involved in the future of our profession!" Sand said. The commitment is not as strenuous as in the past; all BOD quarterly meetings can be attended via webinar or phone, so travel is no longer an issue.

"As you all know, 2020 has been a very unique year in our profession (and the world) and there is a lot to discuss and suggestions to be made concerning any changes needing to be made as a result of our current environment. We need to be on the forefront, or these changes will be decided for us," she said.

AARC webcast: Children's ventilator care at home

The AARC is offering a live webcast to discuss the role that respiratory therapists play when transitioning a child requiring invasive ventilation from hospital to home care.

"Successful transition for this complex population is a collaborative process involving an interdisciplinary and coordinated plan of care," the AARC says. "This presentation will discuss the role of the respiratory therapist within a dedicated discharge planning team, criteria for discharge of ventilator-dependent children, preparation and education of their families, and the challenges faced in providing a quality and efficient transition."

The webcast is scheduled for 1 p.m. Central and noon Mountain time on Tuesday, August 4. The course has been approved for 1.00 CRCE Hours. Speaker is Sherry Barnhart, RRT, RRT-NPS, AE-C, FAARC.

Past president sends thanks to NSRC

Over the last year, I have been able to work with a great group of Respiratory Therapists. I have learned a great deal from the NSRC board and committee members, NSRC members and AARC leaders. I hope that my knowledge, experiences and leadership that I shared over the last year were valuable in helping our society move forward together in 2019-2020.

I am grateful for the opportunity to have worked with the board and committee members on a few initiatives. Our work consisted of aligning with our mission and values for short and long term goals. We also focused on increasing our membership, being more interactive on social media, and being able to offer a wider variety of educational opportunities, especially to have been offered at our annual state conference. However, the cancellation of the NSRC Conference in April due to the COVID-19 pandemic was disappointing. I am confident that we will offer an exciting conference next year addressing topics of interest.

RT licensure renewals suspended due to COVID-19

All licensure renewals for all professions have been suspended until further notice because of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Lil O'Neill, NSRC president.

Renewals will continue after the pandemic. The DHHS Licensure Unit will inform licensees when renew will start up.

Latest news