Job Satisfaction: Why Routine Care is Anything But Routine

Lots of RTs embark on a career in respiratory care because it looks exciting — images of health care workers buzzing around during fast-paced scenarios depicted on television suggest it’s one life-saving adrenaline rush after another.

Of course, reality is very different. Most therapists perform fairly routine tasks in quieter settings, and after a certain number of years, the job can begin to feel mundane to some. But a deeper dive into that routine tells a very different story, if you are willing to go there.

Here are five tips for finding significance in what you do every day:

1. Remember why you are there: As a respiratory therapist, you are first and foremost the person who helps people when they are struggling to breathe. For someone having trouble breathing, nothing is more important, and you should always remember how critical you are to the process.
2. Focus on the small wins: Many of the patients you treat — such as those with COPD or asthma — have chronic conditions that aren’t going to show a miraculous turnaround overnight. But small improvements can mean so much to them, and they should mean just as much to you. The gentleman with COPD who can once again go bowling, or the child with asthma who can join the soccer team, are worth celebrating.
3. Learn from every encounter: Sure, most of your patients require the same kind of care, but that doesn’t mean they are all alike. Learn to zero in on the tiny differences and use them to inform the care you provide to the next patient. Patients can inadvertently teach you a lot about what works when delivering therapy and what doesn’t if you just take the time to notice.
4. Be grateful for the gratitude, no matter how small: Your patients often don’t feel well, and they may not be as thankful for your efforts as you’d like. But look closely, and you will see evidence that they do, indeed, value your services. Sometimes it might be as subtle as a patient being slightly less resistant to their therapy goals today than yesterday, but baby steps matter and should be noted.
5. Appreciate your own expertise: It’s easy to think everyone else knows more than you do, but when you stop to think about the job you do every day, you quickly realize that when it comes to delivering respiratory therapy to patients in need, you are the expert. Harness that confidence when working with your colleagues, and they will soon come to appreciate what you do for patients as much as your patients do.

Following these simple tips can help you recognize your self-worth and stay fully present during each patient encounter. That will do wonders for your own well-being and ensure your patients receive the quality care they deserve.