|
RPMH celebrates Respiratory Care Week |
|
Written by Staff Reports
|
|
Wednesday, 04 November 2009 |
It's as easy as A...B...C....
The Respiratory Care Department, at Rolling Plains Memorial Hospital is an important, but often forgotten, part of healthcare.
"We just get lumped in with all the other departments," Patricia Browning, Director of Cardiopulmonary, said. "We are the first responders, but we are not nurses."
Respiratory Care Week was Oct. 25-Oct. 31. The main goal was to bring awareness to the community, to the efforts put forth by the respiratory department. They focus on and treat all lung and breathing problems.
"We are the B of the A...B..Cs, airway, breathing, and circulation," Browning said.
The respiratory team treats all ages. They move from the Intensive Care Unit, Emergency Room, surgery area, and even treat infants. They also provide stress tests, pulmonary function tests, electrocardiogram, electroencephalograms, and arterial blood gases tests.
"The main thing is to bring awareness to lung disease and asthma," Deann Randel said.
The respiratory care department works 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
As part of Respiratory Care Week they had a "Hot Air" contest. Ten department heads were chosen and had to blow into a Peak Flow Meter. Results from the blows were averaged and the winner was announced on Friday.
Walter Best, director of the laboratory, was the winner. He received a jar of candy for his "hot air."
According to Browning, there are nine full-time employees, in the respiratory care department.
|
|
Last Updated ( Tuesday, 10 November 2009 )
|
