Breathing is a basic human function and seemingly involuntary until the
moment your airway is obstructed. Every day, respiratory therapists are
the first line of defense between life and death when patients struggle
to breathe.
“Very few people outside of health care know the functions of a respiratory
therapist. During this pandemic, the public now knows that respiratory
therapists are an essential part of the health care team. They assist
in managing patients with breathing and airway problems, when they have
high oxygen demands and need ventilator care,” says Valory Peeples,
MBA, RRT, director of
Cardiopulmonary Services at Southeast Georgia Health System.
The best part of the job, says Heather Woods, a respiratory therapist at the
Brunswick Campus, is helping patients in distress breathe easier. “If you get their
breathing under control, their other vitals stabilize, and they feel better.”
A Multifaceted Profession
When not caring for COVID-19 patients in intensive care, therapists “run
all over the hospital,” says Charlene Reinas, R.T. “We could
be called into
Maternity to help a pre-term baby, then 30 minutes later, be in the
Emergency Care Center to intubate a patient who coded. We give breathing treatments to people
with asthma or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder (COPD) and also
teach them how to improve their lung function.”
Although Reinas, a Health System team member for 26 years, says the work
is “stressful and physically and emotionally demanding,” it’s
also rewarding. “Seeing people who were at death’s door get
better, then come back in a few months later to thank me, makes it all
worthwhile.”
Extraordinary Challenges
If the job was demanding pre-pandemic, it is especially intense now. With
so much still unknown about coronavirus, a one size fits all treatment
approach doesn’t work. “COVID-19 requires more of us as employees.
A respiratory therapist must be ready to stand between life and death,”
Woods explains. Her co-worker concurs. “COVID-19 patients require
so much more time and resources,” Reinas says. Behind the scenes,
Peeples continuously works with her team to make sure they have all of
the respiratory supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) they need.
The virus impacts the therapists’ personal lives, too. “I moved
into a bedroom separate from my husband, cancelled my vacation and don’t
visit my family,” Reinas says. Woods has not seen her extended family
since Christmas. Her relatives have not yet met or held her daughter who
was born just as the pandemic began.
One of the hardest challenges for therapists is maintaining emotional strength
when so many patients are gravely ill. Recalling moments when she stayed
with dying patients whose families did not arrive in time to say goodbye,
Woods says, “It takes a toll.”
Peeples endeavors to maintain morale, but notes, “With our community’s
recent increase of COVID-19 patients, my team expressed concern that some
people are still not wearing masks. When the pandemic started, the public
was skeptical whether masks prevented the spread of COVID-19. We now know
that masks decrease the chance of acquiring or spreading COVID-19. In
my opinion, we will continue to see an increase in cases if people don’t
wear masks as a part of their daily routine. Wearing a mask is about saving
lives.”
From their perspective on the frontlines, Woods and Reinas heartily agree.
“Don’t think it can’t happen to you or your family member,”
Woods cautions. As a tourist destination, Glynn County is particularly
vulnerable. “I never dreamed that such a virus would effect our
community, but small tourist communities are being hit hard. We had several
members of one family fighting for their lives a few rooms apart from
each other. This is real,” Reinas says.
Rising to the Occasion
Despite facing the biggest test of their careers, Health System staff rise
to the occasion. “Our respiratory team, along with all our team
members, have done an exceptional job during the pandemic. Our respiratory
therapists are always willing to step in and do whatever is required to
support each other and our patients, including offering patients the encouragement
they need to overcome their clinical situation,” Peeples says.
Wood agrees, “Supportive co-workers lighten the load. We work as
a team. If I need help, they’re there. I love my co-workers.”
As they band together to fight a common foe, respiratory therapists find
themselves in an unwelcome limelight. Along with their families, they
make sacrifices to win the war on COVID-19. We can support them as they
strive to restore health and hope to our community.
For more information on COVID-19 and how to protect yourself and your loved
ones, visit
sghs.org/covid-19. For individuals experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, including but not limited
to an unexplained cough, fever, and shortness of breath, call the Health
System’s screening hotline: 912-466-7222.