If nurses are considered the backbone of any hospital, respiratory therapists (RT) can’t be too far behind.
Enter Richelle Maser.
She is one of a small team of RT’s who have been working at a break-neck pace since the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, which eventually led to dramatic spikes in the number of hospitalizations and those requiring critical care at Prince George’s University Hospital.
In an exclusive interview with Vista Radio, Maser noticed the tide starting to change for the worst at the end of the summer.
“It seemed like towards the end of August and into early September things really started ramping up for us and have gotten steady ever since. Having the time to prepare has been very, very helpful.”
“Definitely since September, we have seen a steady increase, that’s a long time to maintain that kind of pace. Mental health and coping for our department is very individual. We are a profession where we don’t really think about things when we are in the thick of it because you can’t at that point. You can’t really process or get outside of it or take a moment to look back, or drill down the details that is a bit of a coping mechanism for us.”
Maser outlined that 150% of their job description is often being involved with patients who are having respiratory difficulties oftentimes making recommendations, assessments or interventions for those suffering from shortness of breath or low on oxygen saturations.
“It’s definitely a strain. We tend to be a very small department as most hospitals across the country, relative to nurses don’t staff a lot of RT’s, we are basically the ambulance inside of the hospital so we don’t carry a set patient load.”
“These patients (COVID) take a lot more time than we are used to simply because of the requirements for personal protection and testing. Every time we need a piece of equipment we have to come in and out of closed rooms and it really escalates the time we are spending with each patient.”
Maser admitted while the work itself hasn’t changed the physical demands of the job have increased ten-fold during the second wave.
“I had one shift where I literally clocked 18 miles in 12 hours and that was just the running back and forth between patients that wasn’t the actual hands-on care with the patient. That’s a lot to keep up day after day.”
“We work shift work, 12-hour days, four days on, five days off and that really in and of itself hasn’t really changed but it’s just the number of RT’s that we need to be here. We need an extra person on days, an extra person on nights and sometimes two. When you are drawn from a pool of 14 or 15 doubling the number of people that you require on days and nights means that each of those people you are drawing from really has to dig deep and work those extra hours.”
However, Maser credits the tight-knit atmosphere within her department and UHNBC to band together each time and pull through for those who need them.
“No one ever balks, no one ever says that’s not fair, it’s just expected that we take care of one another and is a really big part of coping day to day facing the fact that we don’t really know when this will end.”
“I can speak to the fact that we have a really tight-knit, very close healthcare team here and especially a close-knit respiratory therapist department, and the support that I see our department throw each other every day is mind-blowing and that is where we have our solace.”
“It’s amazing to me that those (levels of support) have continued all along like unflagging support, and whether it’s members of my own team providing coverage and being flexible and available. There are calls going back at eleven o’clock at night asking for help and there are instantly four texts and replies where people can come in and that is all out of the goodness of their hearts and from those who have been stretched thin for months.”
Since March, people from all over the world including Northern BC have rallied behind health care workers by doing car parades on a nightly basis during shift change as a token of appreciation.
Maser was quick to point out the community generosity and random acts of kindness are nothing short of remarkable.
“The whole pandemic has been kind of ugly and it’s really hard to find the silver lining but if there is one it’s that people rock and that this health care team is amazing.”
“My own parents really went above and beyond and had a whole catered meal sent to our team just out of the blue, that really blew me away and of course I cried but that’s not unusual we get that kind of support all the time. My massage therapist when I can’t make it there because I am working or if I think I am having symptoms but it’s often just fatigue and she sends me videos because she is so concerned that I am not getting the therapy I need to get my body going.”
“Even getting flats of Gatorade and Costco snacks for an entire week and I am pretty sure my entire diet consisted of Ferrero Rocher and Kirkland trail mix that was dropped off, we had pizza sent to us and I was handed a gift certificate while I was on call that was from local businesses.”
If that wasn’t enough, Maser has dealt with some personal adversity during all of this.
“My grandpa passed away during this, my grandma had an emergency surgery, my dad had a heart attack and we just want the time to slow down and be able to process some of those things but every time the community steps up and reaches out it is one thing that says we are here for you.”
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