Student response 1:Review the classmates’ posts and respond to at least one in a minimum of 150 words.?Explain why you agree or disagree. Then, share an example from your professional experience to support your assertions.
Data Source: The selected data source is from the University Library using U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The dataset comes from New Jersey Respiratory Therapist Occupational Outlook Handbook from 2020-2022.
RQ1 – What is the percentage of respiratory therapists leaving fulltime/part-time benefit positions and acquiring contracted traveling agency positions within the state of New Jersey?
Survey Question: Higher respiratory therapists contracted traveling agency pay rate outweighs the benefits offered though fulltime/part-time benefit hospital positions.
Strongly Agree
Somewhat Agree
Agree
Disagree
Somewhat Disagree
Strongly Disagree
- Null Hypothesis – Providing higher hospital-based pay rates will eliminate respiratory therapists moving to contracted agency traveling positions providing benefits.
- Alternative Hypothesis – Providing higher hospital-based pay rates will eliminate respiratory therapists moving to contracted agency traveling positions without benefits.
- Many Respiratory Therapists are leaving fulltime/part-time benefit positions to contract with agencies with higher pay rates. As the pandemic continues to leave residual effects around our nation, respiratory therapists remain in high demand. According to Wood (2021), respiratory therapists are considered to be working in a crisis situation. The Respiratory Therapist profession is becoming one of the highest demands for healthcare agencies to fill.
- According to the American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC) (2022), 92,000 Respiratory Therapists are projected to leave the profession by 2030 through burnout and steadily growing retirement among the baby boomer generation. The number of Respiratory Therapy (RT) jobs are projected to grow by 31,100 positions through 2030, and an estimated 10,100 openings for RTs will be available each year through 2030 (AARC & Pehlke, 2022, para. 2). The Bureau of Labor Statistics is projecting the same demand on the job outlook for RCPs at a 23% growth by 2030 (American Association for Respiratory Care [AARC] & Pehlke, 2022, para. 2)
- As a manager of a Respiratory Care Department, it has been my experience that the inflated crisis pay is enticing to the individuals who have the flexibility to move from hospital to hospital with each contract. Many departments have more contracted travel agency respiratory therapists than employees. The high demand for respiratory therapists, along with the high pay rates and flexibility will continue until an alternate plan within the healthcare industry occurs or base rates of the respiratory therapists increase to an acceptable level acknowledging the specialty of the profession.
- References
American Association for Respiratory Care. (2022). The state of respiratory therapy: A 2021–2022 report – aarc. AARC. Retrieved November 10, 2022, from
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2022, September 8). Respiratory therapists: Occupational outlook handbook: U.s. bureau of labor statistics. Retrieved November 10, 2022, from
Wood, D. (2021, December 10). Respiratory therapy trends in 2022 – rt jobs. Retrieved November 10, 2022, from
Expert Solution Preview
Introduction:
The selected student post discusses the percentage of respiratory therapists leaving full-time/part-time benefit positions and acquiring contracted traveling agency positions within the state of New Jersey. The post also presents a survey question on whether higher respiratory therapists contracted traveling agency pay rate outweighs the benefits offered through full-time/part-time benefit hospital positions. This response provides an answer to the content presented in the post by reviewing it and providing an explanation, and sharing a professional experience to support the assertions.
Answer:
I agree with the student’s post that many respiratory therapists are leaving full-time/part-time benefit positions to contract with agencies with higher pay rates, which is supported by the data source from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. According to the American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC), the number of respiratory therapy jobs is projected to grow by 31,100 positions through 2030, and an estimated 10,100 openings for respiratory therapists will be available each year through 2030. This indicates a high demand for respiratory therapists in the healthcare industry. Additionally, the high pay rates and flexibility provided by contracted travel agencies are enticing to individuals who have the flexibility to move from hospital to hospital with each contract.
In my experience as a medical professor, I have seen several respiratory therapy departments with more contracted travel agency therapists than employees. The high demand for respiratory therapists, along with the high pay rates and flexibility, will continue until an alternate plan within the healthcare industry occurs, or base rates of the respiratory therapists increase to an acceptable level acknowledging the specialty of the profession.
In conclusion, respiratory therapists leaving full-time/part-time benefit positions for contracted travel agency positions with higher pay rates is a trend supported by statistics, and it is essential to address this trend to protect the healthcare industry’s integrity.
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