Clinical Scorecard: Respiratory Care Week: Felix Khusid Reflects on the Field’s Progress, Influence, and Future

At a Glance

Key Highlights

• Respiratory therapists have specialized training to recognize and treat conditions and care for patients requiring life support.
• Critical care responsibilities include assessing the patient’s complete life-support system, not only managing equipment.
• Khusid supports continued educational advancement, with an associate degree as an accessible entry pathway and a bachelor’s degree as his proposed future entry standard.
• He describes public outreach and education as important to increasing understanding of respiratory therapists’ contributions.
• Respiratory Care Week recognizes respiratory therapists’ work and provides an opportunity to acknowledge department staff.

Guideline-Based Recommendations

Diagnosis

Management

Monitoring & Follow-up

Risks

Patient & Prescribing Data

The article discusses patients with respiratory conditions and patients requiring life support, particularly in critical care.

Respiratory therapists provide specialized assessment and therapy; the article does not specify medications, doses, or treatment protocols.

Clinical Best Practices

• Khusid says respiratory therapists’ critical-care responsibilities include assessing the patient’s complete life-support system and delivering therapy directed toward established goals.
• Khusid advocates continued education and skill development, and proposes a bachelor’s degree as the eventual entry-level standard while retaining associate-degree programs as an accessible pathway.
• Khusid describes public outreach and education as ways to increase understanding of respiratory therapists’ contributions.
• Khusid says Respiratory Care Week provides an opportunity to recognize respiratory therapists and department staff.

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