News

Dear BCSRT Board of Directors,

On behalf of the COPD TRU Respiratory Therapy Student Group I want to thank you for your generous donation to our social event. Throughout National Non-Smoking week we had numerous informational booths set up locally around Kamloops at locations such as TRU, Royal Inland and Save On Foods. Additionally, we hosted a conference for community members and students to listen to one of our fellow TRU lecturers as well as a local Community therapist. The topics of discussion included tobacco cessation, the physiological processes related to tobacco use and the life of a community respiratory therapist encompasses. To end off our productive week of activities we had a big social gathering at a local pub called On The Rocks. This event had 104 TRU respiratory therapy students in attendance as well as staff – the turnout was amazing. It was so wonderful to have most of our students in our program and all faculty attend the event. Seeing our future colleagues and mentors all in a social setting was a great way to meet new students, share a meal together and bond as a faculty. The money was used to pay for the price of the t-shirts that each student and staff received upon arrival with the addition of the water-bottles that you also sent us- again, another big hit! These t-shirts were to promote national non-smoking week. Students and staff were thrilled to receive these t-shirts and everyone was very content with the turnout; it would not have been feasible for us as a student group to host the event and pay for t-shirts without the assisted financial help from BSCRT.

We thank you again for your kind donation to our energetic staff and students at TRU. Future events like this Burger and Beer social night allow the building of an amazing community of individuals that will become the future Respiratory Therapists within our province. Starting together as a team and building relationships with our peers makes for better care for our future patients as well as better relationships between colleagues.

Sincerely,

Brooke Madsen, BHK
TRU Respiratory Therapy COPD Student
805 TRU Way
Kamloops, BC V2C 0C8

Hello fellow BCSRT members,

Keep a look out for an email invitation to participate in a brief online survey I am conducting as part of a requirement for a Masters of Leadership, Health Focus degree at Royal Roads University. The survey is the first phase of a research project titled:Fostering Improvement in Thompson Rivers University Respiratory Therapy Graduate’s Readiness for Community Settings.

The argument that healthcare in Canada needs to move more services outside of hospital walls is growing, and is a future the RT profession should consider and prepare for. Factors such as increasing health care costs, an aging population, and increases in the amount and severity of chronic diseases may force more patients to receive care at home and away from the hospital. This in turn may mean a greater need for community based RTs.

In partnership with the TRU RT program, this project will appreciatively examine how TRU is currently preparing its graduates to work in community settings, and ask what is working well, where may there be improvement opportunities, and what challenges may exist going forward. Your participation will help ensure any recommendations that come from this research accurately reflect the currently practices and realities of working in BC.

The survey is voluntary and completely anonymous. If you wish to know more details about the survey please click here. I will also be organizing a follow up focus group on the same topic later this year; and if you’re interested in participating or have any questions about the research please contact me at CaelField1@gmail.com.

Thank you for reading,

Cael Field