The Unwritten Rules of the RT DepartMENT Nobody Taught You
Every RT department has its own culture. Some things are written in policy manuals. But most things? You just have to figure them out as you go. Here are the unwritten rules nobody told you about:
Coffee Pot Etiquette If you take the last cup, you make the next pot. This is non-negotiable. Violate this rule and you'll become a social pariah.
The Equipment Dance There's a hierarchy of who gets which equipment. The brand-new pulse ox? That belongs to the ICU. The ancient one with the flickering screen? That's for the med surg floor. Learn the system. and quick.
Charting Timing Don't chart before you actually do the treatment. Eventually someone or an emergency will catch you. Also, don't wait until the end of your shift to chart everything— you'll forget half of it and hold up the next shift.
Territory Respect Don't reorganize someone else's vent setup unless it's actively dangerous. Everyone has their own system. Respect it.
Break Room Politics Don't eat someone else's labeled food. Ever. This causes actual feuds. Also, if you're the one who microwaves fish or burnt popcorn... we need to talk.
The Report Dance Give thorough report to the next shift. What you'd want to know, they want to know. Don't ghost them with a "Everything's fine!" when you know that patient in 302 is about to crash. Usually your career RT’s want to know everything (like if the patient ate all of their food) and the kids just want to know what to look out for. Know the difference.
Shift Dynamics Day shift and night shift have different vibes. Don't talk trash about one while working the other. You'll all need each other eventually. But also, the night shift crew are the cool kids. Fight me.
New Person Grace Period Be patient with new grads and students. Remember when that was you. Answer their questions without judgment. Someone did it for you once, Give them grace.
The Sacred Pens If you find a pen that writes smoothly, guard it with your life. Hospital pens are either dried out or stolen. A good pen is currency. Negotiate with it accordingly.
Phone Tree Knowledge Learn who to call for what. Don't page the attending for something the charge nurse can handle. Know your chain of command.
When to Push Back Know the difference between "This is inconvenient" and "This is unsafe." Speak up for the latter. Always.
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