Why Do We Always Get Called Right When We Sit Down?
It's a universal truth of respiratory care: the exact moment your butt touches a chair, someone needs a stat breathing treatment. You finally grab a coffee? Stat ABG on the third floor. Mid-bite of your sandwich? Patient desatting in the ER. Bathroom break? Ventilator alarm going off in the ICU.
Is the Universe Against Us?
Honestly? Maybe. But there's also some psychology at play here. When you're busy and moving, time flies. You don't notice you haven't sat down. But the SECOND you try to rest, you become hyperaware of every interruption. It feels like you're always being called because those are the moments you remember most. Also, patients have a sixth sense. They can smell when you're about to relax. It's science, duhhh.
The RT Curse
We've all developed superstitions about it:
Don't say "It's quiet tonight" (guaranteed chaos).
Don't sit in the "cursed chair" (you know the one).
Don't plan anything during your shift (the schedule will laugh at you).
Some RTs refuse to bring good lunches anymore. Why waste a nice meal when you'll be eating it cold at 3 AM between vent checks?
Coping Mechanisms
Learn to eat standing up. It's a skill.
Perfect the art of the 90-second bathroom break.
Keep snacks in your pockets. Protein bars are your friend.
Accept that sitting is a luxury, not a right.
Lower your expectations. If you get to sit for five minutes, that's a win.
The Real Talk
This job is physically demanding. You're on your feet for 12+ hours. Your back hurts. Your feet hurt. And your head probably hurts due to the lack of caffeine. Sometimes everything hurts. It's okay to be frustrated about never getting a break. It's okay to be tired. This job is hard. But there's also something weirdly satisfying about being needed. Yeah, you wanted to sit down. But somewhere, a patient needed you more than you needed that chair.
That's why we do this.
(But seriously, respiratory gods, can we sit for like ten minutes, UNINTERRUPTED? Please?)