Select and profile (a) a high-level job position you aspire to secure in your chosen allied health field and (b) a same-level position in a different and unrelated allied health care field. What educational and professional qualifications must an individual in each of these positions possess? What is the typical career path to arrive at each position? Compare and contrast the responsibilities of each position with regard to workplace safety, risk management, and/or quality of service, and identify one element from each career path that might benefit the other.
Solution
Growing up in the Bronx, I always aspired to do something great—not for recognition, but to serve my community and make a lasting impact. My journey into healthcare was deeply personal, shaped by my experiences as a respiratory therapist (RT) for 15 years at Scripps Mercy Hospital in San Diego, where I have worked across the ICU, NICU, trauma, and emergency departments. My time at the bedside, coupled with my own experience as a critically ill patient, has reinforced my belief that leadership in healthcare is about more than policies and protocols—it is about ensuring that every patient receives compassionate, high-quality care.
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Aspiring to Leadership: Respiratory Care Manager and Beyond
My goal is to transition into leadership as a Respiratory Care Manager, overseeing clinical operations, mentoring new therapists, and implementing quality improvement initiatives. This role requires a bachelor’s or master’s degree in health sciences and leadership, along with Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) certification (Slusser et al., 2019). It is a crucial step toward my ultimate aspiration of becoming a Respiratory Care Director, where I can shape hospital-wide policies, improve patient outcomes, and drive advancements in pulmonary care. RT leaders play a critical role in workplace safety and risk management, ensuring compliance with ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) prevention protocols and emergency preparedness strategies (Miller, 2024).
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Crossing Boundaries: Learning from Physical Therapy Leadership
A Physical Therapy Director similarly leads rehabilitation teams, focusing on functional recovery and patient mobility (Burd & Mussa, 2019). While RT managers prioritize acute interventions, PT directors emphasize long-term patient independence. Patient-centered care in rehabilitation relies on collaboration between disciplines, particularly in post-COVID-19 recovery, where RTs optimize pulmonary function while PTs restore mobility (McLaney et al., 2022). Integrating PT mobility strategies into RT protocols could improve ventilator weaning and post-extubation rehabilitation.
Leadership is about amplifying impact—moving from treating one patient at a time to improving care for entire populations. My Bronx upbringing, bedside experience, and commitment to patient-centered care all fuel my drive to lead, ensuring that future generations of RTs have the tools and support to deliver the highest standard of care.
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References
Burd, J. R., & Mussa, C. C. (2019). The importance of interdisciplinary collaboration in respiratory care. AARC Times, 43(7), 13-16.
McLaney, E., Morassaei, S., Hughes, L., Davies, R., Campbell, M., & Prospero, L. D. (2022). A framework for interprofessional team collaboration in a hospital setting: Advancing team competencies and behaviors. Healthcare Management Forum, 35(2), 112–117. https://doi.org/10.1177/08404704211063584
Miller, S. P. (2024). Patient-centered care. Salem Press Encyclopedia. https://lopes.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/
Slusser, M. M., Garcia, L. I., Reed, C., & McGinnis, P. Q. (2019). Foundations of interprofessional collaborative practice in healthcare (1st ed.). Elsevier.. My journey into healthcare was deeply personal, shaped by my experiences as a respiratory therapist (RT) for 15 years at Scripps Mercy Hospital in San Diego, where I have worked across the ICU, NICU, trauma, and emergency departments. My time at the bedside, coupled with my own experience as a critically ill patient, has reinforced my belief that leadership in healthcare is about more than policies and protocols—it is about ensuring that every patient receives compassionate, high-quality care.
Empty heading
Aspiring to Leadership: Respiratory Care Manager and Beyond
My goal is to transition into leadership as a Respiratory Care Manager, overseeing clinical operations, mentoring new therapists, and implementing quality improvement initiatives. This role requires a bachelor’s or master’s degree in health sciences and leadership, along with Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) certification (Slusser et al., 2019). It is a crucial step toward my ultimate aspiration of becoming a Respiratory Care Director, where I can shape hospital-wide policies, improve patient outcomes, and drive advancements in pulmonary care. RT leaders play a critical role in workplace safety and risk management, ensuring compliance with ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) prevention protocols and emergency preparedness strategies (Miller, 2024).
Empty heading
Crossing Boundaries: Learning from Physical Therapy Leadership
A Physical Therapy Director similarly leads rehabilitation teams, focusing on functional recovery and patient mobility (Burd & Mussa, 2019). While RT managers prioritize acute interventions, PT directors emphasize long-term patient independence. Patient-centered care in rehabilitation relies on collaboration between disciplines, particularly in post-COVID-19 recovery, where RTs optimize pulmonary function while PTs restore mobility (McLaney et al., 2022). Integrating PT mobility strategies into RT protocols could improve ventilator weaning and post-extubation rehabilitation.
Leadership is about amplifying impact—moving from treating one patient at a time to improving care for entire populations. My Bronx upbringing, bedside experience, and commitment to patient-centered care all fuel my drive to lead, ensuring that future generations of RTs have the tools and support to deliver the highest standard of care.
Empty heading
References
Burd, J. R., & Mussa, C. C. (2019). The importance of interdisciplinary collaboration in respiratory care. AARC Times, 43(7), 13-16.
McLaney, E., Morassaei, S., Hughes, L., Davies, R., Campbell, M., & Prospero, L. D. (2022). A framework for interprofessional team collaboration in a hospital setting: Advancing team competencies and behaviors. Healthcare Management Forum, 35(2), 112–117. https://doi.org/10.1177/08404704211063584
Miller, S. P. (2024). Patient-centered care. Salem Press Encyclopedia. https://lopes.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/
Slusser, M. M., Garcia, L. I., Reed, C., & McGinnis, P. Q. (2019). Foundations of interprofessional collaborative practice in healthcare (1st ed.). Elsevier.