Respiratory Therapy is happy to assist with transport, but they do NOT have someone pre-assigned for transports. They must free up a respiratory therapist from another assignment, so following this process will help the appropriate provider respond in a timely manner.
- Who to call: RCS Charge Therapist (x6-1020)
- When to call:
- 45-60 min ahead of time (or as soon as it is known) – preferably by anesthesia team for a good patient history and to answer question
- Again 15-20 minutes prior to transport (it takes ~15 minutes to change into bunny suit, obtain vent/equipment, and come to the OR) – OK for circulator to call
- What information they need:
- Patient name and MRN
- Any special protocols (ARDS, TBI, APRV)
- Any special respiratory meds (Flolan)
- Destination (Specific ICU/room number and/or CT scanner if known)
- Your name, phone number, and role (ie: CRNA/anesthesia vs. circulator RN, etc)
- At arrival of RCS:
- Confirm requested ventilator settings
- RCS is generally expecting to help with the ventilator during transport.
- *Please communicate any non-standard or special requests clearly! (Ie: Teach me how to use the vent, help drive the bed, etc).
- For rare cases where RCS is not available, anesthesia staff should be familiar with transport ventilators located in OR 1 and PACU.
RCS Assistance with Transport PDF
Content updated September 2023 by Agrawal