INTRODUCTION

As our population ages, community care becomes increasingly important. The purpose of this Professional Practice Guideline is to support Registered Respiratory Therapists (RRTs) who work in a community setting, which may include traditional locations such as clients’ homes and physicians’ offices, as well as non-traditional sites, such as schools and assisted living facilities. Community practice enables RRTsto apply theirspecialized body of Respiratory Therapy knowledge and skills to the treatment and management of a diverse patient/client population in a range of unique settings. Community practice encompasses the provision of RT services outside of a hospital setting, including, but not limited to:

RRTs who practice in the community often face different opportunities and challenges than their colleagues working in hospitals. A key distinction is the uniquely autonomous nature of community practice, which requires RRTs working in that setting to be self-directed and possess a high degree of professional competency. This is because RRTs in the community are regularly required to independently make important care decisions and act in accordance with their own personal knowledge and judgement. RRTs working in the community are also often responsible for the safe keeping of clients’ personal health information and setting their own daily schedules and therefore, must be disciplined and have well established organizational skills. The fact that community care is often provided in the patient’s/client’s place of residence and/or over a prolonged period of time alters the nature of the professional relationship. Clients and their families may play a more integral role in directing care in the community, which requires the RRT to employ a holistic approach that allows for the tailoring of services to meet the clients and their families’ unique personal situations, needs and goals. Lengthy interaction between the RRT and the patient/family member can also make it more challenging to maintain appropriate professional boundaries and avoid such things as interpersonal issues and conflicts of interest. The information contained in this Professional Practice Guideline (PPG) covers a wide range of topics that relate specifically, although not exclusively, to community RT practice. It is important to note that all RRTs, regardless of where they work, are required to maintain and uphold the Standards of Practice of the profession established by the CRTO, as well as all relevant legislation and regulations.

NOTE: For the purposes of this practice guideline the term client is used to refer to both a patient and/or client