STANDARD 2.

Collaboration / Interprofessional Collaboration

Respiratory Therapists (RTs) participate in collaborative practice with interprofessional healthcare team members to facilitate patient/client-centred care.

Performance Requirements

RTs:

9

Work collaboratively with patients/clients, healthcare team members, and community partners to set goals, promote shared decision-making, and facilitate patient/client-centred care.

9

Communicate and interact with patients/clients, healthcare team members, and others in a manner that demonstrates respect, dignity, and appreciation of individual differences and opinions.

9

Refrain from maligning the reputation of any colleague.

9

Engage with other healthcare team members to seek information, clarify roles, and obtains their assistance when needed and provides assistance as required, to meet patient/client healthcare needs.

9

Educate patients/clients, healthcare team members, and others regarding the role of RTs.

9

Foster inter-professional collaboration and uphold public trust by cooperating with regulatory bodies of other professions in investigative processes.

Patient / Client Expected Outcome

Patients/clients can expect that RTs collaborate with other healthcare team members to promote safe, competent, ethical, and coordinated patient/client-centred care.

RELATED RESOURCES

Canadian Interprofessional Health Collaborative. (2010). A National Interprofessional Competency Framework. Available at: https://phabc.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/CIHC-National-Interprofessional-Competency-Framework.pdf
Canadian Society of Respiratory Therapists. (20015/16) Standards of Practice. Available at https://www.csrt.com/wp-content/uploads/Standards-of-Practice-for-RTs.pdf
College of Respiratory Therapists of Ontario. (2021). A Commitment to Ethical Practice. Available at: https://ethics.crto.on.ca/
College of Respiratory Therapists of Ontario. (2021). Respiratory Therapists Providing Education. Professional Practice Guideline. Available at: https://education.crto.on.ca/
College of Respiratory Therapists of Ontario. (2017). Working with Non-Regulated Health Care Providers (Website). Available at: http://www.crto.on.ca/members/professional-practice/understanding-non-regulated-healthcare-providers-2/
National Alliance of Respiratory Therapy Regulatory Bodies. (2016). National Competency Framework for the Profession of Respiratory Therapy. Part 1. National Standards for Entry-to-Practice. Available at: https://nartrb.ca/download/ncf-part-i-entry-to-practice-2016/
National Alliance of Respiratory Therapy Regulatory Bodies. (2024). National Competency Framework. Available at: https://nartrb.ca/national-competency-profileframework

GLOSSARY

Collaborative practice refers to “the process of developing and maintaining effective interprofessional working relationships with learners, Members, patients/families, and communities to enable optimal health outcomes. Elements of collaboration include respect, trust, shared decision making, and partnerships.”[1]

Communicate refers to “the process of exchanging information, ideas, thoughts, feelings, or messages between individuals or groups using verbal, non-verbal, written, or visual methods.”[2]

Community partners include but is not limited to regional, local, and community health, academic, and social organizations which may directly or indirectly support patient/client care.

Competent refers to “the ability to consistently and effectively apply the requisite knowledge, skills, clinical judgment, and professional behaviour to provide safe, ethical, and effective patient care.”[3]

Healthcare team refers to “peers, colleagues, and other healthcare professionals (regulated and non-regulated)”.[4]

Patient/client refers to individuals and their families requiring care or services. This may also include their substitute decision-maker or guardian.[5]