title: Respiratory Therapist Job Perceptions: The Impact of Protocol Use.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Demand for respiratory care services and staffing levels of respiratory therapists (RTs) is expected to increase over the next several years. Hence, RT job satisfaction will be a critical factor in determining recruitment and retention of RTs. Determinants of RT job satisfaction measures have received little attention in the literature. This study examines the use of respiratory care protocols and associated levels of RT job satisfaction, turnover intentions, and job stress.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four-hundred eighty-one RTs at 44 hospitals responded to an online survey regarding job satisfaction, turnover intentions, and job stress. Random coefficient modeling was used for analysis and to account for the nested structure of the data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Higher levels of RT protocol use were associated with higher levels of job satisfaction, lower rates of turnover intentions, and lower levels of job stress. In addition, RTs with greater experience had higher levels of job satisfaction, and RTs working at teaching hospitals had lower rates of turnover intentions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study extends prior research by examining how the use of respiratory care protocols favorably affects RTs' perceptions of job satisfaction, turnover intention, and job stress. In a time of increasing demand for respiratory care services, protocols may enhance retention of RTs.
authors: College of Business, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio. metcalfa@ohio.edu.
authors: Ashley Y
authors: AY
authors: Metcalf
authors: Education Institute and the Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Respiratory Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio.
authors: James K
authors: JK
authors: Stoller
authors: College of Business, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio.
authors: Marco
authors: M
authors: Habermann
authors: Moore School of Business, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina.
authors: Timothy D
authors: TD
authors: Fry
mesh_terms: D000488:Allied Health Personnel / Q000523:psychology*; D002985:Clinical Protocols; D006801:Humans; D033182:Intention; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D010465:Perception; D010563:Personnel Turnover; D012138:Respiratory Therapy / Q000379:methods* / Q000523:psychology; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000209:etiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: empirical research; job satisfaction; organizational study; protocols; respiratory care; turnover