Cody McBride

As a PRN employee on the night shift I was expected to and did fulfill all responsibilities and facets of respiratory therapy. Including but not limited to initiation, management and termination of mechanical ventilation and non invasive ventilation. I drew and analyzed ABGs and inserted arterial lines. I worked the ICU, ED, CSU and all of the floors.

Florida hospital at Connerton is a long term acute care hospital. My primary role as a respiratory therapist 2 was to wean difficult to wean patients from mechanical ventilation. Airway maintenance and care was an integral part of the process. I inserted, downsized and decannulated tracheostomies on a routine basis. Initiation, management of mechanical ventilation along with communication with the pulmonologists made me very successful at weaning the hard to wean patients.

My experience at Brooksville Regional hospital was dealing with all facets of respiratory therapy including but not limited to mechanical ventilation, non invasive ventilation ,arterial blood gas collection and analysis as well as intubation, extubation and administration of nebulizers. I worked in the ICU, ED and all of the floors.

At Bayonet Point hospital I served as both night and day shift supervisor. In addition to providing all facets of respiratory care I was responsible for scheduling, mentoring, and rarely disciplining both fellow certified and registered respiratory therapists. In addition, I was responsible for troubleshooting and solving issues with customers, physicians and my manager.

As a new graduate from DG Erwin vocational school I was hired directly into the surgical ICU. LRMC practiced a patient focused model at that time so that employees worked specifically in a set unit/floor.

The ability to start my career working strictly ICU molded me into a very strong critical thinker and problem solver.

My responsibilities involved all facets of respiratory care in an ICU including but not limited to mechanical and non invasive ventilation, arterial blood gas draw and analysis and interpretation, arterial line placement, intubation and extubation.

Some of the unique opportuniities that I had there was the assistance of bedside bronchoscopies along with the cleaning and turn around of the scopes. Also I would assist the intensivists with bedside tracheostomies. At the request of the cardiac surgeons I also performed thromboelastogram tests. I also participated in a liquid ventilation study.

I was quickly promoted to within the team leader and was responsible for supervising my fellow respiratory therapists.

I served four years active duty in the USMC and was honorably discharged. My primary MOS was communication center operator and I was also certified as a water safety survival instructor.