NBRC ruined my life- plese help!

Whaaaat? What are you TALKING ABOUT????? I retook my board exams YEARS ago!! And again- I said you took my words OUT OF CONTEXT- I didn't say that I called the AARC to find out about the NBRC and the expiration on my card!! I Called the AARC AFTER AFTER AFTER I'd ALREADY LOST MY CREDENTIALSS!! THEY (Can I capitalize and underline THEY????) CALLED THE ISRC AND NBRC because THEY'D NEVER Heard of it before!! In fact, they told me I HAD IT WRONG, and that I must have MISUNDERSTOOD the NBRC- and I HaD to explain it to them! They thought I was freeeeaking Crazy and making it up!! THe AARC THEN called the NBRC and they were told by the jerks at the NBRC that I Was 8 days late and had ALREADY lost my credentials!! When I went to work- The management there said I'd misunderstood the NBRC AND the AARC!! No one knew what I was talking about!! The hospital, my management and others had to have immediate meetings about what to do and what it meant to the hospital-- because they'd NEVER HeARD of anything like it, and they didn't know what to do!! I Live and work in Chicago, what? the third largest city in America? NO ONE had a date on their RRT card, (and since you're quoting EVERY SINGLE WORD I say and throwing it back at me), NO one I knew had a date on their RRT card when I'd "asked for years before", and so I thought it was some kind of anomaly, and when MaNAGEMENT who'd TRAINED me to be a respiratory therapist said it was okay, not to worry about it- EVERYONE BUT YOU would have LET IT GO!! Stop looking for something that IS NOT THERE!! My retaking the exam at the time was a HUGE issue because I"D LOST MY JOB!!!!! So, yes, it was about the money at that time!! Nearly a thousand dollars MORE than I'd already paid to take the CRT and RRT the first time!! I swear this is some kind of sick joke to you, playing devils advocate and trying to get me peed off about it- are you enjoying yourself??? WHY WHY WHY would I put myself in that situation IF I KNEW ABOUT IT??? REALLY?

Also. your story keeps changing. You say NOW that You questioned everyone and they stated it didnt apply to YOU. HOWEVER, what you posted on the Advance site 3 years ago was that... (QUOTE...) """The NBRC apparently enacted the CEU and neglected to make their new law clear to its new therapists. A number of us walked around asking veteran therapists what it all meant, never getting a proper answer because the law did not apply to THEM. Did this mean that we had to get the NBRC CEUs in addition to our state CEU"s? Why did we have an expiration date on our credentialing cards while no one else did?""" END QUOTE

So, sounds pretty clear that you knew WHILE YOU WERE STILL ACTIVE that something was up with YOU and the OTHER new folks. (Your story sounds different now in that you claim that YOU DIDNT EVER HEAR OF THE PROGRAM.) ALSO.. another "discrepancy".. on THIS site you state that YOU NEVER RECEIVED A SINGLE THING FROM THE NBRC, EVER that stated ANYTHING ABOUT THIS... However, 3 years ago on the Advance site you posted.. QUOTE... "My credentials expired on June 30th of this year. I had recieved ONE rather ambiguous postcard from the NBRC, although they insist that they send out a postcard at one year also. (Although why they can't send out a letter screaming its importance is beyond me, would the 30cents plus envelope cost too much???)""" END QUOTE So, Which is it? Eitehr you received a card or you received NOTHING?

Again, hopefully you see all these RED FLAGS that show you "SHOULD HAVE KNOWN". You may be changing the details now to suit the story.. but clearly.. 1) you knew there was a new rule, 2) you and other new therapists asked numerous people who were exempt and thus no answer, 3) You didnt call and ask who would know, 4) YOU GOT A POSTCARD from the NBRC and didnt act, and 5) You expired. (Again, remind me again how its NBRCs fault?) Or how its mine for pointing out your discrepancies?

Regardless though.. my offer still stands

What kind of sick person are you? I would CHOOSE to lose my job? Lose my house? Live in my car (AWAY from my only daughter that I'd raised SINGLE HANDEDLY for 9 years) with my CAT in the car with me??? My life IS STILL not right, my credit ruined!! I would jeopardize MY WhOLE LIFE? how does that make sense? After Graduating with a 3.86 GPA WHILE I raised a baby and Worked full time? Graduating with DEANS honors? Taking and acing my CRT? Taking the RRT when NO ONE else I worked with did? Working at one of the most prestigious Hospitals in the NATION??? THAT, by the way, I had to drive THREE HOURS to every Friday night, and THREE hours home again on Monday mornings??? Allllllll for the five minutes it would take to TYPE IN the CEUs I"D ALREADY TAKEN?? Dude, thank you very much for ruining my day- I'd say so much more to you, but I KEEP IN MIND that I'm a professsional, and that these conversations can be seen by people that aren't idiots.

Offer for whaaaat???

Well.. I apologize for making the offer to you. I mean it was about the money you were saying. And no, of course its not a joke to me. But when I stumbled onto this site and hearing all this ranting, then naturally I felt like someone should point out that "hey, wait a minute, 99% of people get it right".. And in your absolute refusal to pay another dime to the NBRC, you stated you were only going to do the CRT. (And I currently do not see you in the NBRC directory as ACTIVE) but do see you in there as INACTIVE CRT. (Which, just so you know, really sets you up for a repeat of this next year in 2013.) But, neverthelss, I think both our points are kinda of made at this point. Congratulations on getting back your RRT. But yea, regardless.. you hopefully see that I have only defended attcks as they came.. Its not a game to me and I know it isnt to you. BUT, that being said.. dont post on one site that "you knew and questioned it but couldnt get a reply from people it didnt apply to" and then come on this site and change it to "everyone I asked was saying it didnt apply to ME." (Those are two different things.) Also, dont say on one site that you got one postcard for renewal from the NBRC and then come on this site and say you got NOTHING AT ALL. (Those to are two different things.)

Trust me, the NBRC is evil enough on their own merits. We, as an organization, should not being giving false statements that they can easliy point to as "not adding up" and thus continuing to justify what they do. How about you and I team up to seriously start a petition to do away with the CRT credential??? Imagine what a team we could make. All this energy. Lets make it PRODUCTIVE.

jmray69@yahoo.com in Vernon Hills, Illinois said: Offer for whaaaat???

The offer I had made to pay for your registry. (Sorry, there was a delay from my last posting and yours stating that you already have repassed credentialing.) So, I was stating that my offer to pay for your registry exams still stood.

Bh

Never mind, I missed one of your messages, I see now that you think I should take my RRT again. Fine. 30 days. No problem. I'd loveeeee to have back that credential that was
sooooo wrongly taken from me, and is on all of my lab coats STILL (NOT THAT I CAN WEAR THEM). I can't afford to retake them, and It PAINS me that I can't call my self an RRT anymore, because I deserved those credentials, I worked hard for them, and I want to distance myself from everyone else that DOESNT care about their credentials (Or they would have taken it themselves). Lets see if you're serious, brent

jmray69@yahoo.com in Vernon Hills, Illinois said: What kind of sick person are you? I would CHOOSE to lose my job? Lose my house? Live in my car (AWAY from my only daughter that I'd raised SINGLE HANDEDLY for 9 years) with my CAT in the car with me??? My life IS STILL not right, my credit ruined!! I would jeopardize MY WhOLE LIFE? how does that make sense? After Graduating with a 3.86 GPA WHILE I raised a baby and Worked full time? Graduating with DEANS honors? Taking and acing my CRT? Taking the RRT when NO ONE else I worked with did? Working at one of the most prestigious Hospitals in the NATION??? THAT, by the way, I had to drive THREE HOURS to every Friday night, and THREE hours home again on Monday mornings??? Allllllll for the five minutes it would take to TYPE IN the CEUs I"D ALREADY TAKEN?? Dude, thank you very much for ruining my day- I'd say so much more to you, but I KEEP IN MIND that I'm a professsional, and that these conversations can be seen by people that aren't idiots.

Wait, no, dont do that this time. dont deflect and turn this into a "personal" humanitarian, guilt ridden debate. Yes or no.. DID YOU RECEIVE A POSTCARD FROM THE NBRC PRIOR TO EXPIRATION? (Here you said NO, on Advance at the time you lost credential you said you did.) Cant be both. Also, Yes or no.. DID you ask a bunch of people and were told it didnt apply to you (like stated here) or was it like you posted at the time that You and a bunch of other new people kept asking cause you knew something was up but you could never get a straight answer.? (Cant be both). (And dont deflect that with what happenedas a RESULT of your failure to act on the postcard or the new rule that we NOW know you DID in fact know about.) Again, I dont think you did it on Purpose. I never said that. I think you just didnt want to pay them 25 a year or 125 every 5 years and then you forgot and it was then too late. (Just like you are not paying them 25 a year now.)

jmray69@yahoo.com in Vernon Hills, Illinois said: Never mind, I missed one of your messages, I see now that you think I should take my RRT again. Fine. 30 days. No problem. I'd loveeeee to have back that credential that was
sooooo wrongly taken from me, and is on all of my lab coats STILL (NOT THAT I CAN WEAR THEM). I can't afford to retake them, and It PAINS me that I can't call my self an RRT anymore, because I deserved those credentials, I worked hard for them, and I want to distance myself from everyone else that DOESNT care about their credentials (Or they would have taken it themselves). Lets see if you're serious, brent

MAY GOD STRIKE ME DEAD RIGHT HERE ON THE SPOT. IF YOU SHOW UP IN THE NBRC ACTIVE DIRECTORY AS RRT BY FEB 7TH, I WILL PAY THE COST OF ONE RETEST FEE OF THE WRITTEN REGISTRY, AND ONE RETEST FEE OF THE CLINICAL SIMS.

And yes, it is on here for the WORLD to see. And when you pass, I will expect you to log on here and tell people I was a man of my word and made good on it. (THEN, I will expect to team up with you to take down the NBRC and this 2 credential bullsh*t they do.)

I DON"T have my RRT, and before you accuse me of "false statements" again, the "s" was and is just fast typing. and before you accuse me of anything else, You don't me, brent- and yes, I do have a tendency towards exaggeration- and if you did know me, you would know that I always (see? always?) say things like, "I had to walk a million miles" and "I Never interrupt people". So the "talking to people for Years" was and is just that, me being me. I did question it, I didn't understand the whole CEU thing at the time, I don't think I'd even had to submit my first years CEUs to my state yet. And don't quote me on that, please, and I'm reaaaallly tired of defending something that happened years ago. You're obviously very precise, very literal, and have a better memory that me.
I suggest that we drive to Arkansas and burn the NBRC down. (just kidding). The problem with doing away with the CRT is that we would lose half (again, exaggerating, not reallly half) of the therapists to the Registry and the Clin sims. lol.

And I'll answer you're questions in a minute- But no one had to pay the NBRC prior to us having to submit our CEU's to the NBRC the first time. The demand for our money came the next year. In 2008. Soooo, THATS NOT IT, and do I honestly have to explain to you my current financial situation? How did this become your biz? How exactly are you looking me up, anyhow? How do you know my full name?

I did get postcard in the mail,maybe three months before what would be the expiration of my credentials. it said, and I wish I had it with me still (because I gave it to the AARC when they went to bat for me), some non-sensical crap (and I'm not a stupid girl) (well, most of the time I'm not), it mentioned CCP's, which I didn't understand, and I truthfully threw it in a pile of stuff. Every month when I did my bills (for the next three months), I took a look at it, read it, and still didn't understand it. Mental note to call the NBRC, couldn't at the time because I work nights, and was doing my bills at night. I went to work and inquired nonchalantly to a few people, and they didn't know what I was talking about. (The whole management question had come much earlier- first, when we were in school, one of my classmates asked the clinical educator because we'd heard some wild rumor- then we got the "it doesn't apply to you, you already get your CEU's". And again, I questioned SOME People (like in the department at work), after I got my RRT card and it had an expiration date on it. (My CRT card didn't have a date on it). I thought it was just a new thing they were doing, changing the cards? ugh. Anyhow- what I DIDN"T get from the NBRC was a notice a year before, or notice one month before that I was going to lose my credentials FOREVER. (The threat was not on that postcard at all.. I did get around to calling them in June (the date that was on the postcard) to inquire what it was all about- and then they told me that IT WAS TOO LaTE, I'd already had to type in my CEU's 60 (or 90, maybe) days BEFORE the date on the card. I'd already lost my credentials. So did I know? Yes, I suppose- the way that you think to yourself "I should put that glass up higher, someone could get hurt", subconsciously, and then later when someone gets 20 stitches because you didn't put the glass up higher- and you tell yourself "I remember thinking I should have put that glass up", but didn't.

jmray69@yahoo.com in Vernon Hills, Illinois said: And I'll answer you're questions in a minute- But no one had to pay the NBRC prior to us having to submit our CEU's to the NBRC the first time. The demand for our money came the next year. In 2008. Soooo, THATS NOT IT, and do I honestly have to explain to you my current financial situation? How did this become your biz? How exactly are you looking me up, anyhow? How do you know my full name?

Girl.. its the internet...lol. Of course I know your real name... Jennifer R. Setinek

Give me a little credit...lol ;-)

But no, your finances are none of my business. Again, I was going only on your comments about refusing to pay them more. (Thats why I offered to reimburse you.)

PS: Very good analogy with the glass up high. THAT mental picture alone told me everything about your argument that I was failing to grasp. I mean we are all guilty of stuff like that. Example.. my life insurance payment got missed and when I finally sent it in, it , by the grace of god got there 1 day prior to expiration.) So, I could have easily been cancelled, and trust me I could not have gotten it back due to health reasons. So yes, we are all guilty of missing stuff like that. (But I just dont think it would have been the fault really of the insurance company if I hadnt sent it in time.) Anyway, yes.. retake your test and know that I will reimburse it if you do it within 30 days. Thats THIRTY days..lol Not 30 days plus 8 days late...lol. Or not 30 days but only if I send you two postcards first... ;-) (Sorry, I had to say that.. it was too easy.)

And RE: the boards- two things: 1. I'm going to be in Germany Feb 1st through Feb 6th- you can check my FB page, and see my prior posts that thats true (since you appear to know my name), AND (this is not going to make sense for half a second), I cannot not afford to pay for the boards ahead of time. (My best friend and her family used their miles to get me a ticket and the trip is an xmas gift). I'm an agency RT and did not work for months last year, I sincerely can barely pay the rent, let alone the NBRC ughjerksugh for their $25 a year junk. Let alone what is it now? $500? $600?? I do get my tax return mid Feb and intend to pay them their stupid Fees... (For what? Why? What do they do for me? )
Otherwise, (if we figure out a way) I'm 10000% not exaggerating when I say, you're on, I'll even do it the week after Germany....

Oh, and I remember now that the NBRC is in Kansas, not Arkansas. Better get that straight on my GPS. (Kiddddinng)

I'd inquire about your health issues and who you are, but we should take this elsewhere at this point...you can email me at jmray69@yahoo.com or FB...

Alas.. the one thing I dont have is your FB address ;-) Damn facebook and their privacy rules...lol
Friend me on there.. If you type in RRTRCP into the fb search box it should come up with me.

I didnt want to have to prepay cause I wanted to make sure you would PASS before i paid the money. So, let me sleep on that. What I may do is kind of talk to you via email a couple times a little more privately and kinda guage YOUR confidence level on being ready to pass it. If you want me to prepay it, then I will ammend the deal... I will send you, FREE OF CHARGE, a copy of the current Kettering Workbook for you to complete. When you complete it and mail it back to me, I will assume you know enough to pass the test and I wont be wasting my money if your not ready to take the test. I will also send you a copy of the Gary Persing review book (if you make sure I get that back as well.)

No luck...Jennifer Raymond-Setinek, try friending me.. I'm good with all that, gauge away! I am one of the few people I know that loves school and studying. You only have to look at my college transcript to know that I don't believe in B's :) To be honest, even though it does involve the NBRC, I'm kind of excited thinking about taking a few more board exams and seeing what I've forgotten...Did you just take your exams?

I need to make somewhat of a formal apology (to whom? the world, lol), after digging up my old certificates from the NBRC, it appears that I obtained my CRT AFTER the law changed in July of 2002. And my RRT in 2003, which puts both of my credentials under the "new" law, and the recredentialing requirements. This doesn't change the fact that the law was not made well known to me/us in 2007 or 2008, and that the NBRC made every step as PAINFUL as possible (taking months to process a credit card number, for example, or months to send out a certificate). At work, we were debating the CCP requirements and the annual fee- so I feel that things are still not well known. My friend, Brent, has pointed out that all this is laid out on the NBRCs website- and it is, somewhat, but we don't ever have any questions about how we go about renewing our licensure, dow we? The NBRC needs to make their plan clear and their CCP/recredentialing program clearer.

Anyhow, I digress, I screwed up and won't be able to take the RRT now- just call me idiot.

You will be able to take the RRT.. you just gotta re-qualify and become registry eligible again. (Retake the CRT). (Luckily I have not actually dropped your package in the mail yet cause Post Office closed today. (And I work tomorrow 7a-7p so I wont be able to tomorrow either.) BUT, since it wont go out till Wednesday, I will also put in the Kettering CRT priactice exam as well. So, you will be able to do that. (Also, I am sending a book that still has several of the clinical sims to do.... along with the developer pen to do them with.) Feel free to do the rest of them in the book.)
Anyway.. we will get you there. You may be kicking and screaming the whole way, but we will get ya there. (As God is my judge, you will be an RRT at least 6 months prior to your retirement...lol)

I have been reading everything u guys have posted here, although I don't remember if I ever posted anything. I don't think you're an idiot. The same thing happened to me. Well, kind of. My CRT is safe because I got that credential in June 2002. My RRT,however, is not because I didn't get that credential until 2005. I don't know why I thought it was. I guess because I was licensed in 2002? Not to mention, my boss, who explained the new law to me, said that since I graduated in 2002 I was safe. Well, I was messing around on the NBRC website a few months ago, and just for the heck of it, I looked myself up and found that my RRT was expired. Guess that's what I get for taking someone else's word for it instead of looking at it and reading it myself because when I did, I found that it wasn't based on when you graduated. It was based on when you were credentialed. On top of that, I didn't get a reminder in the mail. Well, let me rephrase that... I may have gotten it, but I never saw it. I have no idea if I didn't get one or if my husband got it in the mail and threw it away, thinking it was trash. Either way, I am re-taking my RRT now. I know it's my fault for not looking further into it myself, but hey, I have definitely learned from this experience. I do agree that it is just another money making scheme by the NBRC and it's a HUGE hassle and expense. Not to mention that I think it's going to be harder to pass it this time around. I have been doing this for 10 years and I am use to doing things the way they are actually done in a clinical setting... NOT the way someone who sits behind a desk all day thinks they should be done. I don't know.... I'm just as frustrated as you are :(

Nina,
Check with the NBRC to make sure you are eligible to sit for the RRT exam. The other day those money grubbing jerks told me even though I still have an active CRT credential in good standing, I also have to retake the CRT exam and pass in order to REtake the RRT because I graduated from an advanced level program and missed the 3 year deadline even though I USED to have my RRT credential and received it within the 3 year deadline of graduation. I HATE THEM!!

yea, its pretty simply laid out on NBRC as.. (copy and pasted)...
Eligibility Three-Year Time Limit

Effective January 1, 2005, new graduates of accredited advanced level respiratory care education programs have three years after graduation to complete the CRT and RRT Examinations.

NBRC’s mission is to evaluate the competency of respiratory therapists and to support the profession of respiratory care. It’s a role that we take very seriously. As the provider of the RRT, the credential that is considered the “standard of excellence” in respiratory care, it is our responsibility to ensure that graduates of advanced-level education programs have the opportunity to earn the RRT credential. During a time when there is a shortage of qualified respiratory therapists to provide the excellent care that patients expect, advanced-level graduates who earn the RRT credential are in high demand nationwide and can help to fill this shortage.

Below is a list of questions about the RRT Eligibility Three-Year Time Limit and how it impacts you. NBRC staff is available to answer any other additional questions via phone or email.

RRT Eligibility Three-Year Time Limit - Frequently Asked Questions

***See the site for all the questions... again, it seems pretty straight forward.

www.nbrc.org/Examinations/RRT/tabid/60/Default.aspx

anonymous in Quakertown, Pennsylvania said: Nina,
Check with the NBRC to make sure you are eligible to sit for the RRT exam. The other day those money grubbing jerks told me even though I still have an active CRT credential in good standing, I also have to retake the CRT exam and pass in order to REtake the RRT because I graduated from an advanced level program and missed the 3 year deadline even though I USED to have my RRT credential and received it within the 3 year deadline of graduation. I HATE THEM!!

So, the only thing I can fingure out is that you...
Graduated and passed everything and had the RRT credential.
You then failed to act on renewing after 5 and a half years and thus lost your RRT.. you then retook the CRT thus making you registry eligible again... But then you waited another 3 years (at least) thus losing your registry eligibility AGAIN?
(sounds like that is the ONLY way you could have USED to have been an RRT, but are now only a CRT. (Otherwise, your "old" registry would have the same expiration date as your CRT. So yea, the ONLY way you could have an active CRT and have lost your registry eligiblity (but also USED to have been an RRT) was by kinda dropping the ball TWICE. (once when you lost your registry first time, and then again after retaking the CRT you were registry eligible AGAIN and then chose not to do anything for 3 years after that...) Thus losing your registry eligibility AGAIN a second time. (and thus now having to retake CRT.)

Gee Whiz.. how many times you gotta lose it before you realize you gotta DO SOMETHING to keep it? You cant just sit back for years and never renew (or get registerd.) Bottom line, since 2005, we are a REGISTRY MANDATED system. (Again, its all over everything our industry publishes.) So, when you retake CRT, and then retake registry.. RENEW IT. (Or, if you just do CRT again, then realize after 3 years you will for a THIRD time lose your registry eligibility again.)

Yes we know this Brent. I know you like to kick us when we are down but you can copy and paste and quote from the website repetitively as you do, but it doesn't change the fact that their rules are RIDICULOUS. Please let us vent our anger without us having to read your condescending responses! Maybe you should get a job with the NBRC since you have the same way that they do of making people feel crappier than they already do.

Not about kicking people.. But.. seriously, why is it so hard to keep up with? But you need to look at your HISTORY. The fact of the matter is, the NBRC and AARC was pushing for ONLY the RRT credential. PERIOD. (Instead of this 2 tiered credential.)
However, no, that wasnt good enough for all the folks in the field... it was the THERAPISTS in the field who resisted this. (Because those who were already experienced technicians did not want to TEST in order to prove competence.. they couldnt be bothered.) Thus, the only way to APPESE these guys was for the NBRC to CAVE IN and say.. "fine, we will keep the CRT credential for those who are "technicians" and we will have the RRT credential for those who have graduated from a program and who have tested and shown competence." So, There ya have it.. BEHOLD THE PRODUCT OF WHAT THE MASSES WANTED!. A mess. (all because some people did not think they should have to test or DO ANYTHING to stay in the field.)
But it is not the fault of the NBRC, it was the fault of those who felt that we didnt need ANY credential and O.J.T should have been the way we stayed forever.
EDUCATE youself on this topic before you trash the NBRC. Read this great book entitled ...
Smith GA(ed). Respiratory Care: Evolution of a Profession. AMP; Lenexa, KS,. You can find it here...
www.amazon.com It will tell you whose fault it is that we have the NBRC and a 2 tiered system. (FOLKS WHO FELT LIKE THEY WERRE SPECIAL AND THE RULES DIDNT APPLY TO THEM.)

anonymous in Quakertown, Pennsylvania said: Yes we know this Brent. I know you like to kick us when we are down but you can copy and paste and quote from the website repetitively as you do, but it doesn't change the fact that their rules are RIDICULOUS. Please let us vent our anger without us having to read your condescending responses! Maybe you should get a job with the NBRC since you have the same way that they do of making people feel crappier than they already do.

And yes, I totally agree. the rules are RIDICULOUS.. BUT, get involved.. work with the AARC or the NBRC or your state association to CHANGE the rules. (Afterall, they work for US.) So if you dont like something, then work to change it. (but wait.. I guess that would involve HAVING TO DO SOMETHING every few months for a meeting.) (And if one cant do a 5 minute renewal every 5 years, then how could I expect that they would EVER be willing to volunteer to work on a committee to make our profession BETTER.)

Just get off the cross... you are not a victim of some NBRC conspiracy. The NBRC is YOU. The NBRCs rules (that folks like me ARE a victim of) is a SOLE RESULT of the fact that 10, 15, 20 years ago, slack therapists felt like they already knew everything there was to know and thus they should be expemt from CEUs. (And as a result, we had to grandfather in those folks who already "lnew it all" and didnt need to show competence. RESULT: 2 credentials... So yea, if you have a problem with the NBRC, then LOOK IN THE MIRROR and ask yourself "Gee, I wonder HOW we ended up with 2 credentials?" (Then you can place the blame where it lies.. on everyone who felt like "Oh well, I dont need to show anyone that I know what I am doing, I am special and I shouldnt ever have to ANYTHING to keep MY license.") (And they got their way.) It wasnt about money, god knws the NBRC wanted one credential.. But, it was the slack folks who DEMANDED that they rules not apply to them.

Click the AARC link here and then scroll down the the one entitled "Notes from the chair, the great debate". (Or you can click this link, then just click the link up top that says "Notes from the chair, the great debate." (Its from the fall of 2006.)

Hopefully this will shead a little more light on HOW we got to where we are on these crazy rules from the NBRC.

www.aarc.org/sections/education/bulletins/10.11.12.2006/#02

Brent- We weren't in the group of people that was too lazy to take the higher tier tests. We took the RRT exams. Shouldn't the people that were "too lazy" to become registry eligible be the ones that have to do all of this extra work? I don't see ANYTHING happening to all the old techs, because these new rules don't affect them! I'd love to be a part of the group that makes these changes, but I, like a lot of people on this board have family to raise, help our children with homework every night, work more than full time to pay mounting bills and child care, and continue on in school to make myself better. I don't, but I know that a lot of people here work to make their Respiratory Department better at their hospital, making new protocols and becoming involved in teaching, clinicals, etc. Honestly, I've thought about this a lot this week, and I'll continue on in getting my Bachelor's degree in another field. The thousands of dollars I've spent (or would spend) taking and retaking tests over and over again will pay for me to get a Bachelor's degree, in another field altogether.

The answer is not to change careers unless you dislike being in respiratory. (Because the fact is, you will have to more than likely keep up with CEUs and tesing fees in pretty much any career.) So what is the sense in saying "Well, I already have a huge respiratory base of knowledge but I refuse to pay thousands to retest so therefore instead of paying ($900) to get re-RRT'd I am going to spend a few years back in school and then have to pay even more test fees for that program."). Makes no sense. (Again, unless you dislike respiratory.)
And again, you and I have been cordial the last week or 2 and I even offered to reimburse you for test fees. (And send you all my stuff when you were ready to study for the RRT.) But you are not ready to do it.

Also, with all due respect.. we are ALL busy. I too work full time (some 115 hours last pay period).. I too am a FULL TIME student in a very difficule BSRT program through the University of NC. I too have high bills due to living in Key West. So, we are ALL busy but still manage to keep up with our requirements to maintain credentials. (So, again, with all due respect, I cant subscribe to the notion that an acceptable reason to let your credentials exipre is because you are a busy parent.) If that is the case, then what about the hundred thousand other parent/therapists who DO keep up with it? What of all the MDs who are parents and work 80weeks who manage to keep up with CME requirements?

Also, regardless of your situation, which you have admitted was your fault and NOT that of the NBRC... can you hoestly say that the other person who I just replied to... WHO LOST THE CREDENTIAL or REGISTRY ELIGIBILITY NOT ONCE BUT TWICE.. AND NOW A PROBABLE 3RD TIME... should have known by now? I mean seriously Jennifer, if you were magically a RRT today.. if you were to lose your credential AGAIN 5 years from now for failing to renew AGAIN.. do you not think that would be outright LAZINESS? Seriousl

No, it's true, you're right...I will have to continue with the credentialing process (And CEU's, licensing, etc) no matter what field I go into. And it isn't respiratory itself that is making me change fields, it's healthcare issues that I've been dealing with for years (I have to go to physical therapy and get cortisone shots in my feet, and was diagnosed with COPD secondary to life with asthma last year) and the fact that someone would have to die in order for me to get on the day shift. (My daughter will become a teenager this year, and I dont' think it's wise to leave a teenager alone all night by herself, lol). I am a bit dissapointed with a few things in the RT field: I'd say 60% of the therapists don't know what they're doing, or have just giving up caring all together. Secondly, they never ever work to change things together. Easy to do when RT management doesn't back up it's crew, and half of the supervisors are NURSES. You should have seen RT week this year- NOTHING. Christmas Party? Bring your own food and wear a HAT. Month after month, the hospital newsletters are filled with Employee of the Month: Nurses. You and I already spoke about getting respect on an individual basis, and that's true. But as a field, it's critically undermanned, unrespected, and unrewarding. Okay, not unrewarding, because I know the patients appreciate me, and that is rewarding. (Although, not once, in all these years, have I ever seen a thank you for saving someone's life, or going the extra mile with a patient). Anyhow, I do think things will change someday when everyone is required to be a Bachelor degreed RRT, then I think we will be compensated monetarily, and respected as an educated group of therapists (if only because it will weed out the idiots). I intend on keeping my credential and keeping abreast of respiratory as much as possible, as someone who has COPD, I truly appreciate RT's and what we do for our patients.

Nope you're wrong Brent. I took the CRT before the cut off date in in 2002, never lost it, its mine forever. They want me to retake it because THEY ARE RIDICULOUS! ! You went off on a tangent for nothing.

yea, iam sure your right... the NBRC just sits in a room every day and pulls some poor shmuck at random and says... "ok, lets mess with this person and send them a ltter telling them that they are going to expire for no reason."

Yep, you just gotta have that right...lol. (Give me a break.)

Go to nbrc.org, sign in, look at your record, and I am sure you will find what others on here found.... They THOUGHT the rules didnt apply to them, but low and behold, they did.

I mean otherwise, what POSSIBLE reason do you think the NBRC has to pick you our of all of us and say... "You have to retest."

I didn't say that they pick random people Brent..don't respond to my posts because you obviously read into everything that is said way too much and take everything literally! You are on my nerves and I am going to ignore your posts from now on!

Brent in Key West, Florida said: Click the AARC link here and then scroll down the the one entitled "Notes from the chair, the great debate". (Or you can click this link, then just click the link up top that says "Notes from the chair, the great debate." (Its from the fall of 2006.)

Hopefully this will shead a little more light on HOW we got to where we are on these crazy rules from the NBRC.

www.aarc.org/sections/education/bulletins/10.11.12.2006/#02

you have to be a member to read it.

Are you an adult? or a child that someone else has to be responsible for? It is quite clear on the NBRC site that ceus are required AS WELL as renewel every five years for certifications after 2002. If you were a member of your state Respiratory Care Society they would keep you up to date on news. YOUR EMPLOYER has no responsibility to baby sit your credentials. They can hire someone else more responsible.

Thank you clinical supervisor for stating the obvious. Did you ever hear the expression that HINDSIGHT is 20/20? So nice of you to make a positive contribution to the subject, anything else you'd like to add?

I agree, the NBRC is heartless. I was having financial difficulties but managed to get the RRT exam money together and schedule it. My daughter fell at school and I had to take her to the E.R. Sorry about my luck! That wasn't a valid reason to reschedule. No one else to go for me, so $200 I didn't have to spare out the window. A few months later during a home invasion, I was raped n beaten half to death. It took over a month to recover physically, a couple of years to even come close to emotional recovery. My time was up 6 months after this event and obviously I was still in no condition to test. Oh well, too bad. They could not have cared less. Guess I'll be a CRT forever. I can't stand the NBRC.

Actually, a little fact check will show that the NBRC will in fact let you reschedule. (For ANY reason, or for NO reason.) So, when someone comes here and says that their daughter fell and te NBRC would not let them reschedule... I would respectfully request people to make up their own minds and see that the NBRC for ANY test will let you reschedule ONCE. For any reason or NO reason. I mean you dont even have to give a reason. You can either log on to the AMP site, or you can call them and say you would like to reschedule your exam. HOWEVER, you are allowed to do this ONCE. The NBRC assumes that when you pay for and schedule the exam, then you are READY to take it. They do allow one date change (that can be used for an emergency or more study time etc...) So, this statement that the NBRC refused to make a change is just not true. UNLESS of course the "freebie change" had already been used. In which case they would say no. (But in which case the facts of this particular situation is a little more complex than the author said.)

I don't really care what it says now. When I needed to reschedule, which was several years ago, there were no reschedules allowed if it was less than 24 hours prior to the test unless the tester was the one going to the hospital. Period. No exceptions. I called and talked to a rep also at the time. Glad if it's changed for everyone behind me.

From the NBRC website:
As a result of extensive, ongoing internal research the NBRC conducts regarding testing and measurement, the Board of Trustees voted at its December 2011 meeting to evaluate implementing significant changes to the respiratory therapy credentialing system beginning in 2015. These changes are coincidental with, and not in response to information arising from the Respiratory Care 2015 and Beyond process. To date, none of the recommendations from the third conference relative to credentialing have been acted upon by the AARC Board of Directors. Changes will include a single multiple choice examination with separate passing points for the CRT credential and eligibility for the Clinical Simulation Examination which will include a larger number of shorter simulation problems. Details regarding these significant changes will be announced during the Jimmy Young Memorial Lecture at the AARC Summer Forum in Santa Fe, New Mexico on July 15, 2012.

Just so ya'll know it has NEVER been mandatory to renew yearly with the nbrc to keep (active status). They just want more money. I wonder if they realize we pay much more than nurses do to to maintain their license.

Why do we have to have 12 credentials anyway to which we have to do ceus and pay more every year to maintain? That is just ridiculous!

Hi i graduated rt school in 2008. I failed crt a few times but just a few points . Is it too late to take test . If i can do you think Ill get a job. thanks for the input.