Standard 2 - Collaboration/Interprofessional Collaboration

Standard 2 - Collaboration/Interprofessional Collaboration

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

Performance Requirements

RTs:

• Work collaboratively with patients/clients, healthcare team members, and community partners to set goals, promote shared decision-making, and facilitate patient/client-centred care.
• 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.
• Refrain from maligning the reputation of any colleague.
• Engage with other healthcare team members to seek information, clarify roles, obtain assistance when needed, and provide assistance as required, in order to meet patient/client healthcare needs.
• Educate patients/clients, healthcare team members, Members, and others regarding the role of RTs.
• 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 Standards

• Communication
• Consent
• Documentation & Information Management
• Patient/Client Assessment & Therapeutic Procedures
• Privacy/Confidentiality
• Professional Boundaries/Therapeutic & Professional Relationships

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. (2015/2016 ) Standards of Practice. Available at https://www.csrt.com/wp-content/uploads/Standards-of-Practice-for-RTs.pdf.
• Nova Scotia Regulator of Respiratory Therapy. (2015). Code of Ethical and Professional Conduct. Available at: https://nsrrt.ca/professional-practice/code-of-ethics
• 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: https://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 includes, but are 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 “individual, group, community or population who is the recipient of respiratory therapy services and, where the context requires, includes a substitute decision-maker for the recipient of respiratory therapy services”.^[5]

 

^[1] Canadian Interprofessional Health Collaborative. (2010). A National Interprofessional Competency Framework. Available at: http://www.cihc.ca/files/CIHC_IPCompetencies_Feb2010.pdf

^[2] Open AI. (2025). ChatGPT (May 14 version) [Large language model]. https://chatgpt.com

^[3] Open AI. (2025). ChatGPT (May 14 version) [Large language model]. https://chatgpt.com

^[4] College of Respiratory Therapists of Ontario. (2021). A Commitment to Ethical Practice. Available at:  https://ethics.crto.on.ca/

^[5] Nova Scotia Government. Regulated Health Professions Act (2023). Available at:  https://nslegislature.ca/sites/default/files/legc/statutes/regulated%20health%20professions.pdf