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Respiratory therapists in the NICU.

The need for respiratory therapists in a hospital's NICU has not always been apparent, nor has the respiratory therapist's role been entirely understood and adequately defined. Many hospitals do not even recognize the need for respiratory-care services in this specialty area, and among medical staff there is a certain uneasiness in allowing an unfamiliar paramedical profession (such as respiratory therapy) to enter their well-established realm. Training in ICU care for infants and becoming credentialed in this specialty area is still in its beginnings. Loma Linda University Medical Center (LLUMC) is one example of how a respiratory-care department was able to break through the barriers and deliver care to the NICU patients. The background of how this breakthrough actually took place and what role the respiratory therapist first played is discussed, as well as that role's expansion and the progression that has taken place since respiratory care's first involvement.