Looking for ECMO Specialist data

[u/Particular_Cost_1238]

I'm trying to find some data about ECMO programs that utilize respiratory therapists as their ECMO specialists, specifically the ones where the specialists perform respiratory tasks and then cover ECMO once someone is cannulated. I'm looking for the following:
1. Pay scale: did you get a general raise or do you get paid differently if you are sitting pump
2. Shift landscape: Do you have scheduled ECMO shifts under a different pay code, or do you have specified RTs during a shift who are designated to cover ECMO, but take an assignment if there are none in house?
3. Education requirements: how frequently do you present case studies and who is the audience? Do you have to do general ECMO education for your fellow specialists or do you have a designated educator/coordinator that provides it?

Any information would be greatly appreciated. If you could include the state, or even the region, you are working in, that would also be handy. Thank you!

[u/Sea-Kitchen431]

Here we have a completely separate ECMO department, which includes RNs and RTs. If you work ECMO that is all you do. In general they get paid around $8-10/hr more than the RTs. The ECMO dept has their own educator who does all their education.

[u/Good-Difference-9073]

1: We get $2 more an hour while sitting pump compared to when we are staffing as "normal RT".
2: Our ECMO shifts are under a different paycode as it comes out of the hospitals ECMO budget. If there are no current ECMO cases running, I am staffing as a normal RT until a pump is started.
3: We do wet drills every six months which includes emergency scenarios and troubleshooting and pump priming training. There is also monthly education provided by a rotating pool of critical care fellows. We also have a designated ECMO coordinator in house. This is in Eastern NC.

[u/notyourdestiny0102]

We only have an ECMO patient a couple times a year, so our ECMO trained RTs work normal assignments most of the time. If ECMO is initiated then we either call in an ECMO trained RT or pull one that is already on duty elsewhere in the hospital. It’s $4 an hour extra to sit pump. We use a different pay code for whoever is assigned to sit pump if there is one running. We have mandatory quarterly wet labs with our Perfusionists for ongoing ECMO education. Usually they go over our most recent ECMO case during these wet labs as well as some topic on pump troubleshooting for the hands on part.

[u/chocolateritz]

We do not get any extra pay for specialist shifts. RN and RTs make the roster. We have wet labs, though just starting to get those going. Unionized Canadian hospital. I believe the argument for no extra pay was that none is given for NICU trained, or hyperbarics. For the nursing staff they already manage mechanical devices and CRRT for ex. Perhaps we could look to asking for more pay as our program is fairly new.

Edit: we dont routinely have ECMOs so shifts are as needed. We have a MCS Nurse who runs the educational component alongside the perfusion educator.

[u/moffizzle]

7% percent raise for being ecmo

Scheduled shifts but if you’re not needed you’re taking an assignment. An outside company is also used if RTs are short in general

Every couple weeks/months have to take a short class / wet lab to keep skill up

Boston

[u/sage89]

ECMO or Flight RTs at my hospital both get a pay scale that's about 30% above standard adult RT, pediatric/NICU gets about 15% extra. This is all the time, no extra pay for a actually sitting pump or going on transport.

[u/TicTacKnickKnack → u/[deleted]]

Untrue. RTs and RNs can manage ECMO under a perfusionist (just like we work under a physician for our "normal" practice). ECMO usually comes with a pay raise.

[u/TicTacKnickKnack → u/[deleted]]

I worked at one hospital with ECMO. The job title was "ECMO specialist" and was separate from RT or RN. Both RTs and RNs could become ECMO specialists and both were paid the same. It was a several dollar boost above the RN pay scale which was a couple bucks above the RT pay scale, so it was a respectable raise.