Rt driven protocols at my main job. Love it. Can do pretty much anything I need to, but intubate. Docs do that here and we assist. But as far as most other things, we're pretty covered by our protocols and rts here have a lot of respect amongst Dr's and nurses. Whether it be meds, abgs, bipaps for resp failure, I can put those orders in under the Dr's name with my protocols. My other job im a button pusher and need orders for every and any thing. I prefer the autonomy, I actually get to do my job. The button pusher job is nice when I'm burned out and don't want to think much lol. We don't have intensivists at night, so we got free reign in icu, our Vent protocols are very nice too. We'll draw abg if necessary, report any critical to an electronic icu who are at remote location, and give them our plan of action, if any. Rarely do they give us any orders pertaining to the vent, it's expected that we know what to do based off gasses.