Will “Inhalation Therapist” be Replaced By Robots? 🤔

Job Description

Assess, treat, and care for patients with breathing disorders. Assume primary responsibility for all respiratory care modalities, including the supervision of respiratory therapy technicians. Initiate and conduct therapeutic procedures; maintain patient records; and select, assemble, check, and operate equipment.

Job Details

• The SOC (Standard Occupational Classification) code is 29-1126.00
• The Mean Annual Wage in the U.S. is $ 60,640.00
• The Mean Hourly Wage is $ 29.00
• Currently, there are 126,770 people on this job

☝️ Information based on the reference occupation “Respiratory Therapists”.

Also Known As…

• Respiratory Therapists
• Staff Therapist
• Staff Respiratory Therapist
• Respiratory Therapy Director
• Respiratory Therapist (RT)
• Respiratory Care Practitioner (RCP)
• Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT)
• Clinical Coordinator of Respiratory Therapy
• Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT)
• Cardiopulmonary Technician and EEG Tech (Cardiopulmonary Technician and Electroencephalogram Technician)
• Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Respiratory Therapist
• Oxygen Therapist

Tasks for “Inhalation Therapist”

• Read prescription, measure arterial blood gases, and review patient information to assess patient condition.
• Conduct tests, such as electrocardiograms (EKGs), stress testing, or lung capacity tests, to evaluate patients' cardiopulmonary functions.
• Determine requirements for treatment, such as type, method and duration of therapy, precautions to be taken, or medication and dosages, compatible with physicians' orders.
• Make emergency visits to resolve equipment problems.
• Work as part of a team of physicians, nurses, or other healthcare professionals to manage patient care by assisting with medical procedures or related duties.
• Perform pulmonary function and adjust equipment to obtain optimum results in therapy.
• Perform bronchopulmonary drainage and assist or instruct patients in performance of breathing exercises.
• Set up and operate devices such as mechanical ventilators, therapeutic gas administration apparatus, environmental control systems, or aerosol generators, following specified parameters of treatment.
• Perform endotracheal intubation to maintain open airways for patients who are unable to breathe on their own.
• Maintain charts that contain patients' pertinent identification and therapy information.
• Monitor cardiac patients, using electrocardiography devices, such as a holter monitor.
• Use a variety of testing techniques to assist doctors in cardiac or pulmonary research or to diagnose disorders.
• Enforce safety rules and ensure careful adherence to physicians' orders.
• Relay blood analysis results to a physician.
• Provide emergency care, such as artificial respiration, external cardiac massage, or assistance with cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
• Demonstrate respiratory care procedures to trainees or other healthcare personnel.
• Inspect, clean, test, and maintain respiratory therapy equipment to ensure equipment is functioning safely and efficiently, ordering repairs when necessary.
• Transport patients to the hospital or within the hospital.
• Explain treatment procedures to patients to gain cooperation and allay fears.
• Educate patients and their families about their conditions and teach appropriate disease management techniques, such as breathing exercises or the use of medications or respiratory equipment.
• Teach, train, supervise, or use the assistance of students, respiratory therapy technicians, or assistants.
• Monitor patient's physiological responses to therapy, such as vital signs, arterial blood gases, or blood chemistry changes, and consult with physician if adverse reactions occur.

Related Technology & Tools

• Tracheostomy tubes
• Tourniquets
• High-frequency ventilators
• Air compressors
• Bronchoscopes
• Personal digital assistants PDA
• Indirect calorimeters
• Apnea monitors
• Bilevel positive airway pressure BiPAP ventilators
• Oxygen tanks
• Blood gas kits
• Evacuated blood collection tubes
• Electrocardiography EKG units
• Ambu bags
• Incentive spirometers
• Percussors
• Cannulas
• Endotracheal ET tubes
• Volume ventilators
• Oral airways
• Medical oxygen masks
• Infant incubators
• Notebook computers
• Portable flat computers
• Nasal airways
• Surgical suits
• Capillary catheters
• Sputum traps
• Continuous positive airway pressure CPAP ventilators
• Intra-aortic balloon pumps IABP
• Christmas tree adapters
• Pulmonary function testing PFT equipment
• Negative pressure ventilators
• Oxygen hoods
• Personal computers
• Aerosol masks
• Hemodynamic monitors
• Small particle aerosol generators
• Electronic blood pressure equipment
• Oxygen tents
• Oxygen masks
• Wright's spirometers
• Oxygen flowmeters
• Blood collection syringes
• Therapeutic treadmill exercisers
• Blood gas machines
• Medical aerosol tents
• Oxygen monitors
• Humidifiers
• Nebulizers
• Tracheotomy masks
• Cell savers
• Oxygen regulators
• Oxygen concentrators
• Internal positive pressure breathing IPPB machines
• Manometers
• Mechanical stethoscopes
• Saturation of oxygen SaO2 monitors
• Bedside spirometers
• Manual blood pressure equipment
• Medical suction equipment
• Pulse oximeters

• Microsoft Outlook
• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft Word
• Calendar and scheduling software
• Electronic medical record EMR software
• Database software
• Microsoft Office
• HMS
• Microsoft PowerPoint
• MEDITECH software