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”

• Teach, train, supervise, or use the assistance of students, respiratory therapy technicians, or assistants.
• Conduct tests, such as electrocardiograms (EKGs), stress testing, or lung capacity tests, to evaluate patients' cardiopulmonary functions.
• Perform bronchopulmonary drainage and assist or instruct patients in performance of breathing exercises.
• Relay blood analysis results to a physician.
• Enforce safety rules and ensure careful adherence to physicians' orders.
• 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.
• 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.
• Determine requirements for treatment, such as type, method and duration of therapy, precautions to be taken, or medication and dosages, compatible with physicians' orders.
• Read prescription, measure arterial blood gases, and review patient information to assess patient condition.
• Make emergency visits to resolve equipment problems.
• Set up and operate devices such as mechanical ventilators, therapeutic gas administration apparatus, environmental control systems, or aerosol generators, following specified parameters of treatment.
• 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.
• Provide emergency care, such as artificial respiration, external cardiac massage, or assistance with cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
• Maintain charts that contain patients' pertinent identification and therapy information.
• Monitor cardiac patients, using electrocardiography devices, such as a holter monitor.
• Demonstrate respiratory care procedures to trainees or other healthcare personnel.
• Perform endotracheal intubation to maintain open airways for patients who are unable to breathe on their own.
• 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.
• Use a variety of testing techniques to assist doctors in cardiac or pulmonary research or to diagnose disorders.
• Explain treatment procedures to patients to gain cooperation and allay fears.

Related Technology & Tools

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

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