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”

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

Related Technology & Tools

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

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