Will “Oxygen 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
• Inhalation Therapist

Tasks for “Oxygen Therapist”

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

Related Technology & Tools

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

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