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”

• 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.
• Relay blood analysis results to a physician.
• 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.
• Inspect, clean, test, and maintain respiratory therapy equipment to ensure equipment is functioning safely and efficiently, ordering repairs when necessary.
• 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.
• Explain treatment procedures to patients to gain cooperation and allay fears.
• Demonstrate respiratory care procedures to trainees or other healthcare personnel.
• 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.
• Maintain charts that contain patients' pertinent identification and therapy information.
• Determine requirements for treatment, such as type, method and duration of therapy, precautions to be taken, or medication and dosages, compatible with physicians' orders.
• Perform bronchopulmonary drainage and assist or instruct patients in performance of breathing exercises.
• Make emergency visits to resolve equipment problems.
• Teach, train, supervise, or use the assistance of students, respiratory therapy technicians, or assistants.
• 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.
• Read prescription, measure arterial blood gases, and review patient information to assess patient condition.
• 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.
• Enforce safety rules and ensure careful adherence to physicians' orders.
• Set up and operate devices such as mechanical ventilators, therapeutic gas administration apparatus, environmental control systems, or aerosol generators, following specified parameters of treatment.

Related Technology & Tools

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

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