Will “Respiratory Therapist (RT)” 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
• Inhalation Therapist

Tasks for “Respiratory Therapist (RT)”

• Monitor cardiac patients, using electrocardiography devices, such as a holter monitor.
• 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.
• 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.
• Explain treatment procedures to patients to gain cooperation and allay fears.
• 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.
• Conduct tests, such as electrocardiograms (EKGs), stress testing, or lung capacity tests, to evaluate patients' cardiopulmonary functions.
• Perform endotracheal intubation to maintain open airways for patients who are unable to breathe on their own.
• Determine requirements for treatment, such as type, method and duration of therapy, precautions to be taken, or medication and dosages, compatible with physicians' orders.
• Enforce safety rules and ensure careful adherence to physicians' orders.
• Make emergency visits to resolve equipment problems.
• 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.
• Perform bronchopulmonary drainage and assist or instruct patients in performance of breathing exercises.
• Transport patients to the hospital or within the hospital.
• 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.
• Teach, train, supervise, or use the assistance of students, respiratory therapy technicians, or assistants.
• Maintain charts that contain patients' pertinent identification and therapy information.
• 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.
• 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.

Related Technology & Tools

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

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