Will “Respiratory Therapy Director” 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 Therapy Director”

• 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.
• Make emergency visits to resolve equipment problems.
• 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.
• Teach, train, supervise, or use the assistance of students, respiratory therapy technicians, or assistants.
• Perform pulmonary function and adjust equipment to obtain optimum results in therapy.
• Relay blood analysis results to a physician.
• 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.
• Enforce safety rules and ensure careful adherence to physicians' orders.
• 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.
• Maintain charts that contain patients' pertinent identification and therapy information.
• 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.
• Perform bronchopulmonary drainage and assist or instruct patients in performance of breathing exercises.
• Monitor cardiac patients, using electrocardiography devices, such as a holter monitor.
• Explain treatment procedures to patients to gain cooperation and allay fears.
• Read prescription, measure arterial blood gases, and review patient information to assess patient condition.
• Conduct tests, such as electrocardiograms (EKGs), stress testing, or lung capacity tests, to evaluate patients' cardiopulmonary functions.
• Use a variety of testing techniques to assist doctors in cardiac or pulmonary research or to diagnose disorders.
• Demonstrate respiratory care procedures to trainees or other healthcare personnel.
• Determine requirements for treatment, such as type, method and duration of therapy, precautions to be taken, or medication and dosages, compatible with physicians' orders.
• Inspect, clean, test, and maintain respiratory therapy equipment to ensure equipment is functioning safely and efficiently, ordering repairs when necessary.

Related Technology & Tools

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

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