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.
• Conduct tests, such as electrocardiograms (EKGs), stress testing, or lung capacity tests, to evaluate patients' cardiopulmonary functions.
• Relay blood analysis results to a physician.
• Maintain charts that contain patients' pertinent identification and therapy information.
• Explain treatment procedures to patients to gain cooperation and allay fears.
• Make emergency visits to resolve equipment problems.
• Read prescription, measure arterial blood gases, and review patient information to assess patient condition.
• Demonstrate respiratory care procedures to trainees or other healthcare personnel.
• 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.
• Provide emergency care, such as artificial respiration, external cardiac massage, or assistance with cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
• Enforce safety rules and ensure careful adherence to physicians' orders.
• 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.
• Perform bronchopulmonary drainage and assist or instruct patients in performance of breathing exercises.
• 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.
• Use a variety of testing techniques to assist doctors in cardiac or pulmonary research or to diagnose disorders.
• 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.
• Transport patients to the hospital or within the hospital.
• Perform pulmonary function and adjust equipment to obtain optimum results in therapy.
• Monitor cardiac patients, using electrocardiography devices, such as a holter monitor.

Related Technology & Tools

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

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