Will “Staff Respiratory 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
• Oxygen Therapist
• Inhalation Therapist

Tasks for “Staff Respiratory Therapist”

• Maintain charts that contain patients' pertinent identification and therapy information.
• Relay blood analysis results to a physician.
• Make emergency visits to resolve equipment problems.
• Inspect, clean, test, and maintain respiratory therapy equipment to ensure equipment is functioning safely and efficiently, ordering repairs when necessary.
• 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.
• Set up and operate devices such as mechanical ventilators, therapeutic gas administration apparatus, environmental control systems, or aerosol generators, following specified parameters of treatment.
• 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.
• Perform endotracheal intubation to maintain open airways for patients who are unable to breathe on their own.
• Demonstrate respiratory care procedures to trainees or other healthcare personnel.
• 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.
• 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 cardiac patients, using electrocardiography devices, such as a holter monitor.
• Explain treatment procedures to patients to gain cooperation and allay fears.
• 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.
• Perform pulmonary function and adjust equipment to obtain optimum results in therapy.
• Conduct tests, such as electrocardiograms (EKGs), stress testing, or lung capacity tests, to evaluate patients' cardiopulmonary functions.
• Transport patients to the hospital or within the hospital.
• Use a variety of testing techniques to assist doctors in cardiac or pulmonary research or to diagnose disorders.
• Read prescription, measure arterial blood gases, and review patient information to assess patient condition.

Related Technology & Tools

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

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