Will “Staff 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 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.
• Perform endotracheal intubation to maintain open airways for patients who are unable to breathe on their own.
• Make emergency visits to resolve equipment problems.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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 pulmonary function and adjust equipment to obtain optimum results in therapy.
• Maintain charts that contain patients' pertinent identification and therapy information.
• Relay blood analysis results to a physician.
• Explain treatment procedures to patients to gain cooperation and allay fears.
• Transport patients to the hospital or within the hospital.
• 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.
• 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.
• Monitor cardiac patients, using electrocardiography devices, such as a holter monitor.
• Perform bronchopulmonary drainage and assist or instruct patients in performance of breathing exercises.
• Read prescription, measure arterial blood gases, and review patient information to assess patient condition.
• Demonstrate respiratory care procedures to trainees or other healthcare personnel.

Related Technology & Tools

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

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