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”

• Teach, train, supervise, or use the assistance of students, respiratory therapy technicians, or assistants.
• Relay blood analysis results to a physician.
• Read prescription, measure arterial blood gases, and review patient information to assess patient condition.
• Demonstrate respiratory care procedures to trainees or other healthcare personnel.
• Perform bronchopulmonary drainage and assist or instruct patients in performance of breathing exercises.
• Provide emergency care, such as artificial respiration, external cardiac massage, or assistance with cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
• Make emergency visits to resolve equipment problems.
• 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 pulmonary function and adjust equipment to obtain optimum results in therapy.
• Enforce safety rules and ensure careful adherence to physicians' orders.
• Determine requirements for treatment, such as type, method and duration of therapy, precautions to be taken, or medication and dosages, compatible with physicians' orders.
• Maintain charts that contain patients' pertinent identification and therapy information.
• Explain treatment procedures to patients to gain cooperation and allay fears.
• 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.
• Set up and operate devices such as mechanical ventilators, therapeutic gas administration apparatus, environmental control systems, or aerosol generators, following specified parameters of treatment.
• 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.
• Transport patients to the hospital or within the hospital.
• 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.
• Monitor cardiac patients, using electrocardiography devices, such as a holter monitor.

Related Technology & Tools

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

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