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”

• Conduct tests, such as electrocardiograms (EKGs), stress testing, or lung capacity tests, to evaluate patients' cardiopulmonary functions.
• Perform pulmonary function and adjust equipment to obtain optimum results in therapy.
• Set up and operate devices such as mechanical ventilators, therapeutic gas administration apparatus, environmental control systems, or aerosol generators, following specified parameters of treatment.
• 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.
• 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.
• Determine requirements for treatment, such as type, method and duration of therapy, precautions to be taken, or medication and dosages, compatible with physicians' orders.
• Make emergency visits to resolve equipment problems.
• Perform bronchopulmonary drainage and assist or instruct patients in performance of breathing exercises.
• Transport patients to the hospital or within the hospital.
• 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.
• Relay blood analysis results to a physician.
• Inspect, clean, test, and maintain respiratory therapy equipment to ensure equipment is functioning safely and efficiently, ordering repairs when necessary.
• 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.
• Teach, train, supervise, or use the assistance of students, respiratory therapy technicians, or assistants.
• Demonstrate respiratory care procedures to trainees or other healthcare personnel.
• 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.
• Enforce safety rules and ensure careful adherence to physicians' orders.
• Read prescription, measure arterial blood gases, and review patient information to assess patient condition.
• Monitor cardiac patients, using electrocardiography devices, such as a holter monitor.

Related Technology & Tools

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

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