Will “Respiratory Care Practitioner (RCP)” 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)
• 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
• Respiratory Care Practitioner (RCP)
• Oxygen Therapist
• Inhalation Therapist

Tasks for “Respiratory Care Practitioner (RCP)”

• Conduct tests, such as electrocardiograms (EKGs), stress testing, or lung capacity tests, to evaluate patients' cardiopulmonary functions.
• Enforce safety rules and ensure careful adherence to physicians' orders.
• Make emergency visits to resolve equipment problems.
• Perform bronchopulmonary drainage and assist or instruct patients in performance of breathing exercises.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Monitor cardiac patients, using electrocardiography devices, such as a holter monitor.
• Perform pulmonary function and adjust equipment to obtain optimum results in therapy.
• Read prescription, measure arterial blood gases, and review patient information to assess patient condition.
• 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.
• Transport patients to the hospital or within the hospital.
• Maintain charts that contain patients' pertinent identification and therapy information.
• Provide emergency care, such as artificial respiration, external cardiac massage, or assistance with cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
• Perform endotracheal intubation to maintain open airways for patients who are unable to breathe on their own.
• Inspect, clean, test, and maintain respiratory therapy equipment to ensure equipment is functioning safely and efficiently, ordering repairs when necessary.
• Relay blood analysis results to a physician.

Related Technology & Tools

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

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