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)”

• 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.
• Relay blood analysis results to a physician.
• Explain treatment procedures to patients to gain cooperation and allay fears.
• 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.
• Conduct tests, such as electrocardiograms (EKGs), stress testing, or lung capacity tests, to evaluate patients' cardiopulmonary functions.
• 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.
• Monitor cardiac patients, using electrocardiography devices, such as a holter monitor.
• Inspect, clean, test, and maintain respiratory therapy equipment to ensure equipment is functioning safely and efficiently, ordering repairs when necessary.
• 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.
• Maintain charts that contain patients' pertinent identification and therapy information.
• Perform pulmonary function and adjust equipment to obtain optimum results in therapy.
• Enforce safety rules and ensure careful adherence to physicians' orders.
• Set up and operate devices such as mechanical ventilators, therapeutic gas administration apparatus, environmental control systems, or aerosol generators, following specified parameters of treatment.
• Make emergency visits to resolve equipment problems.
• 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.
• Perform bronchopulmonary drainage and assist or instruct patients in performance of breathing exercises.
• Transport patients to the hospital or within the hospital.
• Teach, train, supervise, or use the assistance of students, respiratory therapy technicians, or assistants.
• 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.

Related Technology & Tools

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

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