Will “Respiratory Therapist (RT)” 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 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
• Respiratory Therapist (RT)
• Oxygen Therapist
• Inhalation Therapist

Tasks for “Respiratory Therapist (RT)”

• Perform bronchopulmonary drainage and assist or instruct patients in performance of breathing exercises.
• Enforce safety rules and ensure careful adherence to physicians' orders.
• Conduct tests, such as electrocardiograms (EKGs), stress testing, or lung capacity tests, to evaluate patients' cardiopulmonary functions.
• Transport patients to the hospital or within the hospital.
• 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.
• Perform pulmonary function and adjust equipment to obtain optimum results in therapy.
• Inspect, clean, test, and maintain respiratory therapy equipment to ensure equipment is functioning safely and efficiently, ordering repairs when necessary.
• Provide emergency care, such as artificial respiration, external cardiac massage, or assistance with cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
• 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.
• Maintain charts that contain patients' pertinent identification and therapy information.
• Relay blood analysis results to a physician.
• Monitor cardiac patients, using electrocardiography devices, such as a holter monitor.
• 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.
• 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.
• Set up and operate devices such as mechanical ventilators, therapeutic gas administration apparatus, environmental control systems, or aerosol generators, following specified parameters of treatment.
• Demonstrate respiratory care procedures to trainees or other healthcare personnel.
• Explain treatment procedures to patients to gain cooperation and allay fears.
• Perform endotracheal intubation to maintain open airways for patients who are unable to breathe on their own.
• 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.

Related Technology & Tools

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

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