Will “Respiratory Therapy Director” 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 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
• Respiratory Therapy Director
• Oxygen Therapist
• Inhalation Therapist

Tasks for “Respiratory Therapy Director”

• Perform pulmonary function and adjust equipment to obtain optimum results in therapy.
• Explain treatment procedures to patients to gain cooperation and allay fears.
• Provide emergency care, such as artificial respiration, external cardiac massage, or assistance with cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
• Transport patients to the hospital or within the hospital.
• 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 bronchopulmonary drainage and assist or instruct patients in performance of breathing exercises.
• Enforce safety rules and ensure careful adherence to physicians' orders.
• 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.
• Teach, train, supervise, or use the assistance of students, respiratory therapy technicians, or assistants.
• Perform endotracheal intubation to maintain open airways for patients who are unable to breathe on their own.
• Relay blood analysis results to a physician.
• Determine requirements for treatment, such as type, method and duration of therapy, precautions to be taken, or medication and dosages, compatible with 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.
• 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.
• Inspect, clean, test, and maintain respiratory therapy equipment to ensure equipment is functioning safely and efficiently, ordering repairs when necessary.
• Read prescription, measure arterial blood gases, and review patient information to assess patient condition.
• Maintain charts that contain patients' pertinent identification and therapy information.
• Monitor cardiac patients, using electrocardiography devices, such as a holter monitor.
• Make emergency visits to resolve equipment problems.
• Conduct tests, such as electrocardiograms (EKGs), stress testing, or lung capacity tests, to evaluate patients' cardiopulmonary functions.
• Use a variety of testing techniques to assist doctors in cardiac or pulmonary research or to diagnose disorders.
• Demonstrate respiratory care procedures to trainees or other healthcare personnel.

Related Technology & Tools

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

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