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”

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

Related Technology & Tools

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

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