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

Tasks for “Staff Therapist”

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

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

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