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”

• 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.
• Monitor cardiac patients, using electrocardiography devices, such as a holter monitor.
• 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.
• Enforce safety rules and ensure careful adherence to physicians' orders.
• Perform pulmonary function and adjust equipment to obtain optimum results in therapy.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Transport patients to the hospital or within the hospital.
• Relay blood analysis results to a physician.
• Explain treatment procedures to patients to gain cooperation and allay fears.
• 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.
• Make emergency visits to resolve equipment problems.
• Teach, train, supervise, or use the assistance of students, respiratory therapy technicians, or assistants.
• Determine requirements for treatment, such as type, method and duration of therapy, precautions to be taken, or medication and dosages, compatible with 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.

Related Technology & Tools

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

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