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”

• Conduct tests, such as electrocardiograms (EKGs), stress testing, or lung capacity tests, to evaluate patients' cardiopulmonary functions.
• 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.
• Perform pulmonary function and adjust equipment to obtain optimum results in therapy.
• 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 bronchopulmonary drainage and assist or instruct patients in performance of breathing exercises.
• Relay blood analysis results to a physician.
• Use a variety of testing techniques to assist doctors in cardiac or pulmonary research or to diagnose disorders.
• Monitor cardiac patients, using electrocardiography devices, such as a holter monitor.
• Maintain charts that contain patients' pertinent identification and therapy information.
• 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.
• Enforce safety rules and ensure careful adherence to physicians' orders.
• Provide emergency care, such as artificial respiration, external cardiac massage, or assistance with cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
• Perform endotracheal intubation to maintain open airways for patients who are unable to breathe on their own.
• Transport patients to the hospital or within the hospital.
• 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.
• 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.
• Demonstrate respiratory care procedures to trainees or other healthcare personnel.
• Read prescription, measure arterial blood gases, and review patient information to assess patient condition.

Related Technology & Tools

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

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