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”

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

Related Technology & Tools

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

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