Will “Respiratory Therapists” 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

Also Known As…

• Staff Therapist
• 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
• Oxygen Therapist
• Inhalation Therapist

Tasks for “Respiratory Therapists”

• 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.
• Perform endotracheal intubation to maintain open airways for patients who are unable to breathe on their own.
• Explain treatment procedures to patients to gain cooperation and allay fears.
• Perform bronchopulmonary drainage and assist or instruct patients in performance of breathing exercises.
• 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.
• Transport patients to the hospital or within the hospital.
• Set up and operate devices such as mechanical ventilators, therapeutic gas administration apparatus, environmental control systems, or aerosol generators, following specified parameters of treatment.
• 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.
• Make emergency visits to resolve equipment problems.
• Perform pulmonary function and adjust equipment to obtain optimum results in therapy.
• Enforce safety rules and ensure careful adherence to physicians' orders.
• 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.
• Conduct tests, such as electrocardiograms (EKGs), stress testing, or lung capacity tests, to evaluate patients' cardiopulmonary functions.
• Read prescription, measure arterial blood gases, and review patient information to assess patient condition.
• Demonstrate respiratory care procedures to trainees or other healthcare personnel.
• Relay blood analysis results to a physician.
• Determine requirements for treatment, such as type, method and duration of therapy, precautions to be taken, or medication and dosages, compatible with physicians' orders.
• Monitor cardiac patients, using electrocardiography devices, such as a holter monitor.
• Provide emergency care, such as artificial respiration, external cardiac massage, or assistance with cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
• Teach, train, supervise, or use the assistance of students, respiratory therapy technicians, or assistants.

Related Technology & Tools

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

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