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”

• 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.
• Enforce safety rules and ensure careful adherence to physicians' orders.
• 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.
• 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.
• Teach, train, supervise, or use the assistance of students, respiratory therapy technicians, or assistants.
• Use a variety of testing techniques to assist doctors in cardiac or pulmonary research or to diagnose disorders.
• Relay blood analysis results to a physician.
• Demonstrate respiratory care procedures to trainees or other healthcare personnel.
• Set up and operate devices such as mechanical ventilators, therapeutic gas administration apparatus, environmental control systems, or aerosol generators, following specified parameters of treatment.
• 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 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.
• 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.
• Perform bronchopulmonary drainage and assist or instruct patients in performance of breathing exercises.
• Provide emergency care, such as artificial respiration, external cardiac massage, or assistance with cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
• Maintain charts that contain patients' pertinent identification and therapy information.
• Transport patients to the hospital or within the hospital.
• Make emergency visits to resolve equipment problems.
• Perform pulmonary function and adjust equipment to obtain optimum results in therapy.
• 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.

Related Technology & Tools

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

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