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Respiratory Therapists

  • Bright Outlook
  • Rapid Growth

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.

What you’d do

  • Set up and operate devices, such as mechanical ventilators, therapeutic gas administration apparatus, environmental control systems, or aerosol generators, following specified parameters of treatment.
  • 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.
  • Read prescription, measure arterial blood gases, and review patient information to assess patient condition.
  • Relay blood analysis results to a physician.
  • Provide emergency care, such as artificial respiration, external cardiac massage, or assistance with cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
  • 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.
  • Maintain charts that contain patients' pertinent identification and therapy information.

Skills that matter

  • Active Listening
  • Critical Thinking
  • Monitoring
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Social Perceptiveness
  • Speaking

How to get there

Medium preparation: usually vocational school, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree

Also called

  • CRT (Certified Respiratory Therapist)
  • Diagnostics RRT (Diagnostics Registered Respiratory Therapist)
  • Licensed CRT (Licensed Certified Respiratory Therapist)
  • Respiratory Care Practitioner (RCP)
  • CRRT (Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Respiratory Therapist)
  • Infant RT (Infant Respiratory Therapist)

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