Respiratory Therapist

At a Glance

Income:

($44,740 - $61,660)

Cluster:

Therapeutic Services

Class of Occupation:

- Investigative

Description

Respiratory Therapists (RT) and Respiratory Therapy Technicians work in hospitals, clinics and home health care settings, under the direction of a physician, to care for patients with breathing disorders. This includes evaluating a patients condition, administer treatment to provide temporary relief from chronic diseases such as asthma, emphysema and cystic fibrosis, as well as provide emergency care to victims of heart attack, stroke or drowning. Typical duties include testing breathing capacity and the concentration of oxygen in a patients blood, performing physiotherapy on patients to remove mucus from their lungs, administering aerosol medications that the patient inhales, and working with breathing assisting equipment such as concentrated oxygen and ventilators. RTs work with patients of all ages, including babies who may have underdeveloped lungs, children and adults who need emergency treatment after an accident, to adults and elderly with chronic illnesses. Because RTs work with gasses that are stored under pressure, carefully following safety procedures is important in this field. While Respiratory Therapists and Respiratory Therapy Technicians perform many of the same tasks, Respiratory Therapists will typically handle procedures that are more complicated, and may possibly supervise Respiratory Therapy Technicians. The steps to certification as an RT require X. Confirm length of certification. Demand will continue to increase for this career field, as the aging population grows.

View the education requirements.