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If you want to help people, like working with science and technology, and are interested in the medical field, Respiratory
Therapy may be an exciting possibility for you. Respiratory Care is a field in which the need is ongoing, employment prospects
are excellent, and personal and professional satisfaction are high.
What is a Respiratory Therapist?
The Occupational Outlook Handbook published through The U.S. Department of Labor describes Respiratory Therapists as professionals
who
evaluate, treat, and care for patients with breathing or other cardiopulmonary disorders. Practicing under the direction of
a physician, respiratory therapists assume primary responsibility for all respiratory care therapeutic treatments and diagnostic
procedures, including the supervision of respiratory therapy technicians. Respiratory therapy technicians follow specific,
well-defined respiratory care procedures under the direction of respiratory therapists and physicians.
Respiratory therapists evaluate and treat all types of patients, ranging from premature infants whose lungs are not fully
developed to elderly people whose lungs are diseased. Respiratory therapists provide temporary relief to patients with chronic
asthma or emphysema, and they give emergency care to patients who are victims of a heart attack, stroke, drowning, or shock.
What’s it really like?
According to the American Association of Respiratory Therapists,
A day in the life of an RT might include –
- Diagnosing lung and breathing disorders and recommending treatment methods.
- Interviewing patients and doing chest physical exams to determine what kind of therapy is best for their condition.
- Consulting with physicians to recommend a change in therapy, based on your evaluation of the patient.
- Analyzing breath, tissue, and blood specimens to determine levels of oxygen and other gases.
- Managing ventilators and artificial airway devices for patients who can’t breathe normally on their own.
- Responding to Code Blue or other urgent calls for care.
- Educating patients and families about lung disease so they can maximize their recovery.
But wait, there is more!
Employment in Respiratory Therapy is growing. In fact, the U.S. Department of Labor data indicates a growth in total employment
for this occupation through 2016 of 23%.
The American Association of Respiratory Therapists says that opportunities exist
- In hospitals giving breathing treatments to people with asthma and other respiratory conditions.
- In intensive care units managing ventilators that keep the critically ill alive.
- In emergency rooms delivering life-saving treatments.
- In newborn and pediatric units helping kids with conditions ranging from premature birth to cystic fibrosis.
- In operating rooms working with anesthesiologists to monitor patients’ breathing during surgery.
- In patient’s homes providing regular check-ups and making sure people have what they need to stay out of the hospital.
- In sleep laboratories helping to diagnose disorders like sleep apnea.
- In skilled nursing facilities and pulmonary rehabilitation programs helping older people breath easier and get more out of
life.
- In doctor’s offices conducting pulmonary function tests and providing patient education.
- In asthma education programs helping kids and adults alike learn how to cope with the condition.
- In smoking cessation programs assisting those who want to kick the habit for good.
- In air transport and ambulance programs rushing to rescue people in need of immediate medical attention.
- In case management programs helping devise long-term care plans for patients.
How much will I make?
Respiratory Therapists earn an average of $47,420 per year. While this is not the salary which you will start at, it gives
an idea of the potential.
What should you expect in working conditions for a Respiratory Therapist?
Usually, professionals working as Respiratory Therapists work a 35 - 40 hour week. Since the need for assistance with breathing
continues 24 hours a day, you may work evenings or weekends – especially in a hospital setting.
The Occupational Outlook handbooks says that Respiratory Therapists who
work in home care teach patients and their families to use ventilators and other life-support systems. In addition, these
therapists visit patients in their homes to inspect and clean equipment, evaluate the home environment, and ensure that patients
have sufficient knowledge of their diseases and the proper use of their medications and equipment. Therapists also make emergency
visits if equipment problems arise.
In some hospitals, therapists perform tasks that fall outside their traditional role. Therapists are becoming involved in
areas such as pulmonary rehabilitation, smoking cessation counseling, disease prevention, case management, and polysomnography—the
diagnosis of breathing disorders during sleep, such as apnea. Respiratory therapists also increasingly treat critical care
patients, either as part of surface and air transport teams or as part of rapid-response teams in hospitals.
How do you get there, from here?
To become a Respiratory Therapist, it is necessary to complete either an Associate or Bachelor degree program in Respiratory
Care. Additionally, at the conclusion of the degree, candidates are required to pass a licensure examination.
Want to learn more?
Watch these videos supplied by the American Association of Respiratory Therapists.
http://www.aarc.org/career/#life
Explore! Inspire! Achieve!
These three words are the backbone of the Associate and Bachelor Respiratory Care Technology degree programs offered through BGSU Firelands. Graduates from this program are expected to ACHIEVE the following:
- The ability to comprehend that body of technical information according to nationally accepted standards as being related to
the role and scope of practice for the advanced respiratory care practitioner, and to utilize and apply that knowledge appropriately
in the diagnostic evaluation, treatment and management of patients.
- The ability to perform all of the clinical procedural skills associated with the role and scope of practice of the advanced
respiratory care professional.
Interested in Respiratory Care as a career path? Have more questions?
For further Information contact:
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Debralee Divers
Director
Admissions & Financial Aid
419-433-5560 ext. 2-0683
email: divers@bgsu.edu
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Cheryl L. Chafee
Officer
Admissions & Financial Aid
419-433-5560 ext. 2-0683
email: cchafee@bgsu.edu
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Rod Roark, MS, RRT
Program Director of Respiratory Care
(800) 322-4787 (x 20865)
rroark@bgsu.edu
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NOTE: Information in this Career Guide is subject to change without notice.
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