Respiratory Therapists

• Summary

• Details

Work Activities

• Perform pulmonary function and adjust equipment to obtain optimum results in therapy.
• Teach, train, supervise, or use the assistance of students, respiratory therapy technicians, or assistants.
• 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.
• Inspect, clean, test, and maintain respiratory therapy equipment to ensure equipment is functioning safely and efficiently, ordering repairs when necessary.
• Perform bronchopulmonary drainage and assist or instruct patients in performance of breathing exercises.
• Determine requirements for treatment, such as type, method and duration of therapy, precautions to be taken, or medication and dosages, compatible with physicians' orders.
• Demonstrate respiratory care procedures to trainees or other healthcare personnel.
• Provide emergency care, such as artificial respiration, external cardiac massage, or assistance with cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
• Read prescription, measure arterial blood gases, and review patient information to assess patient condition.
• Relay blood analysis results to a physician.
• Perform bronchopulmonary drainage and assist or instruct patients in performance of breathing exercises.
• Inspect, clean, test, and maintain respiratory therapy equipment to ensure equipment is functioning safely and efficiently, ordering repairs when necessary.
• Provide emergency care, such as artificial respiration, external cardiac massage, or assistance with cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
• 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.
• Set up and operate devices, such as mechanical ventilators, therapeutic gas administration apparatus, environmental control systems, or aerosol generators, following specified parameters of treatment.
• Set up and operate devices, such as mechanical ventilators, therapeutic gas administration apparatus, environmental control systems, or aerosol generators, following specified parameters of treatment.
• Make emergency visits to resolve equipment problems.
• Monitor cardiac patients, using electrocardiography devices, such as a holter monitor.
• 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.
• Perform pulmonary function and adjust equipment to obtain optimum results in therapy.
• Inspect, clean, test, and maintain respiratory therapy equipment to ensure equipment is functioning safely and efficiently, ordering repairs when necessary.
• Perform endotracheal intubation to maintain open airways for patients who are unable to breathe on their own.
• Enforce safety rules and ensure careful adherence to physicians' orders.
• Transport patients to the hospital or within the hospital.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Use a variety of testing techniques to assist doctors in cardiac or pulmonary research or to diagnose disorders.
• Explain treatment procedures to patients to gain cooperation and allay fears.
• Maintain charts that contain patients' pertinent identification and therapy information.

Skills

• Installation
  • Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
• Systems Evaluation
  • Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
• Writing
  • Writing things for co-workers or customers.
• Operations Monitoring
  • Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.
• Judgment and Decision Making
  • Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
• Management of Financial Resources
  • Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.
• Quality Control Analysis
  • Testing how well a product or service works.
• Management of Personnel Resources
  • Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.
• Operation and Control
  • Using equipment or systems.
• Systems Analysis
  • Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.
• Monitoring
  • Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
• Mathematics
  • Using math to solve problems.
• Speaking
  • Talking to others.
• Active Listening
  • Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
• Programming
  • Writing computer programs.
• Active Learning
  • Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
• Social Perceptiveness
  • Understanding people's reactions.
• Persuasion
  • Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
• Instructing
  • Teaching people how to do something.
• Service Orientation
  • Looking for ways to help people.
• Complex Problem Solving
  • Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
• Equipment Selection
  • Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.
• Equipment Maintenance
  • Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.
• Troubleshooting
  • Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
• Time Management
  • Managing your time and the time of other people.
• Critical Thinking
  • Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
• Negotiation
  • Bringing people together to solve differences.
• Technology Design
  • Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
• Repairing
  • Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
• Reading Comprehension
  • Reading work-related information.
• Management of Material Resources
  • Managing equipment and materials.
• Coordination
  • Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
• Operations Analysis
  • Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
• Learning Strategies
  • Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
• Science
  • Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.

Abilities

• Problem Sensitivity
  • Noticing when problems happen.
• Written Comprehension
  • Reading and understanding what is written.
• Oral Expression
  • Communicating by speaking.
• Far Vision
  • Seeing details that are far away.
• Static Strength
  • Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
• Dynamic Flexibility
  • Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
• Speed of Closure
  • Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
• Inductive Reasoning
  • Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
• Speech Recognition
  • Recognizing spoken words.
• Explosive Strength
  • Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
• Rate Control
  • Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
• Flexibility of Closure
  • Seeing hidden patterns.
• Perceptual Speed
  • Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
• Category Flexibility
  • Grouping things in different ways.
• Gross Body Equilibrium
  • Keeping your balance or staying upright.
• Trunk Strength
  • Using your lower back and stomach.
• Stamina
  • Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
• Extent Flexibility
  • Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.
• Spatial Orientation
  • Knowing where things are around you.
• Control Precision
  • Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
• Deductive Reasoning
  • Using rules to solve problems.
• Information Ordering
  • Ordering or arranging things.
• Written Expression
  • Communicating by writing.
• Originality
  • Creating new and original ideas.
• Gross Body Coordination
  • Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
• Glare Sensitivity
  • Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
• Near Vision
  • Seeing details up close.
• Sound Localization
  • Noticing the direction that a sound came from.
• Number Facility
  • Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
• Finger Dexterity
  • Putting together small parts with your fingers.
• Hearing Sensitivity
  • Telling the difference between sounds.
• Night Vision
  • Seeing at night or under low light.
• Visual Color Discrimination
  • Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.
• Dynamic Strength
  • Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
• Mathematical Reasoning
  • Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
• Speed of Limb Movement
  • Quickly moving your arms and legs.
• Selective Attention
  • Paying attention to something without being distracted.
• Response Orientation
  • Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.
• Memorization
  • Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
• Time Sharing
  • Doing two or more things at the same time.
• Manual Dexterity
  • Holding or moving items with your hands.
• Wrist-Finger Speed
  • Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
• Arm-Hand Steadiness
  • Keeping your arm or hand steady.
• Reaction Time
  • Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
• Visualization
  • Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
• Multilimb Coordination
  • Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
• Fluency of Ideas
  • Coming up with lots of ideas.
• Oral Comprehension
  • Listening and understanding what people say.
• Peripheral Vision
  • Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.
• Auditory Attention
  • Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.
• Depth Perception
  • Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
• Speech Clarity
  • Speaking clearly.

Knowledge

• Law and Government
  • Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
• Administrative
  • Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
• Engineering and Technology
  • Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
• Biology
  • Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
• Therapy and Counseling
  • Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
• Education and Training
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• Philosophy and Theology
  • Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
• Sociology and Anthropology
  • Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
• Chemistry
  • Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
• English Language
  • Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
• Administration and Management
  • Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
• Food Production
  • Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
• Physics
  • Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
• History and Archeology
  • Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
• Personnel and Human Resources
  • Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
• Sales and Marketing
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
• Psychology
  • Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
• Customer and Personal Service
  • Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• Public Safety and Security
  • Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
• Computers and Electronics
  • Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• Foreign Language
  • Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
• Fine Arts
  • Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
• Economics and Accounting
  • Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
• Building and Construction
  • Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
• Telecommunications
  • Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
• Communications and Media
  • Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
• Transportation
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
• Mechanical
  • Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
• Geography
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
• Production and Processing
  • Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
• Mathematics
  • Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• Medicine and Dentistry
  • Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
• Design
  • Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

Education

Education

Associate's degree

Work Experience

No work experience

Training

No on-the-job training

Education and Training Opportunities

×

Education and Training Opportunities

• Pima Medical Institute-Renton
  555 South Renton Village Place Suite 110, Renton WA 98057
  School Type

  Private for-profit, 2-year

  Admissions
  School Size

  Under 1,000

  Financial Aid 425-228-9600
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,No graduate offering
  Website

  https://pmi.edu/
  Program Name
  Respiratory Care Therapy/Therapist
  Length
  2 years
  Award Level
  Associate's degree
  Save

  ---

Close

Pay

Washington Annual Salary

97150/yr

Washington Hourly Wage

46.71/hr

Washington Employment Trends

Currently Employed

2,450

Yearly Projected Openings

180

Personality

Social: People interested in this work like activities that include helping people, teaching, and talking. They do well at jobs that need:

• Cooperation
• Concern for Others
• Attention to Detail
• Dependability
• Integrity
• Self Control

Tools

• Apnea monitors
• Arterial blood gas monitors
• Autotransfusion units
• Bedside pulmonary function screeners
• Blood collection syringes
• Bronchoscopes
• Cardiac output CO monitoring units
• Chest cuirass products
• Chest percussors
• Clinical incubators or infant warmers
• Electrocardiography EKG units
• Electronic blood pressure units
• Endotracheal tubes
• Flow sensors or regulators or components
• High frequency ventilators
• Intensive care ventilators
• Intermittent positive pressure breathing IPPB machines
• Intraaortic balloon pumps
• Medical acoustic stethoscopes
• Medical aerosol tents
• Medical gas cylinders or related devices
• Medical head hoods
• Medical nasal cannulas
• Medical or surgical suction or vacuum appliances
• Medical oxygen masks or parts
• Mercury blood pressure units
• Nebulizers
• Non invasive bi level machines
• Non invasive continuous positive air pressure machines
• Notebook computers
• Oxygen concentrators
• Oxygen delivery connectors or adapters
• Perfusion oxygen or hematocrit saturation monitors
• Personal computers
• Personal digital assistant PDAs or organizers
• Pulmonary functioning tubing
• Pulse oximeter units
• Respiratory humidifiers or vaporizers
• Respiratory manometer kits
• Respiratory monitoring kit accessories
• Respiratory monitoring kits
• Respiratory therapy compressors
• Resuscitation masks
• Spirometers
• Sputum collection apparatus or containers
• Surgical isolation suit or helmet or shield
• Tablet computers
• Tourniquets
• Tracheostomy tubes
• Treadmill exercisers for rehabilitation or therapy
• Vacuum blood collection tubes or containers

Technology

• Calendar and scheduling software
• Data base user interface and query software
• Electronic mail software
• Medical software
• Office suite software
• Presentation software
• Spreadsheet software
• Word processing software