Respiratory Therapists

What Does a Respiratory Therapists Do?

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.

Day-to-Day Responsibilities

• 1Teach, train, supervise, or use the assistance of students, respiratory therapy technicians, or assistants.
• 2Provide emergency care, such as artificial respiration, external cardiac massage, or assistance with cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
• 3Monitor 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.
• 4Set up and operate devices, such as mechanical ventilators, therapeutic gas administration apparatus, environmental control systems, or aerosol generators, following specified parameters of treatment.
• 5Work as part of a team of physicians, nurses, or other healthcare professionals to manage patient care by assisting with medical procedures or related duties.
• 6Maintain charts that contain patients' pertinent identification and therapy information.
• 7Read prescription, measure arterial blood gases, and review patient information to assess patient condition.
• 8Relay blood analysis results to a physician.

Required Skills

• Active Listening
• Monitoring
• Critical Thinking
• Speaking
• Service Orientation
• Active Learning
• Social Perceptiveness
• Reading Comprehension
• Calendar and scheduling software
• Database software
• eClinicalWorks EHR software
• Electronic medical record EMR software
• HMS
• MEDITECH software
• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft Office software
• Microsoft Outlook
• Microsoft PowerPoint