Respiratory Therapist Jobs
The number and variety of respiratory therapist jobs are growing faster than most other types of career. Health care is a necessity so that field is always going to at least stay steady but with the Baby Boomer generation becoming older, respiratory therapist jobs are growing faster than most other in this industry. Changes in the health care landscape and advances in technology have created new jobs in this field that didn't exist a decade ago. Today, a therapist can work in many different settings, depending on education levels, skills, experience and personal desire.
Many respiratory therapist jobs are still to be found in the institutionalized settings, particularly in nursing homes and hospitals. Nursing homes and other types of assisted living facilities always need to employ skilled respiratory practitioners to aid in the treatment of their aged populations. This is the population segment with the most chronic lung conditions such as COPD, pneumonia, bronchitis and other cardiopulmonary disease. Respiratory therapist jobs in these facilities range from everyday care to supervisory positions.
In hospitals, respiratory therapist jobs are found in almost every section of the facility. Specialists in pediatric respiratory therapy are needed in the neonatal units, as well as pediatric critical care and emergency treatment centers. Others specialize in working with anesthesia management or surgical aftercare. Often a respiratory practitioner will be included with critical care transport teams, both by land and air, so that emergency life-saving care can be giving while being transported to the hospital or trauma center.
Home health care is another employment setting that is creating many respiratory therapy jobs. More and more people are getting care at home rather than in an institutionalized setting and respiratory technicians can monitor equipment, treatments and follow-up care in the home. Since home care respiratory specialists are not able to perform the more complex care tasks as they are not under direct doctor supervision, the home care employment opportunities are on the lower end of the salary scale.
The advances in technology have created new settings to find respiratory therapist jobs. Places like sleep diagnostic facilities and separate cardiac catheterization labs did not exist not too long ago. Now that they do, they require respiratory services and this has created more job opportunities within this field. There are also a number of jobs to be found in doctors' offices and respiratory equipment companies.
The outlook for respiratory therapist jobs is very promising, with expected growth of over 20% annually through 2018 according to the Department of Labor projections.
