Respiratory Therapist
Respiratory therapy is an important field in the medical industry. As our population grows older and technology continues to advance, people are living longer than ever with health issues that need ongoing care. Many of these issues are breathing problems due to the growing number of people with COPD, asthma, and other chronic lung conditions.
Respiratory therapists work under a doctor's supervision, but as they grow in skill and experience, they can have quite a lot of autonomy. Not only do therapists need to be able to assess and develop treatment plans, they must also be familiar with the procedures and treatments they perform, along with being familiar with the equipment. Checking oxygen delivery or nebulizers to make sure they are working properly are among the responsibilities of a respiratory therapist.
Therapists may specialize in different areas. For example, there is a big difference between treatments for infants compared to adults. If a therapist wants to work with infants and children, they will need to focus on these differences. Some may want to specialize in sleep disorders and work strictly within that field.
What does a respiratory therapist do?
A respiratory therapist helps with the diagnosis, treatment, and management of those with various pulmonary issues. This may not sound demanding, but the job duties of a respiratory therapist can be quite complex. While they concentrate in only one area, cardiopulmonary, they perform duties that are on par with registered nurses.
A respiratory therapist needs to be able to collect and analyze various specimens such as sputum and blood. They will be checking for blood gas levels, such as oxygen and carbon dioxide, as these levels help indicate whether a treatment is effective as well as to diagnose various problems. They are also capable of performing examinations related to the pulmonary area and perform various tests to measure lung capacity and function.
The biggest part of the respiratory therapist job would be the administering of various treatments to the pulmonary patients. This would include setting up oxygen delivery, administering breathing treatments such as albuterol nebulizer treatments, and even assisting with inserting and removing ventilators.
Depending on the level of education and experience, a respiratory therapist could end up supervising other therapists, so they would need to have administrative and organizational skills as well. Those well advanced in training could be called upon to perform IV and central lines, bronchoscopy, and even chest intubation.
