Respiratory Therapy Assistant

           Respiratory Therapy Assistant

Duties and Responsibilities:  Respiratory therapy technicians evaluate, monitor, treat and care for patients with breathing disorders. They provide specific respiratory procedures under the supervision of doctors and respiratory therapists. They perform various tests and based primarily on the test results, a breathing treatment program is created for the patient. Most respiratory therapy technicians are employed in hospitals, however some work in doctor offices, respiratory clinics and nursing homes.

Some of the duties of therapists and technicians overlap, however the therapists have more responsibility. Therapists provide more complex therapies which need independent judgement. Respiratory therapists consult with doctors and other healthcare personnel in order to create and modify the treatment strategies for patients.

          ·         Test the capacity of a patient's lungs

          ·         Treat patient's health problems such as asthma, emphysema, cystic fibrosis, pneumonia and bronchitis

          ·         Adhere to the safety rules of the equipment

          ·         Perform diagnostic procedures to evaluate the severity of the patient's respiratory problem

          ·         Provide respiratory care using well-defined therapeutic techniques under the supervision of doctors and respiratory therapists

         ·         Interview and examine patients in order to gather data

         ·         Utilize ventilators, aerosol, various types of oxygen equipment and breathing treatments

         ·         Explain treatments to patients

         ·         Evaluate patient's response to treatments

         ·         Modify treatments

         ·         Monitor patient's during their treatments

         ·         Clean and sterilize respiratory therapy equipment

         ·         Test equipment

         ·         Keep records of patient's therapy

Salary: $56,146

Education:  Most entry-level jobs for respiratory therapy technicians require at least an associate degree in respiratory therapy, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. O*Net Online reported that 52 percent of those working in the occupation had associate degrees, while 40 percent had some college but hadn't earned a degree. The remaining 8 percent had earned bachelor's degrees. Training programs typically include instruction in operating and maintaining equipment, collecting patient data, sanitation, patient monitoring, installing respiratory assistance devices and airway management.