- Betty Bender
“One machine can do the work of fifty ordinary men. No machine can do the work of one extraordinary man.” - Elbert Hubbard
”To find joy in work is to discover the fountain of youth.” - Pearl S. Buck
“One of the symptoms of an approaching nervous breakdown is the belief that one’s work is terribly important.” - Bertrand Russell
“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” - Thomas A. Edison
“Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.” - Theodore Roosevelt
“Going to work for a large company is like getting on a train. Are you going sixty miles an hour or is the train going sixty miles an hour and you’re just sitting still?” - J. Paul Getty
“The world is full of willing people, some willing to work, the rest willing to let them.” - Robert Frost
“So much of what we call management consists in making it difficult for people to work.” - Peter Drucker
”Nothing is really work unless you would rather be doing something else.” - James M. Barrie
”I’m a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it.” - Thomas Jefferson
“Success in business requires training and discipline and hard work. But if you’re not frightened by these things, the opportunities are just as great today as they ever were.” - David Rockefeller
RRTs FACTS:
Summary, What RRTs do, Work Environment, How to become one, Pay, Job Outlook, Similar Occupations and Contacts for More Information.
Respiratory Therapists
Summary
Respiratory therapists teach patients how to use treatments such as inhalers to help improve their breathing.
Quick Facts: Respiratory Therapists
2010 Median Pay $54,280 per year
$26.10 per hour
Entry-Level Education Associate’s degree
Work Experience in a Related Occupation None
On-the-job Training None
Number of Jobs, 2010 112,700
Job Outlook, 2010-20 28% (Faster than average)
Employment Change, 2010-20 31,200
What Respiratory Therapists Do
Respiratory therapists care for patients who have trouble breathing; for example, from a chronic respiratory disease, such as asthma or emphysema. They also provide emergency care to patients suffering from heart attacks, stroke, drowning, or shock.
Work Environment
Most respiratory therapists work in hospitals. Others may work in nursing care facilities or travel to patients’ homes.
How to Become a Respiratory Therapist
Respiratory therapists need at least an associate’s degree, although both associate’s and bachelor’s degrees are common. Respiratory therapists are licensed in all states except Alaska; requirements vary by state.
Pay
The median annual wage of respiratory therapists was $54,280 in May 2010.
Job Outlook
Employment is expected to grow by 28 percent from 2010 to 2020, faster than the average for all occupations. Growth in the middle-aged and elderly population will lead to greater demand for respiratory therapy services and treatments, mostly in hospitals and nursing homes.
Similar Occupations
Compare the job duties, education, job growth, and pay of respiratory therapists with similar occupations.
O*NET
O*NET provides comprehensive information on key characteristics of workers and occupations.
Contacts for More Information
Learn more about respiratory therapists by contacting these additional resources.
What Respiratory Therapists Do
Respiratory therapists interview and examine patients with breathing or cardiopulmonary disorders.
Respiratory therapists care for patients who have trouble breathing; for example, from a chronic respiratory disease, such as asthma or emphysema. Their patients range from premature infants with undeveloped lungs to elderly patients who have diseased lungs. They also provide emergency care to patients suffering from heart attacks, drowning, or shock.
Duties
Respiratory therapists typically do the following:
Interview and examine patients with breathing or cardiopulmonary disorders
Consult with physicians to develop patient treatment plans
Perform diagnostic tests such as measuring lung capacity
Treat patients, using a variety of methods, including chest physiotherapy and aerosol medications
Monitor and record the progress of treatment
Supervise respiratory therapy technicians during tests and evaluate the findings of the tests
Teach patients how to use treatments
Respiratory therapists use various tests to evaluate patients. For example, therapists test lung capacity by having patients breathe into an instrument that measures the volume and flow of oxygen when they inhale and exhale. Respiratory therapists may also take blood samples and use a blood gas analyzer to test the oxygen and carbon dioxide levels present.
Respiratory therapists perform chest physiotherapy on patients to remove mucus from their lungs and make it easier for them to breathe. Removing mucus is necessary for patients suffering from lung diseases, such as cystic fibrosis, and involves the therapist vibrating the patient’s rib cage, often by tapping the patient’s chest and encouraging him or her to cough.
Respiratory therapists may connect patients who cannot breathe on their own to ventilators to deliver oxygen to the lungs. Therapists insert a tube in the patient’s windpipe (trachea), and connect the tube to ventilator equipment. They set and monitor the equipment to ensure that the patient is receiving the correct amount of oxygen at the correct rate.
Respiratory
