Respiratory Therapists
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.
Sample of reported job titles:
Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Respiratory Therapist, Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT), Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT), Respiratory Care Practitioner (RCP), Respiratory Therapist (RT), Staff Respiratory Therapist, Staff Therapist
Occupation-Specific Information
Tasks
- Set up and operate devices, such as mechanical ventilators, therapeutic gas administration apparatus, environmental control systems, or aerosol generators, following specified parameters of treatment.
- Provide emergency care, such as artificial respiration, external cardiac massage, or assistance with cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
- Determine requirements for treatment, such as type, method and duration of therapy, precautions to be taken, or medication and dosages, compatible with physicians' orders.
- Monitor 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.
- Read prescription, measure arterial blood gases, and review patient information to assess patient condition.
Technology Skills
- Calendar and scheduling software:Calendar and scheduling software
- Data base user interface and query software:Database software
- Electronic mail software:Microsoft Outlook
- Medical software:Electronic medical record EMR software,HMS,MEDITECH software
- Office suite software:Microsoft Office
Occupational Requirements
Work Activities
- Documenting/Recording Information:Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
- Assisting and Caring for Others:Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
- Getting Information:Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
- Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials:Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
- Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge:Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
Detailed Work Activities
- Adjust settings or positions of medical equipment.
- Assist healthcare practitioners during examinations or treatments.
- Clean medical equipment or facilities.
- Collaborate with healthcare professionals to plan or provide treatment.
- Communicate test or assessment results to medical professionals.
Work Context
- Telephone:94% responded"Every day"
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled:94% responded"Every day"
- Exposed to Disease or Infections:92% responded"Every day"
- Face-to-Face Discussions:91% responded"Every day"
- Contact With Others:85% responded"Constant contact with others"
Worker Requirements
Skills
- Active Listening:Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Critical Thinking:Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Monitoring:Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Speaking:Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Active Learning:Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Knowledge
- Customer and Personal Service:Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
- Medicine and Dentistry:Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
- English Language:Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
- Education and Training:Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
- Psychology:Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
Education
How much education does a new hire need to perform a job in this occupation? Respondents said:
- 83%Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)
- 12%Bachelor's Degree
Worker Characteristics
Abilities
- Inductive Reasoning:The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
- Oral Expression:The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
- Problem Sensitivity:The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
- Deductive Reasoning:The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
- Information Ordering:The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Interests
- Social:Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
- Investigative:Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
- Realistic:Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
Work Values
- Relationships:Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
- Support:Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.
- Recognition:Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.
Work Styles
- Cooperation:Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
- Concern for Others:Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
- Attention to Detail:Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
- Dependability:Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
- Integrity:Job requires being honest and ethical.
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