Are you looking for a career in the medical field? Have you considered a career as a registered respiratory therapist? What is Respiratory Therapy? Simply put, it’s the assessment and treatment of breathing disorders such as asthma, bronchitis, emphysema, and COPD. Not so simply put, it’s the treatment of more acute multi systemic problems common with other pathological conditions such as heart attacks, strokes, shock, asphyxiation, drowning shock or trauma.
Back in the 1940’s a group of “oxygen jockeys” met with doctors to discuss the mechanics of their machines and the treatment of lung disease. They started giving classes, and eventually, it evolved into an accredited field. So yes, you’ll have to go to one of the many respiratory therapy schools and complete at least an Associate’s Degree. There are committees that support the accreditation, including: Committee on Accreditation for Respiratory Care, or its predecessor, the Joint Review Committee for Respiratory Therapy Education, or the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs, or, in Canada, by the Council on Accreditation for Respiratory Therapy Education. Unlike the early days, Respiratory Therapy is no longer just limited to oxygen machines and the use thereof… Education in anatomy, physiology, athophysiology, pharmaceutical agents, chemistry, physics, hemodynamics, and mechanical ventilation make a Respiratory Therapist an indispensable team member, so you’ll want to focus your efforts on a variety of these subjects.
But wait, it gets even better! Because cardiovascular and pulmonary systems are so closely related, Respiratory Therapists must also be skilled with the cardiovascular system, and participate in advanced life support situations, ECG testing and interpretation, cardiac stress testing, and critical care cardiac support. Respiratory Therapists also perform a number of tasks including: mechanical ventilation, intubation, arterial line insertion, cardiac catheter advancement, tracheostomy recannulation, nasotracheal suction, drawing and interpreting arterial blood gases, pulmonary waveform analysis, inhaled medication delivery, oxygen delivery, aerosol therapy device management, and pulmonary function tests.
Job Description
When a patient has no breathing control, they may need the assistance of a mechanical ventilator. That’s where you come in. Respiratory Therapists are usually the only expert operators of this type of machine. Patients undergoing stress affecting their homeostatic balance may need to be administered therapeutic gases such as oxygen, heliox, and nitric oxide. A Respiratory Therapist may be called upon to intubate a patient to provide an open and protected airway. They may consult and administer therapies to improve the cardiovascular-respiratory system function to prevent lactic acidosis. They may also be needed to clear excess mucus or fluids from the bronchial tree, and to control swelling and inflammation in the bronchial passages. Ok, that’s not so glamorous, but hey, it’s necessary.
Here’s the glamour part… Respiratory Therapists play a critical part in the Code Team of an ICU/ER. They are responsible for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation of the patient, as well as establishing an open and protected airway (intubation). You’ll also be called upon to do Cardiac testing, the placement of Arterial Lines, and drawing Arterial Blood Gases for ventilation/oxygenation analysis. Like to wear a beeper? Respiratory Therapists are the only professionals other than nurses and doctors who are available to provide care to ICU/ER patients 24 hrs a day.
Respiratory Therapy Salary
So let’s talk turkey for a moment. What’s the payoff besides the beeper and the reward of knowing how many lives you’ve saved in a day’s work? Median salary for less than one year experience ranges between $16 to $21 per hour. That’s not bad to start. One to four years experience ranges from $18 to $23 per hour. Five to nine years will get you $20 to $25, and stick with it a little longer, say ten to nineteen years, and you get $21 to $29.
So in summary, Respiratory Therapy is a demanding, but equally rewarding field, providing the opportunity for variety, from the assessment and treatment of breathing disorders such as asthma, bronchitis, emphysema, and COPD, to the more acute multi systemic problems common with other pathological conditions such as heart attacks, strokes, shock, asphyxiation, drowning shock or trauma. So what are you waiting for? Respiratory Therapy is waiting for you.