Happy Respiratory Care Week! We are so grateful for all of our respiratory therapists and the compassion and care they give to our patients.
A respiratory therapist helps people who have a hard time breathing. They treat patients of all ages and have many responsibilities. An RT’s day can include the following:
- diagnosing lung and breathing disorders
- managing devices for patients who need breathing assistance
- interviewing and evaluating patients to determine the best care
- working closely with physicians to decide the type of care for a patient
- educating patients and families to enhance their recovery
- analyzing breathing and vitals
- and more
RTs must be certified respiratory therapists or registered respiratory therapists. Every state besides Alaska requires that respiratory therapists also obtain a state license. Additionally, if a therapist is wanting to work with a certain population such as pediatrics, they may need additional training and certifications.
Though respiratory therapists are mainly found in hospitals, they also work in cardiopulmonary diagnostic labs or rehabilitation centers, nursing homes, and home health agencies and may spend their nights, weekends, and holidays with patients.
Respiratory therapists can choose to specialize in an areas such as:
- neonatal or pediatric care
- geriatric care
- pulmonary rehab
- critical care
- home care
If you or someone you know may be interested in becoming a respiratory therapist, you can call Patsy Parmer at 325-574-7143 for more details.
The information above was compiled using the following resources.
https://college.mayo.edu/academics/explore-health-care-careers/careers-a-z/respiratory-therapist/
