Does helping others make you feel like a champion?

Are you quick to react when something unexpected happens?

Do you feel pulled towards the healthcare industry?

Dwight from the office saying,

If so, then a career as a Respiratory Therapist may be the right path for you!

What Do They Do?

Respiratory Therapists (RTs) help patients manage and control their breathing problems.

They work with health care teams to diagnose, treat, educate, and promote wellness in patients who experience difficulty in breathing.

They do this:

An unconscious person is wheeled on a gurney while being manually resuscitated.

AND this:

Man takes a cigarette out of a woman's mouth and throws it away.

Where Do They Work?

Respiratory Therapists provide patient care in multiple settings, including:

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  • Hospitals

  • Rehabilitation and extended care facilities

  • Physicians’ offices and wellness centers

  • Patient transport systems

  • Assisted-living homes

  • Patients’ homes

  • Labs that diagnose heart, lung, and sleep disorders

  • Educational institutions

Quiz

If working a nine-to-five, Monday through Friday job is important to you, will you like this job?

What Are Some Tasks Of An RT?

  • Collaborate with health care members to develop and deliver patient care.

  • Conduct breathing, tissue, and blood tests.

  • Fill in patient records, measure and track progress, and interpret results.

  • Administer nebulizers, ventilators, and other breathing devices.

A Respiratory Therapist tests a man's lung capacity.

Man and woman in PPE intubate a man lying on a gurney.

  • Supply a patient with medication, medical gases, and aerosol therapies.

  • Provide patient and family education.

  • Give emergency respiratory care, CPR, and intubation (insert breathing tubes).

  • Inspect, maintain, and calibrate breathing equipment.

But Will It Pay The Bills?

A Canadian flag blows in the wind.

In Canada, the average salary for an RT is $57,600 CAD.

An American flag blows in the wind.

In the USA, the average salary for an RT is $56,700 USD.

This Career Will Be Like A Breath Of Fresh Air If...

  • You are compassionate and have an interest in caring for others, from premature babies to the elderly.

  • You enjoy having clear guidelines and an organized approach to working.

  • You are interested in using equipment to perform precise tasks, like measurements and treatments.

David from Schitts Creek saying,

Don't Hold Your Breath! Consider Another Career If...

  • You would be uncomfortable spending most of your working hours on your feet.

  • You enjoy having minimal contact with other people.

  • You prefer to avoid blood, mucus, and vomit.

  • You often freeze up in stressful situations and struggle to act quickly or decisively in a crisis.

    David from Schitts Creek saying,

Take Action

Do you already possess some of the qualities and skills needed to be an RT?

Man looks up at the list and points out with a smile

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