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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?
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:
AND this:
Where Do They Work?
Respiratory Therapists provide patient care in multiple settings, including:
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?
The majority of Respiratory Therapists (approximately 75%) are employed in acute care hospitals, working long shifts that rotate through days, evenings, nights, and weekends. Keep this in mind when considering the RT career path, as the majority of opportunities will involve working variable hours.
Did you know?
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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.
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.
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.
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.
Take Action
Do you already possess some of the qualities and skills needed to be an RT?
This Byte has been authored by
Carol Starratt
Learning Experience Designer