Respiratory Therapist Job Description
Respiratory therapists are hired by hospitals and other medical facilities where they are responsible for administering medication to patients and hooking them up on ventilators to help them breathe easier.
They are trained professionals who possess an associate’s degree from an accredited respiratory therapy program.
The work of a respiratory therapist includes handling many different types of patients, including the elderly and premature babies who have underdeveloped lungs and need specialized care.
They also help patients who have asthma, pleurisy, and cardiovascular disorders.
Respiratory therapists work in emergency rooms, intensive care units, and pulmonary diagnostics laboratories. They work in rehabilitation centers as well.
Recommended: Respiratory Therapist Cover Letter
Job Duties for Respiratory Therapist Resume
- Interview patients about their respiratory ailments and examine them to determine the extent of disease or condition
- Perform a variety of diagnostic tests to diagnose respiratory ailments
- Perform several lung function tests and x-rays to assess lung capacities
- Get patients’ blood work done to determine levels of oxygen in their blood
- Examine test results of blood work and identify problems
- Determine requirements for treatments for each patient based on his or her specific respiratory needs
- Perform activities to remove mucus and other fluids from patients’ lungs
- Prescribe medication to clear patients’ airways so they can breathe easier
- Administer medication through IVs to ensure that their lung passages remain uncompromised
- Provide education to patients regarding lung diseases and prevention
- Educate patients on lung health and ways to maintain it
- Instruct patients about the use of inhalers and medication
- Perform emergency resuscitation in the event of shallow or no breathing
- Create and implement patient care plan by coordinating with patients’ primary care physician
- Hook up patients with collapsed or compromised lungs to ventilators and other life support systems
- Perform pulmonary rehabilitation, smoking cessation counseling, and case management activities
- Handle premature babies by providing them with life-saving drugs and ventilator support
- Insert ventilation tubes into patients’ windpipes and remove them when required
- Instruct patients, families, and caregivers in the use of life support systems such as ventilators
- Perform respiratory care such as oxygen therapy, breathing treatments, and pulmonary drainage procedures