Certified respiratory therapist roles are much in demand not only in hospitals but in private clinics and doctor’s offices. If you’re thinking of a career in medicine therefore, it’s worth considering respiratory therapy as it has very good earning potential and offers many opportunities for advancement and travel.
What Does A Certified Respiratory Therapist Do?
Patients who experience difficulty in breathing due to lung disease, need to be evaluated and diagnosed quickly and a proper respiratory therapeutic treatment put into action as soon as possible. It’s the responsibility of a respiratory therapist to ensure that everything is done to alleviate distressing symptoms and make the patient comfortable.
By working closely with a physician, a patient’s condition is discussed and decisions can then be made as to the best possible treatment for their particular problem.
In order to make a qualified assessment of any given situation, it’s important that the therapist has at least an Associate’s degree in respiratory therapy. Providing relief to patients who have asthma, emphysema or who have had a stroke or a heart attack, means the therapist must be knowledgeable and able to make sure the oxygen levels their patient needs are correct, and that the equipment is working satisfactorily.
Although an Associate’s degree is essential, therapists with a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree are preferred. The topics covered in such a degree course are:
- Anatomy
- Physiology
- Diagnostic testing and procedures
- Respiratory therapy patient care
- Pulmonary pathophysiology
- Microbiology
- Respiratory health promotion
- Respiratory therapy procedures
- Pediatric respiratory therapy
- Patient assessment
The requirements of a respiratory therapist are many and varied as apart from a degree they must be able to blend in with other members of staff, communicate well with patients, particularly when teaching them how to operate machinery for themselves, and be competent in their diagnosis.
Studying for a respiratory therapist degree can take anything from 2 to 6 years, but the rewards for a certified respiratory therapist are many.
Working in a hospital environment a therapist can become involved with various members of a medical team in diagnosing and treating patients who are experiencing extremely distressing health problems. They are also instrumental in educating patients about the dangers of smoking, and helping them to stop.
Premature babies need help breathing as their lungs are underdeveloped. A respiratory therapist will closely monitor a baby’s progress and make sure that the child is receiving sufficient oxygen until the lungs are fully formed.
A certified respiratory therapist can progress up the ranks and can choose to work as a teacher, or in laboratory, depending upon where their particular interests lie.
Some of the highest paid respiratory therapist jobs are in intensive care and critical care, but you would need to have good qualifications and experience.
The demand for certified respiratory therapists is growing daily, and is expected to increase by 19% by the year 2016.
Respiratory therapist certification covers many aspects. There will be a great deal of written work, but there will also be working in a hospital under supervision. For this reason, it’s quite important you choose a course that is fairly near to your home, as traveling will cause you extra expense, and take away the time you could use for studying.
There are online respiratory therapist schools which means you can work from home, but you will still need to attend a hospital for the practical work. Your exams will certainly be divided into written and practical work, so it’s necessary to become proficient in order to attain a degree.
Patient’s with breathing difficulties need reassurance and the belief that you, as their therapist, will be able to help them breathe properly again. Experience in respiratory patient care is an essential part of the treatment, and being able to put a patient at ease is something that every therapist must work towards. All the hard work and training will build a student’s knowledge and understanding, and make them capable and adept at dealing with any given situation.
A certified respiratory therapist can bring comfort and hope to a patient, and this is best achieved by attaining as much knowledge as possible so that you can improve the quality of life for all future patients’.