Respiratory therapist is also known as respiratory care practitioners. A career in this field in very flourishing and is much in demand. Those who are looking forward, or are keen on having a career as a respiratory therapist, must be aware of the job, and the duties it encompasses.
A respiratory therapist is trained to monitor the patients with lung and cardio pulmonary disorders, evaluate, and treat, manage the patient. A therapist learns to treat all type of respiratory cases of patients belonging to every age group. They provide temporary relief to patients who suffer from asthma. They are trained to treat complicated cases like emphysema, as well as manage emergency situations like heart attack or stroke, shock or drowning.
Respiratory therapy is a sector that is very much growing in demand, and is becoming the need of every hospital. These therapists are professionals who are assistants to the senior doctors so that they take care of the preliminary requirement to simplify and ensure proper patient care. He has to consult the doctor to plan the patient care and treatment.
A respiratory therapist requires interviewing patients, taking the case, performing the needed physical examination and also conducting diagnostic tests. A respiratory therapist’s job includes testing and evaluating the lung capacity. He has to record the inhaled and the exhaled oxygen and compare the values keeping the age, sex and other parameters in mind. This will help determine the patient’s lung deficiency. He is also trained to analyze blood samples, remove mucus from the lungs, perform chest physiotherapy, etc. a therapist has to offer complex therapy and care to patients who are on life-support system or in ICU.
To become a qualified respiratory therapist, the candidate has to undergo 2 years of associate degree course or 4 years of graduation degree after high school degree. It is important that your degree is governed by NBRC (National Board for Respiratory Care) to become a certified and licensed respiratory therapist. Respiratory therapy requires study in subject’s like anatomy, physiology, physics, chemistry, microbiology, pharmacology, pathology and mathematics. The therapist courses deals with therapeutic and diagnostic procedures and tests, equipment, patient assessment, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation the application of clinical practice guidelines, respiratory health promotion and disease prevention, patient care outside of hospitals, and also includes medical recordkeeping as well as reimbursement.
Once you are a qualified respiratory therapist, especially those who are graduates, job opportunities are overwhelming. Most jobs are hospital oriented, though today there are jobs outside hospital too attached to home healthcare service, or private clinics etc. it is expected that in the coming times need of respiratory therapists will be higher, understanding the ever increasing rate of cardio-pulmonary diseases in the world. There will be almost 21% growth in demand in various filed like disease prevention, early detection of pulmonary disorders, case management, and emergency care.