Respiratory Therapist

Remote

💊 Health

Respiratory Therapists typically work for a variety of medical settings, including hospitals, sleep disorder clinics, respiratory clinics and other healthcare facilities to help care for patients with respiratory conditions. They work closely with Physicians, Nurses and other healthcare professionals to ensure patients receive quality care. Their job is to administer medications and respiratory treatments to help treat or cure respiratory illnesses. They may also be responsible for helping patients learn more about respiratory conditions, their causes and how to care for themselves at home.

What does a Respiratory Therapist do?

A Respiratory Therapist, or Registered Respiratory Therapist, is responsible for monitoring and treating patients with temporary or chronic respiratory conditions like asthma, COPD, pneumonia, bronchitis or emphysema. Their duties include interviewing patients and completing diagnostic tests to determine their respiratory conditions, communicating with Physicians and Nurses to develop patient treatment plans and administering respiratory treatments to patients based on their conditions.

Responsibilities

A Respiratory Therapist should be able to fulfill various duties and responsibilities. The following are some duties and responsibilities a Respiratory Therapist should be able to execute:

Perform chest examinations on a range of patients from babies through to the elderly
Consult with doctors and other healthcare staff to develop and modify patient treatment plans
Perform physical examination and diagnostic tests measuring lung capacity and blood acidity and alkalinity
Treat patients using oxygen or oxygen mixtures, aerosol medications and chest physiotherapy
Educate patients on how to use equipment and medication

Required Skills

A competitive Respiratory Therapist will have certain skills and qualifications, including:

A Respiratory Therapist needs problem-solving skills to recommend and administer treatment based on their evaluation of a patient’s symptoms.
Respiratory Therapists need compassion to give emotional support to patients.
Respiratory Therapists need to understand physiology, anatomy and other sciences for their job.
Interpersonal skills are required for a Respiratory Therapist to effectively communicate with patients, families, nurses, doctors or other medical staff. Good communication is vital to work well with others and in a team setting.
A Respiratory Therapist needs emotional stability to provide a safe environment for patients.

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