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Respiratory Care Practitioner/ Therapist

Respiratory care practitioners work under the direction of a physician and assist in the diagnosis, treatment and management of patients with pulmonary disorders like asthma.

According to AZCaringcareers.com, respiratory therapists earn approximately $37,000 a year.

Job responsibilities
Patients who need respiratory care
Places of practice
Educational requirements
Educational programs
Professional organizations

Job responsibilities:

• Measure the capacity of a patient's lungs to determine if there is impaired function.
  
  
• Draw and analyze blood samples to determine the levels of oxygen, carbon dioxide and other gases to assess the best course of treatment.
  
  
• Treating and providing therapy to help patients to help recover their lung function.
  
  
• Use various types of equipment to administer oxygen or to stimulate breathing.
  
  
• Administer medications in aerosol form to help alleviate breathing problems.
  

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Patients who need a respiratory care practitioner

• Premature infants
• The elderly
• Women with high-risk deliveries
• Patients with acute and chronic lung diseases
• Patients with emergencies from disease or trauma

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Places of practice:

• Hospitals
• Nursing homes
• Home health agencies
• Medical equipment supply companies
• Physicians' offices

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Educational requirements:

• Two-year associate degree program in respiratory care. 
• A license obtained by passing the required examination.

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Educational programs:

• Community College of Rhode Island
  
• Northeastern University
  
• Quinnipiac University

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Professional organizations:

• American Association for Respiratory Care
  http://www.aarc.org/

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