Introduction
A respiratory therapist is a medical professional specializing in treating people with respiratory problems. For example, this therapist can help treat asthma, emphysema, pneumonia, mucoviscidosis, and other conditions. In addition, they provide emergency care to patients suffering from a heart attack, shock, or drowning (“Respiratory therapist job description,” n.d.). As a rule, respiratory therapists work in intensive care and post-intensive care units, emergency rooms, and specialized wards (Ge et al., 2022). A respiratory therapist is a practitioner providing care and extended life support to help patients of all ages breathe.
Analysis
A respiratory therapist is a diverse and specialized professional examining patients and providing them with ventilator management, oxygen, aerosol therapy, or diagnostic services. Consequently, a specialist’s main task is evaluating, diagnosing, and treating a patient’s respiratory function (Ge et al., 2022). Furthermore, as practice shows, the responsibilities of a respiratory therapist additionally include coordinating treatment and discussing patient treatment plans with medical team members, talking to patients with respiratory diseases, taking chest X-rays of patients and analyzing them, and more. In particular, a respiratory therapist works full-time, usually with an hourly wage of about $36 per hour (“Hourly wage,” n.d.). Compensation will vary depending on the experience, duration of work, and the size and location of a respiratory therapist’s facility.
To work as a respiratory therapist, a person must have in-depth knowledge of pulmonary function and pulmonary rehabilitation and experience working with respiratory equipment. Successful respiratory therapists need hard and soft skills to do their job. Moreover, to confirm these competencies, a degree in respiratory therapy is required under an accredited program (“Respiratory therapist,” n.d.). Obtaining a license in a state where a specialist will work is necessary.
Conclusion
In conclusion, a respiratory therapist is an essential and significant specialist in healthcare who is engaged in assessing and treating patients’ breathing. This specialist helps to cope with acute and chronic dysfunction of the cardiopulmonary system. Today, this profession is especially in demand and highly paid. Still, to master it, developing specific skills, abilities, and knowledge and receiving special education and a license to operate in a state is necessary.
References
Ge, H. Q., Xu, P. F., Qian, X. L., & Shen, W. M. (2022). The role of respiratory therapy in respiratory rehabilitation of critically ill patients. Chinese Journal of Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases, 45(9), 848-851. Web.
Hourly wage for registered respiratory therapist salary in the United States. (n.d). Salary.com. Web.
Respiratory therapist job description. (n.d.). Betterteam. Web.