Respiratory Therapy Assistant

Duties:

Respiratory therapy technicians serve people who have trouble breathing, and those with asthma, emphysema, and other cardiopulmonary ailments. Patients also include heart attack and stroke victims, those with lung problems, and people who have nearly drowned .Technicians may be called upon to help with most of the duties of a respiratory therapist. These tasks include conducting pulmonary function tests, and providing oxygen therapy with an ultrasonic nebulizer. Other procedures are intermittent positive-pressure breathing therapy and spirometer treatments. The results of examinations and tests need to be analyzed to determine diagnoses and treatments. Technicians provide drainage treatments, teach patients how to do breathing exercises, and monitor vital signs during therapy sessions. They get medical equipment ready, and test it, for use in examinations and diagnostic procedures. Among the devices are mechanical ventilators, electrocardiograms, aerosol generators, and machines that administer gas therapy.

Education:

In high school, students considering medical careers should take classes in sciences like anatomy, biology, and chemistry. English courses are also helpful. Hospitals and clinics frequently hire respiratory therapy technicians who are enrolled in degree programs in the field. It is possible to get a job as early as the freshman year, though employers tend to prefer seniors. Technical schools, community colleges, and hospitals offer a 1 to 2 year training program in respiratory therapy. They feature courses in pulmonary rehabilitation, pulmonary function testing, respiratory care, airway management, anatomy, physiology, and pharmacology. In addition to classes, students take part in clinical practicums. Most employers require one to possess at least an associate’s degree. Bachelor’s degree programs, involving four years of study, also are available. They provide more clinical training and classes in health sciences. A bachelor’s degree may help graduates get higher-paying jobs as technicians, or qualify for respiratory therapist positions.

Salary: $47,510