Advantages of being a Respiratory Therapist

Being a respiratory therapist has many advantages that can also help you. You can also help many people that have breathing disorders. Respiratory therapists who have a higher level of expertise may advance to teaching or supervisory positions. Therapists who have higher education and experience have a better chance to advance. Respiratory Therapists with outstanding achievement during training are frequently hired by the hospitals where they obtained their training. Others may apply directly to hospitals and civil service agencies. 

They may also register with the California Employment Development Department Job Service, private registries and medical employment agencies.  Other sources of assistance are professional associations, a in newspapers or medical journals classified ads, and referrals from instructors. Respiratory therapists are critical players in the health care field. A medical specialty all its own, the job consists of helping to treat patients with breathing disorders. Respiratory therapist jobs offer a high level of responsibility, along with allowing the therapist to offer their own opinions and judgments on medical decisions.

Working directly with physicians and other health care staff, they help formulate treatment plans and suggest modifications to those plans when they see fit. Other than doctors and nurses, few health care positions are as important as respiratory therapist jobs. RT’s see and work with patients all over the spectrum-from premature babies, to patients in their nineties. No day is ever the same, as patients range from people who need regularly scheduled care, such as those with emphysema, to emergency room victims who’ve had heart attacks or strokes, and must quickly have their breathing functions restored if they’re to survive.

In addition, many respiratory therapist jobs require home visits to care for patients who can’t or don’t need to come to the hospital. And the employment outlook for respiratory therapists couldn’t be better. There are around 125,000 RT’s in America right now, which is not enough to fill all open positions.

 And the number of respiratory therapist jobs is expected to increase at twice the rate of other employment categories over the next few years, in large part due to America’s aging population. If you’re a respiratory therapist already, there are many ways of looking for a different, better job, and enhancing your chances of landing one. One of the best ways is to take advantage of continuing education, either on a regular college campus or through internet based distance learning.

The American Association for Respiratory Care offers many online courses to enable therapists to obtain additional certifications without leaving their home. These courses are very inexpensive, and they’re even less expensive if you’re a member of AARC. They’re highly recommended for all RT’s, especially those who may be looking for a different respiratory therapist job in the near future. And if you’re trying to decide on a career field, either directly out of school, or you’re thinking of changing careers, you should consider becoming a respiratory therapist. To be certified as a respiratory therapist you must pass the CRT or RRT test.