Respiratory Therapy Career: Growing Faster

Respiratory therapists, also known as respiratory care practitioners, provide treatment, evaluation, monitoring and management of patients with breathing disorders or cardiovascular problems.

Care provided by respiratory therapists may include: administration of oxygen, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, management of mechanical ventilators, administering drugs to the lungs, monitoring cardiopulmonary systems and measuring lung function.

Respiratory therapists treat all types of patients, ranging from premature infants whose lungs are not fully developed to elderly people with lung disease. They provide temporary relief to patients with chronic asthma or emphysema, as well as emergency care to patients who are victims of a heart attack, stroke, drowning or shock.

Therapists regularly monitor patients and equipment. If the patient is having difficulty, or if the oxygen, carbon dioxide, or pH level of the blood is abnormal, therapists change the ventilator settings according to the physician’s order or check equipment for mechanical problems.

Respiratory therapists perform chest physiotherapy on patients to remove mucus from their lungs and improve breathing. For example, during surgery, anesthesia depresses respiration, so this chest physiotherapy may be prescribed to return the patient’s lungs to normal functioning and prevent congestion. Chest physiotherapy also helps patients suffering from lung diseases, such as cystic fibrosis, that cause mucus to collect in the lungs.

Respiratory therapists also administer aerosols – liquid medications suspended in a gas that forms a mist which is inhaled – and teach patients how to inhale the aerosol properly to assure its effectiveness.

The median annual earnings of respiratory therapists were $43,140 in 2004. The middle 50 percent earned between $37,650 and $50,860. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $32,220, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $57,580. In general medical and surgical hospitals, median annual earnings of respiratory therapists were $44,110 in 2002.

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics expects jobs for RTs to grow at a faster than average rate over the next decade, especially in hospitals.  Wages are expected to increase as well.  Currently, the average annual salary for an experienced RT is around $56,000.  RTs can expect to start at an average annual salary of over $41,000, according to the American Association for Respiratory Care.

Respiratory Therapists are also have many advancement opportunities, from becoming department managers and entering other hospital management positions to becoming clinical instructors and education program directors.  Some RTs put their skills and experience to use with equipment and drug manufacturers.  Still others move into case management or research.  You could even be your own boss and start your own home care or diagnostic company.

The first step is to enroll in a CoARC-accredited respiratory care program.  Michigan is home to several such programs.  After graduating with a minimum of an Associate’s degree, you must take the CRT exam from the National Board of Respiratory Care.  Successfully passing this exam qualifies you for a Michigan licence to practice respiratory care.  Most therapists eventually obtain the RRT credential (which requires two additional exams).  Some go on to obtain advanced credentials in neonatal/pediatric care or pulmonary function testing.