Respiratory Therapist Duties

What Are Respiratory Therapist Duties?

If you are interested in learning more about respiratory therapist duties, you must keep reading. The job duties for any respiratory therapist vary throughout the day, but there are key elements that are standard to the job, regardless of the therapist’s work location. The total list of respiratory therapist duties may not be the same for someone working in a nursing home instead of a hospital, but there are definitely similarities in the jobs for these two work locations. Start by understanding the diseases that respiratory therapists may treat—emphysema, asthma, underdeveloped lungs in newborns, lung cancer, or pneumonia are diseases or conditions that help decide the respiratory therapist duties that will be required.

The first thing a respiratory therapist does is meet their patient and interview them to find out the treatments that have been using if applicable, a bit about their health history, and then a chest examination in which the respiratory therapist will listen to the lungs through stethoscope. This is the first of many important respiratory therapist duties used for diagnosing the necessary therapy or treatment course. Blood work will be drawn to check oxygen saturation levels, CO2 levels, and blood gases to see how bad the situation may be. Throughout this procedure, it is necessary for a therapist to make sure the patient is at ease and comfortable. Once a therapist has determined a solid plan of action, the next on the list of respiratory therapist duties is to discuss the treatment with the patient’s doctor to see if he/she agrees.

Once a solid treatment plan has been set up, the respiratory therapist's next task will include setting the patient up with ventilators or artificial devices that help establish clear airways. Many times the doctor will install the airway devices, but it is among the respiratory therapist duties to ensure the equipment is working properly and enabling the patient to breathe clearly. If an emergency is called, another of the respiratory therapist duties involves helping restore the patient’s comfort by stabilizing his or her health. This can involve CPR and other life saving treatments. A therapist must also educate the patient’s family about the disease and treatment plan.