- A career in respiratory therapy is attractive to those individuals interested in the health care field. Respiratory Ttherapists start a career with an Associate's degree and earn an average of $41,538 annually according to The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The demand for this career is growing rapidly. There will be a nineteen percent increase in the needed number of RTs by 2016.
- Respiratory therapy grew as an offshoot of anesthesia. Four decades ago in the 1950's, respiratory therapists were called inhalation therapists and were primarily trained on the job. The main responsibility of the inhalation therapist was to administer oxygen to hospital patients. After the development of ventilators, the inhalation therapist took on these duties as well. As respiratory care for pediatric patients expanded and as more sophisticated testing was introduced, training became more academic according to the Jefferson College of Health Sciences website.
- Training for respiratory therapists may be completed in as few as two years. Respiratory therapists training may last up to six years if the therapist chooses to continue training through the master's degree level. Continuing education is necessary to keep up-to-date with ever expanding technology.
- Respiratory therapists have a variety of duties. According to the American Association for Respiratory Care, Respiratory therapists diagnose lung and breathing disorders and recommend treatments. Respiratory therapists may analyze breath, blood or body tissue samples to determine blood gas levels. In order to gather data and educate patients, an RT may conduct interviews with and distribute information to patients. Additional duties fulfilled include administering medication to the lungs, measuring lung function and administering cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
- As of May 2007, the United States' Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that there were around 19,000 respiratory therapy technicians employed in the United States. Approximately 15,500 of these technicians were employed in a hospital setting. At the same time, just over 101,000 respiratory therapists were employed, with 76,000 of these being in a hospital setting. The demand for respiratory therapists is growing. By 2009, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that there will be approximately 126,000 respiratory therapists employed.
