Working as a Respiratory Therapist

Living and breathing . . . you can't have one without the other. Most of us take healthy lungs for granted. But breathing is a daily struggle for some people, so their respiratory therapist is literally a lifesaver. If you or someone close to you has experienced an illness that has required respiratory care, you understand how respiratory therapists make a real difference in people's lives.

As a respiratory therapist, you will dedicate your time and skills to care for and educate those who live with the challenges of a breathing condition. Working with physicians, you'll help diagnose and treat patients using advanced medical technology. From premature infants to the elderly, you will provide care in a variety of situations and a variety of locations. Life is not boring as a respiratory therapist!

Where You'll Work

Respiratory therapists work everywhere there are people in need:

• Delivering life-saving treatments in hospital emergency rooms
• Helping children in newborn and pediatric units who suffer from breathing conditions
• Managing ventilators for the critically ill in intensive care units
• Working with anesthesiologists to monitor patients' breathing during surgery
• Treating patients who require special care to breathe, such as those with cystic fibrosis, lung and other types of cancer, or AIDS
• Working in patients' homes, skilled nursing facilities, and doctors' offices, teaching patients to manage their long-term respiratory care
• Teaching children and adults to cope with asthma and other chronic lung problems, such as bronchitis and emphysema
• Conducting programs to assist those who want to quit smoking

What it Takes to be a Respiratory Therapist

To succeed in your respiratory therapy career (link faq), you should enjoy working with people of all ages in their time of need. You also need computer skills and an interest in learning cutting-edge medical technology. Successful respiratory care practitioners are sensitive to patients' needs, both physical and psychological. If you are able to pay attention to detail, follow instructions, and enjoy working as part of a team, respiratory therapy can be a very satisfying career.

A Career that Saves Lives

The most rewarding part of the profession lies in the critical difference you can make in patients' lives. To enhance the life of an adult suffering from a debilitating lung disease or to give a newborn baby a boost in adapting to his or her new world produces immeasurable gifts. Such remarkable deeds, more than a day's work, motivate respiratory therapists in their most crucial objective—to teach and inspire the rest of us to care for our lungs in sickness and in health. Respiratory therapists definitely help the rest of us breathe easier.