Assess, treat, and care for patients with breathing disorders. Assume primary responsibility for all respiratory care modalities, including the supervision of respiratory therapy technicians. Initiate and conduct therapeutic procedures; maintain patient records; and select, assemble, check, and operate equipment.

Other names for Respiratory Therapists: Certified Respiratory Therapist, Certified Respiratory Therapist Technician, Clinical Coordinator of Respiratory Therapy, Director of Cardiopulmonary Services, Inhalation Therapist, Oxygen Therapist, Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT), Respiratory Care Practitioner, Respiratory Therapist (RT), Staff Respiratory Therapist,

• Set up and operate devices such as mechanical ventilators, therapeutic gas administration apparatus, environmental control systems, and aerosol generators, following specified parameters of treatment.
• Provide emergency care, including artificial respiration, external cardiac massage and assistance with cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
• Determine requirements for treatment, such as type, method and duration of therapy, precautions to be taken, and medication and dosages, compatible with physicians' orders.
• Monitor patient's physiological responses to therapy, such as vital signs, arterial blood gases, and blood chemistry changes, and consult with physician if adverse reactions occur.
• Read prescription, measure arterial blood gases, and review patient information to assess patient condition.
• Work as part of a team of physicians, nurses and other health care professionals to manage patient care.
• Enforce safety rules and ensure careful adherence to physicians' orders.
• Maintain charts that contain patients' pertinent identification and therapy information.
• Inspect, clean, test and maintain respiratory therapy equipment to ensure equipment is functioning safely and efficiently, ordering repairs when necessary.
• Educate patients and their families about their conditions and teach appropriate disease management techniques, such as breathing exercises and the use of medications and respiratory equipment.
• Explain treatment procedures to patients to gain cooperation and allay fears.
• Relay blood analysis results to a physician.
• Perform pulmonary function and adjust equipment to obtain optimum results in therapy.
• Perform bronchopulmonary drainage and assist or instruct patients in performance of breathing exercises.
• Demonstrate respiratory care procedures to trainees and other health care personnel.
• Teach, train, supervise, and utilize the assistance of students, respiratory therapy technicians, and assistants.
• Use a variety of testing techniques to assist doctors in cardiac and pulmonary research and to diagnose disorders.
• Make emergency visits to resolve equipment problems.
• Conduct tests, such as electrocardiograms (EKGs), stress testing, and lung capacity tests, to evaluate patients' cardiopulmonary functions.

• Medical aerosol tents
• Nebulizers or accessories
• Respiratory therapy compressors
• Resuscitation masks or accessories
• Apnea monitors or accessories
• Bedside pulmonary function screeners
• Non invasive bi level machines
• Blood collection syringes
• Arterial blood gas monitors or accessories
• Arterial blood gas monitors or accessories
• Bronchoscopes or accessories
• Medical nasal cannulae
• Pulmonary functioning tubing or accessories
• Autotransfusion units
• Oxygen delivery connectors or adapters
• Non invasive continuous positive air pressure machines
• Electrocardiography EKG units
• Electronic blood pressure units
• Endotracheal tubes
• Vacuum blood collection tubes or containers
• Medical oxygen masks or parts
• Cardiac output CO monitoring units or accessories
• High frequency ventilators
• Respiratory humidifiers or vaporizers
• Spirometers or its accessories or its supplies
• Respiratory monitoring kits or its accessories
• Clinical incubators or infant warmers
• Intermittent positive pressure breathing IPPB machines
• Intraaortic balloon pumps or accessories
• Respiratory manometer kits
• Mercury blood pressure units
• Medical suction or vacuum appliances
• Medical nasal cannulae
• Nebulizers or accessories
• Chest cuirass products
• Notebook computers
• Medical oxygen masks or parts
• Oxygen concentrators
• Flow sensors or regulators or components
• Medical head hoods
• Medical oxygen masks or parts
• Oxygen monitors or supplies
• Flow sensors or regulators or components
• Medical gas cylinders or related devices
• Medical aerosol tents
• Chest percussors
• Personal computers
• Personal digital assistant PDAs or organizers
• Tablet computers
• Spirometers or its accessories or its supplies
• Pulse oximeter units
• Perfusion oxygen or hematocrit saturation monitors or accessories
• Nebulizers or accessories
• Sputum collection apparatus or containers
• Mechanical stethoscopes or accessories
• Surgical isolation suits or helmets or facemasks or accessories
• Tourniquets
• Nebulizers or accessories
• Tracheostomy tubes
• Treadmill exercisers for rehabilitation or therapy
• Adult or pediatric intensive care ventilators
• Spirometers or its accessories or its supplies

Word processing software

Presentation software

Calendar and scheduling software

Spreadsheet software

Data base user interface and query software

Medical software

Internet browser software

Electronic mail software