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Date: 07/22/2026

Respiratory Therapists

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.

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    Work Activities

    Work Activities

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

    Skills

    • Operations Monitoring

      Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.

    • Operation and Control

      Using equipment or systems.

    • Writing

      Writing things for co-workers or customers.

    • Installation

      Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.

    • Management of Financial Resources

      Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.

    • Management of Personnel Resources

      Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.

    • Mathematics

      Using math to solve problems.

    • Speaking

      Talking to others.

    • Quality Control Analysis

      Testing how well a product or service works.

    • Judgment and Decision Making

      Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.

    • Systems Analysis

      Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.

    • Systems Evaluation

      Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.

    • Monitoring

      Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.

    • Service Orientation

      Looking for ways to help people.

    • Troubleshooting

      Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.

    • Active Learning

      Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.

    • Social Perceptiveness

      Understanding people's reactions.

    • Active Listening

      Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

    • Persuasion

      Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.

    • Equipment Selection

      Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.

    • Time Management

      Managing your time and the time of other people.

    • Complex Problem Solving

      Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

    • Instructing

      Teaching people how to do something.

    • Programming

      Writing computer programs.

    • Critical Thinking

      Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

    • Equipment Maintenance

      Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.

    • Repairing

      Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.

    • Operations Analysis

      Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.

    • Reading Comprehension

      Reading work-related information.

    • Negotiation

      Bringing people together to solve differences.

    • Management of Material Resources

      Managing equipment and materials.

    • Coordination

      Changing what is done based on other people's actions.

    • Technology Design

      Making equipment and technology useful for customers.

    • Learning Strategies

      Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.

    • Science

      Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.

    WorkKeys®

    Applied Math
    4
    Workplace Documents
    5
    Graphic Literacy
    5

    Abilities

    • Written Comprehension

      Reading and understanding what is written.

    • Oral Expression

      Communicating by speaking.

    • Inductive Reasoning

      Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.

    • Problem Sensitivity

      Noticing when problems happen.

    • Speech Recognition

      Recognizing spoken words.

    • Far Vision

      Seeing details that are far away.

    • Flexibility of Closure

      Seeing hidden patterns.

    • Explosive Strength

      Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.

    • Speed of Closure

      Quickly knowing what you are looking at.

    • Dynamic Flexibility

      Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.

    • Perceptual Speed

      Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.

    • Category Flexibility

      Grouping things in different ways.

    • Static Strength

      Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.

    • Rate Control

      Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.

    • Written Expression

      Communicating by writing.

    • Information Ordering

      Ordering or arranging things.

    • Originality

      Creating new and original ideas.

    • Stamina

      Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.

    • Extent Flexibility

      Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.

    • Trunk Strength

      Using your lower back and stomach.

    • Spatial Orientation

      Knowing where things are around you.

    • Control Precision

      Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.

    • Number Facility

      Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.

    • Finger Dexterity

      Putting together small parts with your fingers.

    • Gross Body Equilibrium

      Keeping your balance or staying upright.

    • Glare Sensitivity

      Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.

    • Near Vision

      Seeing details up close.

    • Deductive Reasoning

      Using rules to solve problems.

    • Gross Body Coordination

      Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.

    • Sound Localization

      Noticing the direction that a sound came from.

    • Mathematical Reasoning

      Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.

    • Dynamic Strength

      Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.

    • Selective Attention

      Paying attention to something without being distracted.

    • Response Orientation

      Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.

    • Visualization

      Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.

    • Multilimb Coordination

      Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.

    • Time Sharing

      Doing two or more things at the same time.

    • Arm-Hand Steadiness

      Keeping your arm or hand steady.

    • Reaction Time

      Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.

    • Fluency of Ideas

      Coming up with lots of ideas.

    • Night Vision

      Seeing at night or under low light.

    • Speech Clarity

      Speaking clearly.

    • Oral Comprehension

      Listening and understanding what people say.

    • Depth Perception

      Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.

    • Visual Color Discrimination

      Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.

    • Auditory Attention

      Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.

    • Hearing Sensitivity

      Telling the difference between sounds.

    • Peripheral Vision

      Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.

    • Memorization

      Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.

    • Speed of Limb Movement

      Quickly moving your arms and legs.

    • Manual Dexterity

      Holding or moving items with your hands.

    • Wrist-Finger Speed

      Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.

    Knowledge

    • History and Archeology

      Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.

    • Physics

      Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.

    • Administration and Management

      Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

    • Sales and Marketing

      Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

    • Customer and Personal Service

      Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

    • Personnel and Human Resources

      Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.

    • Food Production

      Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.

    • English Language

      Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.

    • Psychology

      Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.

    • Chemistry

      Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.

    • Education and Training

      Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

    • Administrative

      Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.

    • Engineering and Technology

      Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.

    • Law and Government

      Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.

    • Therapy and Counseling

      Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.

    • Philosophy and Theology

      Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.

    • Biology

      Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.

    • Sociology and Anthropology

      Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.

    • Fine Arts

      Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.

    • Communications and Media

      Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.

    • Economics and Accounting

      Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.

    • Production and Processing

      Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.

    • Computers and Electronics

      Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

    • Design

      Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

    • Building and Construction

      Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.

    • Mechanical

      Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

    • Geography

      Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.

    • Public Safety and Security

      Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.

    • Transportation

      Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.

    • Mathematics

      Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

    • Foreign Language

      Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.

    • Telecommunications

      Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

    • Medicine and Dentistry

      Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.

    Career Video

    Additional videos and more information available on CareerOneStop

    Pay

    • Ohio Annual Salary 79920/yr
    • Typical Salary
    • Ohio Hourly Wage 38.42/hr
    • Typical Hourly Wage

    Ohio Employment Trends

    • Currently Employed 6,380
    • Yearly Projected Openings 360

    Typical Education

    Personality

    Realistic: People interested in this work like activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions.They do well at jobs that need:
    • Adaptability
    • Perseverance
    • Empathy
    • Stress Tolerance
    • Self-Control
    • Cooperation

    Tools

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

    Technology

    • Calendar and scheduling software
    • Data base user interface and query software
    • Electronic mail software
    • Medical software
    • Office suite software
    • Presentation software
    • Spreadsheet software
    • Word processing software

    Tags

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