What Does A Respiratory Therapist Do?
By simply understanding their title as: “Respiratory Therapist”, we can say that their role is to treat any breathing and respiratory difficulties such as asthma, emphysema, bronchitis and the like. This is a very important responsibility in the medical profession since the airways is considered the top priority. If you are one of the few aspiring in this job, keep reading and be knowledgeable on what a respiratory therapist does.
What does a respiratory therapist do?
Below is the list of the important duties of a respiratory therapist:
- Conduct proper assessment on patients.
- Perform a thorough physical examination.
- Run appropriate diagnostic tests.
- Interview for patient’s history regarding previous and present respiratory ailments.
- Assist premature infants who are unable to breathe on their own.
- Treat adult patients suffering from bronchitis, pneumonia and emphysema.
- Observe and conduct a close monitoring for patients connected with ventilators and respirators.
- Develop and come up with a treatment care plan appropriate for every patient.
- Collaborate with other members of the health care team regarding the patient’s status.
- Perform chest physiotherapy and other procedures to remove mucus from patient’s lungs.
- Educate patients and significant others on the benefits of smoking cessation.
- Supervise in conducting respiratory treatments with patients.
- Provide emergency care and cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
- Measure arterial blood gases.
- Explain treatment procedures to patients and significant others.
- Administer medications.
- Take vital signs.
- Document patient’s prognosis.
- Instruct breathing exercises to patients.
- Set-up incubators for newborns in respiratory distress.
These are just some of the responsibilities given to respiratory therapists. As what you have read, they have a wide range of duties and tasks. If possible, you may also observe respiratory therapists in hospitals while they perform their job in order for you to have a grasp of the actual situation.
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