Respiratory Therapist Schools

Respiratory therapists are highly specialized health care providers who evaluate, treat, and develop care plans for patients with cardiopulmonary and breathing disorders. They treat patients of all ages and with all conditions and may perform their services in hospitals, nursing homes, private homes, critical and intensive care units, and other locations. If you think you have what it takes to succeed in one of medicine’s most vital careers, now is the time to go back to college and start your respiratory therapy training. Respiratory therapist schools provide all the skills and knowledge needed to help patients deal with breathing issues and work toward healing.

Respiratory therapist schools training program

Respiratory therapist schools offer both associate’s and bachelor’s degrees. While it may be possible to find respiratory therapist schools and online universities that provide respiratory therapy programs, you will be required to complete a certain amount of on-site clinical experience. In many instances, online courses may also require that you take exams on a campus in a monitored environment.

Career training to become a respiratory therapist includes human anatomy and physiology, pathophysiology, chemistry, physics, microbiology, pharmacology, and mathematics. More specialized courses include therapeutic and diagnostic procedures and testing, respiratory equipment, patient assessment, CPR, cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation, respiratory health promotion, and patient record keeping. The classwork can be challenging at times but it is exciting and can be fulfilling to realize that the material you are studying will actually help you in your chosen profession. After graduation from your respiratory therapy program, you are required to pass an exam and meet other requirements in order to become a Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT).

Respiratory therapist job description

Respiratory therapists assume the primary responsibility for any respiratory care that is needed by patients. They provide therapeutic treatments and diagnostic procedures as well as provide supervision of respiratory care technicians. As a respiratory therapist, you will often be required to consult with physicians and other members of a patient’s healthcare team in order to work respiratory care into the individual health plan. You will also need to work closely with physicians and nurses when providing care for patients on life support in the intensive care unit. Respiratory therapists work an average of 35-40 hours per week but, since hospitals are open 24 hours per day, those hours may be day, night, weekend, or any combination of times.

Although respiratory therapist schools provide all of the technical requirements of your new position, there are many requirements of a successful respiratory therapist that cannot be taught in a degree program. In order to be a great respiratory therapist, you must have compassion, organizational skills, problem solving ability, ability to handle stress, high quality standards, and a genuine desire to help your patients. Not everyone is cut out for this type of work. It takes a special breed of dedicated, caring professionals to provide respiratory care to those in need. Are you one of those born caretakers? If so, find a quality respiratory therapy program and start your training for your exciting new career.