According to people in this career, the main tasks are...
| Task | Importance |
|---|---|
| Perform endotracheal intubation to maintain open airways for patients who are unable to breathe on their own. | 98% |
| Provide emergency care, such as artificial respiration, external cardiac massage, or assistance with cardiopulmonary resuscitation. | 97% |
| 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. | 96% |
| Set up and operate devices, such as mechanical ventilators, therapeutic gas administration apparatus, environmental control systems, or aerosol generators, following specified parameters of treatment. | 95% |
| 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. | 94% |
| Maintain charts that contain patients' pertinent identification and therapy information. | 94% |
| Read prescription, measure arterial blood gases, and review patient information to assess patient condition. | 93% |
| Relay blood analysis results to a physician. | 93% |
| Inspect, clean, test, and maintain respiratory therapy equipment to ensure equipment is functioning safely and efficiently, ordering repairs when necessary. | 92% |
| Explain treatment procedures to patients to gain cooperation and allay fears. | 91% |
| Make emergency visits to resolve equipment problems. | 91% |
| Determine requirements for treatment, such as type, method and duration of therapy, precautions to be taken, or medication and dosages, compatible with physicians' orders. | 90% |
| Enforce safety rules and ensure careful adherence to physicians' orders. | 89% |
| 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. | 87% |
| Perform bronchopulmonary drainage and assist or instruct patients in performance of breathing exercises. | 85% |
| Conduct tests, such as electrocardiograms (EKGs), stress testing, or lung capacity tests, to evaluate patients' cardiopulmonary functions. | 84% |
| Perform pulmonary function and adjust equipment to obtain optimum results in therapy. | 83% |
| Demonstrate respiratory care procedures to trainees or other healthcare personnel. | 81% |
| Use a variety of testing techniques to assist doctors in cardiac or pulmonary research or to diagnose disorders. | 81% |
| Transport patients to the hospital or within the hospital. | 80% |
| Teach, train, supervise, or use the assistance of students, respiratory therapy technicians, or assistants. | 79% |
| Monitor cardiac patients, using electrocardiography devices, such as a holter monitor. | 79% |
