Respiratory Therapist

 

Career Profile
Respiratory therapists evaluate, treat, and care for patients with breathing or other cardiopulmonary disorders. Practicing under the direction of a physician, respiratory therapists assume primary responsibility for all respiratory care therapeutic treatments and diagnostic procedures. Respiratory therapists evaluate and treat all types of patients, ranging from premature infants whose lungs are not fully developed to elderly people whose lungs are diseased. Respiratory therapists provide temporary relief to patients with chronic asthma or emphysema, as well as emergency care to patients who are victims of a heart attack, stroke, drowning, or shock.

 

Job Outlook
Job opportunities are expected to be very good, especially for respiratory therapists with cardiopulmonary care skills or experience working with infants. Employment of respiratory therapists is expected to increase faster than average for all occupations through the year 2014, because of substantial growth in the numbers of the middle-aged and elderly population-a development that will heighten the incidence of cardiopulmonary disease-and because of the expanding role of respiratory therapists in the early detection of pulmonary disorders, case management, disease prevention, and emergency care.

 

Salary
Based on information obtained from the Texas Workforce Commission's Wage Information Network from 447 mail surveys of local employers in the Austin-San Marcos area, entry level wages averaged $17.41 per hour in 2004. Based on recent conversations with our Healthcare Partners the current entry level salary is closer to $18.00 per hour. Salaries for respiratory care professionals vary widely, even in Central Texas, but wages throughout the state are competitive with other health related vocations.

Respiratory Therapist

 

Disqualifiers/Barriers

• A felony conviction may affect a graduate's ability to attend clinical rotations and to sit for the national certification examination to attain licensure. After students are accepted into the program, they must sign a personal disclosure statement allowing the clinical affiliated hospitals to perform a background investigation as their needs dictate.

Important Skills

• Strong interpersonal skills
• A desire to help people in need
• Responsible
• Attention to detail
• Good communication skills
• Willing to take and follow directions
• Able to work as part of a team
• Caring
• Mechanical aptitude
• Sensitive to patients' physical and psychological needs
• High ethical and moral standards
• Values diversity

 

Respiratory Therapist

 

Educational Programs

Temple College in Temple, Texas

 

License/Certification
Respiratory care practitioners are tested and gain their credentials from the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC). There is no testing done by any agency in Texas, however, scores from the Entry Level Examination for the Certified Respiratory Therapist examination are sent to the Texas Department of Health so that a person may receive the Respiratory Care Practitioner (RCP) credential. In Texas it is mandatory to have the RCP.

 

Length of Training/Requirements
Students should expect to spend five semesters, including one 12-week summer session to complete the required course work for the program. This does not take into account the time required to complete the 3 prerequisite courses.

 

Location of Classes
Lectures and labs are held at the Health Sciences Building located at 2600 South First Street in Temple, Texas.

Respiratory Therapist

 

Seton HealthCare Network
W. 38th1/2 Street
Austin, Texas
www.seton.org

 

St. David's HealthCare
900 East 30th Street, Suite 109
Austin, Texas 78701
www.sdhcp.com