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Date: 08/13/2025

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
  • Skills
  • WorkKeys®
  • Abilities
  • Knowledge
  • Career Video
  • Pay
  • Ohio Employment Trends
  • Typical Education
  • Personality
  • Tools
  • Technology
  • Perform endotracheal intubation to maintain open airways for patients who are unable to breathe on their own.
  • Explain treatment procedures to patients to gain cooperation and allay fears.
  • Make emergency visits to resolve equipment problems.
  • Monitor cardiac patients, using electrocardiography devices, such as a holter monitor.
  • Inspect, clean, test, and maintain respiratory therapy equipment to ensure equipment is functioning safely and efficiently, ordering repairs when necessary.
  • Use a variety of testing techniques to assist doctors in cardiac or pulmonary research or to diagnose disorders.
  • 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.
  • Teach, train, supervise, or use the assistance of students, respiratory therapy technicians, or assistants.
  • 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.
  • Read prescription, measure arterial blood gases, and review patient information to assess patient condition.
  • Conduct tests, such as electrocardiograms (EKGs), stress testing, or lung capacity tests, to evaluate patients' cardiopulmonary functions.
  • 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.
  • Perform pulmonary function and adjust equipment to obtain optimum results in therapy.
  • Transport patients to the hospital or within the hospital.
  • Perform bronchopulmonary drainage and assist or instruct patients in performance of breathing exercises.
  • Provide emergency care, such as artificial respiration, external cardiac massage, or assistance with cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
  • 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.
  • Relay blood analysis results to a physician.
  • Demonstrate respiratory care procedures to trainees or other healthcare personnel.
  • Perform bronchopulmonary drainage and assist or instruct patients in performance of breathing exercises.
  • Enforce safety rules and ensure careful adherence to physicians' orders.
  • Teach, train, supervise, or use the assistance of students, respiratory therapy technicians, or assistants.
  • Inspect, clean, test, and maintain respiratory therapy equipment to ensure equipment is functioning safely and efficiently, ordering repairs when necessary.
  • Use a variety of testing techniques to assist doctors in cardiac or pulmonary research or to diagnose disorders.
  • Maintain charts that contain patients' pertinent identification and therapy information.
  • 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.
  • 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.

Work Activities

Work Activities

  • Perform endotracheal intubation to maintain open airways for patients who are unable to breathe on their own.
  • Explain treatment procedures to patients to gain cooperation and allay fears.
  • Make emergency visits to resolve equipment problems.
  • Monitor cardiac patients, using electrocardiography devices, such as a holter monitor.
  • Inspect, clean, test, and maintain respiratory therapy equipment to ensure equipment is functioning safely and efficiently, ordering repairs when necessary.
  • Use a variety of testing techniques to assist doctors in cardiac or pulmonary research or to diagnose disorders.
  • 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.
  • Teach, train, supervise, or use the assistance of students, respiratory therapy technicians, or assistants.
  • 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.
  • Read prescription, measure arterial blood gases, and review patient information to assess patient condition.
  • Conduct tests, such as electrocardiograms (EKGs), stress testing, or lung capacity tests, to evaluate patients' cardiopulmonary functions.
  • 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.
  • Perform pulmonary function and adjust equipment to obtain optimum results in therapy.
  • Transport patients to the hospital or within the hospital.
  • Perform bronchopulmonary drainage and assist or instruct patients in performance of breathing exercises.
  • Provide emergency care, such as artificial respiration, external cardiac massage, or assistance with cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
  • 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.
  • Relay blood analysis results to a physician.
  • Demonstrate respiratory care procedures to trainees or other healthcare personnel.
  • Perform bronchopulmonary drainage and assist or instruct patients in performance of breathing exercises.
  • Enforce safety rules and ensure careful adherence to physicians' orders.
  • Teach, train, supervise, or use the assistance of students, respiratory therapy technicians, or assistants.
  • Inspect, clean, test, and maintain respiratory therapy equipment to ensure equipment is functioning safely and efficiently, ordering repairs when necessary.
  • Use a variety of testing techniques to assist doctors in cardiac or pulmonary research or to diagnose disorders.
  • Maintain charts that contain patients' pertinent identification and therapy information.
  • 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.
  • 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.

Skills

  • Operation and Control

    Using equipment or systems.

  • Complex Problem Solving

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

  • Instructing

    Teaching people how to do something.

  • Writing

    Writing things for co-workers or customers.

  • 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.

  • Service Orientation

    Looking for ways to help people.

  • Negotiation

    Bringing people together to solve differences.

  • Programming

    Writing computer programs.

  • Speaking

    Talking to others.

  • Equipment Selection

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

  • Mathematics

    Using math to solve problems.

  • Active Learning

    Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.

  • Systems Evaluation

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

  • Installation

    Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.

  • Active Listening

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

  • Reading Comprehension

    Reading work-related information.

  • Learning Strategies

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

  • Troubleshooting

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

  • Operations Monitoring

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

  • Management of Financial Resources

    Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.

  • Monitoring

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

  • Social Perceptiveness

    Understanding people's reactions.

  • Repairing

    Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.

  • Management of Material Resources

    Managing equipment and materials.

  • Quality Control Analysis

    Testing how well a product or service works.

  • Time Management

    Managing your time and the time of other people.

  • Science

    Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.

  • Critical Thinking

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

  • Technology Design

    Making equipment and technology useful for customers.

  • Operations Analysis

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

  • Equipment Maintenance

    Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.

  • Persuasion

    Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.

  • Management of Personnel Resources

    Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.

  • Coordination

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

WorkKeys®

Applied Math
4
Workplace Documents
5
Graphic Literacy
5

Abilities

  • Night Vision

    Seeing at night or under low light.

  • Peripheral Vision

    Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.

  • Gross Body Equilibrium

    Keeping your balance or staying upright.

  • Rate Control

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

  • Wrist-Finger Speed

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

  • Oral Comprehension

    Listening and understanding what people say.

  • Finger Dexterity

    Putting together small parts with your fingers.

  • Gross Body Coordination

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

  • Auditory Attention

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

  • Visualization

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

  • Speed of Limb Movement

    Quickly moving your arms and legs.

  • Dynamic Flexibility

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

  • Extent Flexibility

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

  • Speed of Closure

    Quickly knowing what you are looking at.

  • Memorization

    Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.

  • Information Ordering

    Ordering or arranging things.

  • Deductive Reasoning

    Using rules to solve problems.

  • Category Flexibility

    Grouping things in different ways.

  • Oral Expression

    Communicating by speaking.

  • Speech Recognition

    Recognizing spoken words.

  • Sound Localization

    Noticing the direction that a sound came from.

  • Hearing Sensitivity

    Telling the difference between sounds.

  • Control Precision

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

  • Far Vision

    Seeing details that are far away.

  • Reaction Time

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

  • Speech Clarity

    Speaking clearly.

  • Near Vision

    Seeing details up close.

  • Manual Dexterity

    Holding or moving items with your hands.

  • Number Facility

    Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.

  • Problem Sensitivity

    Noticing when problems happen.

  • Response Orientation

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

  • Fluency of Ideas

    Coming up with lots of ideas.

  • Written Expression

    Communicating by writing.

  • Depth Perception

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

  • Arm-Hand Steadiness

    Keeping your arm or hand steady.

  • Static Strength

    Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.

  • Spatial Orientation

    Knowing where things are around you.

  • Originality

    Creating new and original ideas.

  • Visual Color Discrimination

    Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.

  • Perceptual Speed

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

  • Trunk Strength

    Using your lower back and stomach.

  • Time Sharing

    Doing two or more things at the same time.

  • Dynamic Strength

    Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.

  • Flexibility of Closure

    Seeing hidden patterns.

  • Glare Sensitivity

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

  • Selective Attention

    Paying attention to something without being distracted.

  • Stamina

    Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.

  • Inductive Reasoning

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

  • Written Comprehension

    Reading and understanding what is written.

  • Mathematical Reasoning

    Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.

  • Multilimb Coordination

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

  • Explosive Strength

    Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.

Knowledge

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Food Production

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

  • 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.

  • Sociology and Anthropology

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

  • 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.

  • History and Archeology

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

  • Computers and Electronics

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

  • Biology

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

  • Design

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

  • Telecommunications

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

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Production and Processing

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

  • 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.

  • English Language

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

  • Economics and Accounting

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

  • Mechanical

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

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Fine Arts

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

  • Law and Government

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

Career Video

Additional videos and more information available on CareerOneStop

Pay

  • Typical Salary
  • $94,490
    $78,400
    $63,730
    Ohio
    US
    $108,820
    $80,450
    $61,900
  • Typical Hourly Wage
  • $45
    $38
    $31
    Ohio
    US
    $52
    $39
    $30

Ohio Employment Trends

  • Currently Employed 6,380
  • Yearly Projected Openings 360

Typical Education

Personality

Social: People interested in this work like activities that include helping people, teaching, and talking.They do well at jobs that need:
  • Cooperation
  • Concern for Others
  • Attention to Detail
  • Dependability
  • Integrity
  • Self Control

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
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