Use ventilators and various oxygen devices and aerosol and breathing treatments in the provision of respiratory therapy.
Work with patients in areas such as the emergency room, neonatal/pediatric intensive care, and surgical intensive care, treating conditions including emphysema, chronic bronchitis, asthma, cystic fibrosis, and pneumonia.
Read and evaluate physicians' orders and patients' chart information to determine patients' condition and treatment protocols.
Keep records of patients' therapy, completing all necessary forms.
Set equipment controls to regulate the flow of oxygen, gases, mists, or aerosols.
Provide respiratory care involving the application of well-defined therapeutic techniques under the supervision of a respiratory therapist and a physician.
Assess patients' response to treatments and modify treatments according to protocol if necessary.
Prepare and test devices such as mechanical ventilators, therapeutic gas administration apparatus, environmental control systems, aerosol generators and EKG machines.
Monitor patients during treatment and report any unusual reactions to the respiratory therapist.
Explain treatment procedures to patients.
Clean, sterilize, check and maintain respiratory therapy equipment.
Perform diagnostic
procedures to assess the severity of respiratory dysfunction in patients.
Follow and enforce safety rules applying to equipment.
Administer breathing
and oxygen procedures such as intermittent positive pressure breathing treatments, ultrasonic nebulizer treatments and incentive spirometer treatments.
Recommend and review bedside procedures, x-rays, and laboratory tests.
Interview and examine patients to collect clinical data.
Teach patients how to use respiratory equipment at home.
Teach or oversee other workers who provide respiratory care services.
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.
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.
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.
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.
English Language -- Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Mathematics -- Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
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.
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.
Biology -- Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
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.
Time Management -- Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Critical Thinking -- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Reading Comprehension -- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Troubleshooting -- Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
Instructing -- Teaching others how to do something.
Active Listening -- Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Operation Monitoring -- Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Judgment and Decision Making -- Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Speaking -- Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Service Orientation -- Actively looking for ways to help people.
Oral Expression -- The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Problem Sensitivity -- The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
Oral Comprehension -- The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Written Comprehension -- The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Information Ordering -- The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Speech Recognition -- The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Near Vision -- The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Speech Clarity -- The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Inductive Reasoning -- The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Deductive Reasoning -- The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Assisting and Caring for Others -- Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material -- Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
Performing for or Working Directly with the Public -- Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates -- Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events -- Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
Making Decisions and Solving Problems -- Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge -- Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
Getting Information -- Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships -- Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work -- Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.