Respiratory Therapist Careers - A Rewarding Path


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For those interested in a fast growing career, it wouldn't hurt to check out Respiratory Therapist Careers.  Positions in this field are expected to increase much faster than average, making the job prospects very good for those in this field. With an increase in jobs they will need more trained people to meet this need.

Respiratory Therapist Careers
require at least an associate's degree, with a bachelor's or master's degree sometimes required for advancement. It is also required that respiratory therapists be licensed in the United States, except for in Alaska and Hawaii. There are a lot of different post secondary schools that offer the necessary training, so you should be able to find one near you if you are interested in this career. You can check out the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) for a list of accredited programs.

The majority of the positions for those in Respiratory Therapist Careers are in hospitals, though there are some positions available in home health care or other locations as well. Since hospitals are open 24 hours a day you could end up with a position working nights or weekends. Most positions for Respiratory Therapists are full time positions where you work 35 to 40 hours a week.

Respiratory Therapist Careers involve evaluating and treating patients with breathing difficulties, usually under the supervision of a physician. In the course of evaluating a patient, tests including blood tests and breathing tests are conducted by the therapist, and then the results are usually discussed with a physician in order to come up with an appropriate treatment plan. Treatment might include entubating someone and putting them on a respirator, or teaching them how to use a nebulizer. It might also include administering aerosol medications or giving a patient oxygen using an oxygen mask.

Pay for Respiratory Therapist Careers is usually pretty good, though the amount any one person gets paid depends on a lot of different factors, including where they work and they type of institution they work for, as well as experience and education level. The mean annual wage for those in Respiratory Therapist Careers in May 2007 was $50,930, with those in the highest 10% making more than $66,680 and those in the lowest 10% making less than $36,650. Of course those who have more experience tend to be on the higher end of this scale, and those with less experience on the lower end of the scale.

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