Respiratory Therapy Technician

Overview

Who is Respiratory Therapy Technician?

In the environment, smoke and gas emissions, air contamination, are contributing to increased respiratory care requirements in the general population, generating a great requirement for respiratory therapy technicians and respiratory therapists.

Respiratory therapy technicians are working together with doctors and respiratory therapists to aid patients with respiratory issues. Such workers often execute processes under the supervision of a therapist or a doctor and aid in the management, assessment and care of patients.

Typical day at work

What does Respiratory Therapy Technician do?

A respiratory therapy technician works in helping patients suffering from lung and heart problems. These technicians, being the professionals, deal with patients having illnesses related to asthma, sleep apnea, lung cancer, cardiac failure, etc. The respiratory therapy technician works with a wide variety of tasks including the evaluation of the patients and diagnosing the diseases or the illnesses. They tend to make all the treatment plans, give the prognosis, and support and guide the patients and the family concerning their queries and concerns. Educating the patients and making them understand the interventions are important aspects of their job. In case of emergencies, the work of the respiratory therapy technician is also to manage the breathing instruments, perform certain procedures under the proper supervision of the physician, and finally work on maintaining the life support system.

Job description, Profiles, Roles and Duties:

• Collaborate with patients in areas like intensive neonatal or pediatric or surgical intensive care, emergency departments, treatment of illnesses like asthma, cystic fibrosis or pneumonia, emphysema, or chronic bronchitis
• Track patients during treatment and notify the respiratory therapist of any adverse reactions
• Maintain patient therapy records and fill out all required forms
• Utilizing aerosol and breathing treatments, or ventilators or different oxygen machines to provide respiratory therapy
• Follow and implement safety legislation applicable to equipment
• Fix controls on equipment to control the flow of aerosols, gases, mists, or oxygen
• Gathering and analysing arterial blood gas samples
• Read and review the order of the physicians and chart details of the patient to assess the condition and treatment plans of patients
• Evaluate the response of patients to treatments and, where necessary, change treatments according to protocol
• Formulate or test equipment, like mechanical ventilators, aerosol generators, environmental control systems, therapeutic gas administration device or machines with electrocardiogram (EKG)
• Direct breathing or oxygen exercises, like incentive spirometer treatments, ultrasonic nebulizer treatments or intermittent high respiratory pressure treatments
• Give details of the treatment processes to patients
• Consult or test patients to gather clinical data
• Deliver respiratory treatment where well-defined therapeutic procedures are applied under the guidance of a respiratory therapist and a physician
• Carry out diagnostic processes to evaluate the extent of patients' respiratory dysfunctions
• Clean, disinfect, track and preserve the respiratory therapy devices
• Demonstrate to patients how to utilize respiratory equipment at their home
• Recommend or evaluate bedside processes, x-rays or lab tests
• Teach or supervise other staff who deliver respiratory care

Abilities & aptitude needed

What are the skills, abilities & aptitude needed to become Respiratory Therapy Technician?

Professionals should have the essential abilities to consult and test patients and recognize their cardiopulmonary or breathing ailments to be an efficient Respiratory Care Practitioner. Additionally, they must counsel the patients efficiently in order to recognize programmes and possible remedies.

Other duties involve being able to conduct diagnostic tests, treating patients utilizing approaches like aerosol medicine and chest physiotherapy, and fixing patients with ventilators.

Eventually, a respiratory therapist technician must be able to monitor the improvement of the patient and guide them on how to take the medicine/utilize the essential equipment as required.

Respiratory therapist technicians work meticulously with individuals and they should work comfortably as part of a care group. Supplementary to treatment, patients should be provided with emotional support and understanding of their diverse requirements as they relate to respiratory care. They must pay attention to details to make sure that they implement care plans correctly and collect details about the patient's treatment accurately. Lastly, they should possess a developed knowledge of physiology and human anatomy, science, and mathematics to aid in assessing accurate dosages of medication and ventilator settings correctly.

Courses

Which course I can pursue?