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Respiratory Therapy Schools and Training Programs
Breathe fresh life into your career by considering a position as a respiratory therapist or respiratory therapy technician. These medical professionals help people who have breathing problems, and play a vital role in the health-care industry.
Respiratory Therapist Jobs and Career Paths
Respiratory therapists and respiratory technicians have overlapping roles -- both work with a physician to provide therapy and respiratory care procedures to ailing patients. However, the respiratory therapist has more responsibility, will perform slightly more complex procedures, and will consult more often with doctors.
Respiratory therapists and technicians conduct diagnostic tests to measure the amount of oxygen in the blood and the lung capacity of the patient. Once a course of treatment has been determined by a physician, they administer medications, which may be aerosols or oxygen mixtures. They may also apply physical therapy to the chest, or use a ventilator to provide oxygen to the lungs.
Respiratory therapists or technicians may also have responsibilities in the operating room, monitoring the lung function of patients during surgery. They may work as part of a rapid response team treating critically injured patients as they are being transported to the hospital prior to admittance. They may also specialize in specific disease treatments, including sleep apnea or cystic fibrosis.
Working Conditions for Respiratory Therapists and Technicians
Respiratory therapy professionals generally have a traditional 40-hour week, but for those who work in a hospital, those hours often include nights and weekends rather than the normal 9-to-5. Providing care for patients at home may come with less stress, but may also require a longer commute.
Employment and Advancement for Respiratory Therapists
There were 105,900 respiratory therapists working in the U.S. in 2008, and that number is expected to increase by 21 percent by 2018 – much faster than the average for all occupations. The aging population and advances in treatment of patients who also require breathing assistance are major factors in the increasing demand for respiratory therapists.
Respiratory therapy technicians, on the other hand, will see little to no employment growth between 2008 and 2018, from a base figure of 16,500. In part because of this, competition for jobs will be intense.
The vast majority of job openings will be in hospitals, as they are now (81 percent), but a growing number will be found in home healthcare services, offices of physicians or other health practitioners, consumer-goods rental firms, or in the employment services industry as a temporary worker.
Respiratory Therapist Salary
The average annual salary for a respiratory therapist in 2010 was $55,200. Many respiratory therapists work part-time; the average hourly wage was $26.54.
Next Respiratory therapist training and education
Concorde
- Respiratory Therapy - (AS)
- Respiratory Therapy - (AAS)
- Physical Therapist Assistant - (AS)
- More
American Career College
- Anaheim
- Ontario
- Associate of Occupational Science in Respiratory Therapy
American Career College (ACC) offers hands-on training that will prepare students for careers in the healthcare industry at three campuses in Los Angeles, Ontario, and Orange County, California.
Keiser University Campus
- Respiratory Therapy, AS
- Physical Therapy Assistant, AS
- Diagnostic Medical Sonography, AS
- More
Kaplan College - KHE
- Phoenix
- Salida
- Vista
- Associate of Occupational Studies: Respiratory Therapy
- Associate of Occupational Studies: Respiratory Care
- Diploma: Healthcare and Rehab Therapy Technician
- More
Carrington College
- Las Vegas
- Mesa
- Phoenix
- Tucson
- Respiratory Care
- Physical Therapy Technology
- Physical Therapist Assistant
- More
Ready for a rewarding career in healthcare? Carrington College™ can help.
Sanford-Brown Institute
- Respiratory Therapy
- Cardiovascular Technology
- Cardiovascular Sonography
- More
Fortis Institute
- Nashville
- Erie
- Respiratory Therapy
- Cardiovascular Technology
Get the skills and training you need for a great career at Fortis Institute. * Programs vary by location * Please contact each individual campus for accreditation information * Fortis Institute- Indianapolis advertising code is AC-0163.
Everest Institute
- Atlanta
- Respiratory Care (Associate's)
- Dialysis Technician (Diploma)
Sanford-Brown College
- Respiratory Therapy
- Cardiovascular Sonography
- Cardiovascular Technology
Independence University
- Salt Lake City
- BS - Completion in Respiratory Care with Clinical Practice Concentration
- BS - Completion in Respiratory Care with Management Concentration
- AS - Respiratory Therapy
Independence University is your proven partner with over 30 years of distance education delivered right to our students.
Stevens-Henager
- Boise
- Murray
- Bachelor of Science in Respiratory Therapy
- Associate of Science in Respiratory Therapy
St. Louis College of Health Careers
- Fenton
- Saint Louis
- Respiratory Therapy
- Occupational Therapy Assistant
California College San Diego
- San Diego
- Bachelor Science in Respiratory Therapy
- Associate of Science in Respiratory Therapy
ATI Career Training Center
- Miami
- Fort Lauderdale
- Respiratory Therapy
- Diagnostic Ultrasound Technology
- Personal Fitness Trainer
YTI Career Institute
- Mechanicsburg
- Respiratory Therapy
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