Technical Trade Schools | Technical Training | Registered Respiratory Therapist

Why choose a career as a respiratory therapist? Choosing to go back to school will benefit not only you but your entire family. You can further your education in many fields, learn a trade that can be used for the rest of your life, and continue to support your family financially. Choosing a career in the medical field will enable you to help people and is a very rewarding choice in many ways, it can be a great challenge at times but the benefits outweigh the stresses.  A growing number of respiratory therapists are working in hospitals, nursing facilities, physicians; offices, home health agencies and even patients homes. There is a need for skilled registered respiratory therapists, with an increase of jobs available for individuals with a respiratory therapy degree.

Thousands of Americans suffer from breathing problems and each breath can be a challenge. Those people include patients with lung problems such as asthma, bronchitis, and emphysema. Others may include heart attack victims, patients involved in accidents, premature infants, and ones afflicted with cystic fibrosis, lung cancer, or AIDS. These individuals will need to receive treatment from a respiratory therapist under the direction of a physician. The respiratory therapist works to evaluate, treat and care for these patients with breathing disorders.

Respiratory Therapist Educational Programs

There are two levels of respiratory therapist:

1. certified therapist
   
2. registered respiratory therapist (RRT)
   

Respiratory therapists programs include courses in physics, mathematics, microbiology, anatomy and physiology, chemistry, and biology. Respiratory therapy programs can be found at colleges, medical schools, vocational schools, and in the armed forces. There are accredited respiratory therapy schools dedicated completely to the health and medical field that will allow you to earn a  Master’s degree. Students will also learn about therapeutic and diagnostic procedures as well as patient assessment. There are many colleges and vocational schools that offer respiratory therapist training that will allow you to earn a respiratory therapist degree and become a registered respiratory therapist. You must be able to pay attention to detail, work on a team, use a computer, and follow instructions for respiratory care.

Average Respiratory Therapist Salary

In 2006 Respiratory therapists held about 122, 00 jobs in the United States and on average earned $47,420 annually. Employment in this field is expected to increase by 23% by the year 2016. There are many different variables that will determine the average respiratory therapist salary including your education and experience in your area of the country. Respiratory therapist in California will most likely make a different salary than say a tech in Texas, Florida or New York even with the same schooling background and experience. This is simply due not only to the demand of therapists in a particular area, but the cost of living in a particular region as well, affecting average respiratory therapist salary where you live and work.  The middle 50% earned between $37,650 and $50, 860, where the lowest 10% earned less than $32,220 and highest earned more than $57,580.

The demand for respiratory therapists will increase since therapists are expanding their role in disease prevention, case management, and early detection of pulmonary disorders. Growth in job opportunities will occur in other settings such as home health care services and doctor offices.

Respiratory Therapist Jobs

Care provided by respiratory therapists may include: cardiopulmonary resuscitation, administration of oxygen, administering drugs to the lungs, monitoring, managing mechanical ventilators, and measuring lung function. They are known as respiratory care practitioners, and provide treatment, evaluation, and monitor and manage patients. Job opportunities are expected to be very good especially if you have skills or experience working with infants.  More times than not, jobs are held in hospital departments, like anesthesiology or in pulmonary medicine. Other offers may be found in offices of private physicians or other health practitioners.

Respiratory Therapist Schools

There are schools all over the country that offer degrees in respiratory therapy and other medical therapist fields. There is bound to be a school that is close to home such as ATI Career training Center located in Florida and Texas that specialize in Medical therapy, also in Florida is the ATI College of Health. If you are located on the West coast, the California College, San Diego and Kaplan College offer both an associates and a bachelor degree program to earn your certification in respiratory therapy.  Located on the East Coast is the McCann School of Business & Technology that will get you familiar to the equipment you will be responsible for, along with the uses for these machines. You will learn on the job respiratory therapist training to receive your registered respiratory therapist degree while attending a respiratory therapist school.

Respiratory therapists generally work between 35 and 40 hours a week, but because hospitals operate around the clock, therapist may work evenings, nights, and weekends. They spend long periods of time standing and walking between patients’ rooms. In an emergency, therapists work under stressful situations and will need to make decisions quickly to save lives. You will be trained to work with gases stored under pressure and learn safety precautions. As a respiratory therapist working in the medical field you may be exposed to infectious diseases, but by carefully following proper procedures you can minimize the risk. You may also be required to travel to patients’ homes if you are employed in home health care.

If you truly are trying to decide on a career in the medical field, why not give a respiratory therapist career a look? The pay is good, the schooling load is light and can be completed at a pace that works for you. Trade school, hands on training is a great way to start a respectable career, and has been proven to work time and time again. If you decide that the respiratory therapist program is not for you, make sure to find a career that is not only in demand now, but will only grow in the future. Local community colleges and trade schools offer a numerous amount of courses most likely right in your home town, or at least very close. Get started today!