Exactly What IS
Respiratory Care?
Simply put, Respiratory Care is the health care specialty responsible for the treatment and care of the lungs! People working in this profession are known as Respiratory Therapists (RTs). These professionals have extensive knowledge of the lungs and heart including the diseases that affect these organs
as well as the therapeutic treatments to battle these disease.
AARC "Life & Breath" Video
The AARC has put together a terrific video review of the Respiratory Therapy profession. Click on the topics below to download and view a 2-3 minute clip (in Windows Media format) for each area:
Overview Critical Care Pediatrics Diagnostics Research
Disease Management Home Care Management & Education
Continuing & Long Term Care Pulmonary Rehabilitation
To order a copy of the Life and Breath video on DVD, visit the AARC's web store
by clicking here!
A Typical Day In the Life Of A Respiratory Therapist...
A typical day in the life of a respiratory therapist might include:
1. Diagnosing lung and breathing disorders and recommending treatment methods.
2. Interviewing patients and doing chest physical exams to determine what kind of therapy is
best for their condition.
3. Managing life support machines (known as mechanical ventilators) and artificial airway
devices for patients who can’t breathe normally on their own.
4. Analyzing breath, tissue, and blood specimens to determine levels of oxygen and other
gases.
5. Consulting with physicians to recommend a change in therapy, based on their evaluation of
the patient.
6. Responding to "Code Blue" or other urgent calls for care.
7. Educating patients and families about lung disease so they can maximize their recovery.
8. Interacting with a wide variety of patients from the smallest babies weighing less than 2 lbs
to a 40 year old car accident victim to a 75 year old patient with pneumonia.
Sound interesting?
Visit the AARC's "Be An RT" webpage for more information that can help you decide if Respiratory Care is a career for YOU! Click Here!