20 tasks, each one witnessed by the sources that watched the job — and behind every one, a prompt you can use tonight.
You usually start by reviewing patient charts in the electronic medical record (EMR) — systems like MEDITECH or eClinicalWorks — to see ventilator settings, recent blood gas results, and physician orders.
Then you rotate between bedside care (setting mechanical ventilators, inserting airway tubes when needed, giving inhalants and nebulized meds), performing pulmonary function tests, and documenting changes in Microsoft Word or the EMR. Expect sudden trips to the ER or ICU for critical care or transport shifts several times a week.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports about 139,790 respiratory therapists employed. The median wage is $82,280 per year, the lowest 10% earn about $63,660, and the top 10% about $118,050.
Pay varies by state, hospital size, shift (nights and weekends pay more), and extra skills like ECMO or critical care transport.
Most employers expect an associate degree in respiratory therapy; bachelor’s programs exist. You must learn respiratory medicine, human anatomy, medical terminology, and how to operate ventilators and heart–lung machines.
After school you get clinical hours in hospitals, pass the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC) exams for CRT or RRT credentialing, and learn the EMR your hospital uses (e.g., MEDITECH or eClinicalWorks).
Respiratory therapists focus on breathing: ventilator management, pulmonary function tests, airway insertion, and blood gas interpretation. Nurses provide broader bedside care and medication administration across systems. Anesthetists manage anesthesia and airway during surgery and are advanced providers.
In short: RTs are the specialists for lungs and ventilators; nurses and anesthetists overlap but have different training and duties.
You can use AI for drafting notes or summarizing ventilator trends, but never rely on it for clinical decisions. Always verify AI output against the EMR data (MEDITECH/eClinicalWorks) and blood gas results, and follow physicians’ orders and hospital protocols.
Do not upload identifiable patient data into public AI tools. Use hospital-approved AI integrations, document sources in the EMR, and treat AI suggestions as helper information, not a replacement for clinical judgment.
Operate mechanical ventilators, perform pulmonary function tests, insert and manage airway tubes, and monitor/relay blood gas analysis to physicians. You must be comfortable with EMRs (MEDITECH or eClinicalWorks), and basic office tools like Word and PowerPoint for reports or education.
Also know safety rules, infection control, and how to assist in critical care transport and emergency situations.
Emergency airway insertions, managing unstable ventilated patients, and interpreting abnormal blood gases under time pressure are the most stressful moments. These often happen in the ICU or during critical care transport.
Therapists train with simulations, follow checklists, communicate quickly with physicians and nurses, and document actions in the EMR so the whole team knows what was done and why.