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Occupation AtlasRespiratory Therapists

O*NET · 29-1126.00

Respiratory Therapists

Assess, treat, and care for patients with breathing disorders. Assume primary responsibility for all respiratory care modalities, including the supervision of respiratory therapy technicians. Initiate and conduct therapeutic procedures; maintain patient records; and select, assemble, check, and operate equipment.

Also called CRRT · CRRT (Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Respiratory Therapist) · CRT · CRT (Certified Respiratory Therapist) · Diagnostics RRT · Diagnostics RRT (Diagnostics Registered Respiratory Therapist) · Hospital RT · Hospital RT (Hospital Respiratory Therapist)
21 more

Infant RT · Infant RT (Infant Respiratory Therapist) · Inhalation Therapist · Licensed CRT · Licensed CRT (Licensed Certified Respiratory Therapist) · Licensed RT · Licensed RT (Licensed Respiratory Therapist) · NICU RT · NICU RT (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Respiratory Therapist) · Oxygen Therapist · RCP · Registered RCP · Registered Respiratory Care Practitioner (Registered RCP) · Registered Respiratory Practitioner · Respiratory Care Practitioner (RCP) · RRT · RRT (Registered Respiratory Therapist) · Travel RRT · Travel RRT (Travel Registered Respiratory Therapist) · Travel RT · Travel RT (Travel Respiratory Therapist)

Job Zone 3 — Medium Preparation NeededHolland code RSI35 skills on file

Compare with another occupationCompare with Orthotists and Prosthetists

Job Zone

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5

Zone 3: Medium Preparation Needed

Medium preparation. Vocational training, related on-the-job experience, or an associate degree, with one to two years of training that combines experience and informal instruction.

Job Zone is O*NET's rating of how much education, experience and training an occupation typically needs — a property of the work, not of anyone doing it.

Occupational interest profile

RSIRealistic · Social · Investigative — the three strongest interests, in order

  • R Realistic5.03
  • S Social4.88
  • I Investigative4.73
  • C Conventional3.93
  • E Enterprising1.68
  • A Artistic1.00

RIASEC (Holland) interests on O*NET's 0–7 scale: what the work draws on, not what any individual prefers. Hover a row for what each dimension means.

Education and experience

The education level respondents say the job requires, and the most common answer for experience and training.

  • Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree99%
Related work experience
Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years (61%)
On-site or in-plant training
Up to and including 1 month (45%)
On-the-job training
Over 1 month, up to and including 3 months (69%)

Typically associated skills

All 35 O*NET skills, most important first. Importance (1–5) says how much a skill matters here; level (0–7) says how much of it the work calls for, with O*NET's example of a nearby level. Neither is a proficiency rating of a person.

  • Active Listeningbasic4.04.0Level 4 looks like: Answer inquiries regarding credit references
  • Critical Thinkingbasic4.04.0Level 4 looks like: Evaluate customer complaints and determine appropriate responses
  • Monitoringbasic4.04.0Level 4 looks like: Monitor a meeting and revise the agenda to ensure important topics are discussed
  • Reading Comprehensionbasic3.94.1Level 4 looks like: Understand an email from management describing new personnel policies
  • Social Perceptiveness3.94.1Level 4 looks like: Be aware of how a coworker's promotion will affect a work group
  • Speakingbasic3.94.1Level 4 looks like: Interview applicants to obtain personal and work history
  • Service Orientation3.83.9Level 4 looks like: Make flight reservations for customers using an online booking site
  • Complex Problem Solving3.63.3Level 4 looks like: Redesign a floor layout to take advantage of new manufacturing techniques
  • Active Learningbasic3.43.9Level 4 looks like: Determine the impact of new menu changes on a restaurant's purchasing requirements
  • Judgment and Decision Making3.43.5Level 4 looks like: Evaluate a loan application for degree of risk
  • Writingbasic3.33.4Level 4 looks like: Write an email to staff outlining new directives
  • Coordination3.33.1Level 4 looks like: Work with others to put a new roof on a house
Show the other 23
  • Instructing3.13.3Level 4 looks like: Instruct a coworker in how to operate a software program
  • Learning Strategiesbasic3.13.1Level 4 looks like: Identify an alternative approach to help trainees who are having difficulties
  • Operations Monitoring3.13.1Level 4 looks like: Monitor machine functions on an automated production line
  • Quality Control Analysis3.13.1Level 4 looks like: Assess new parts for precision and accuracy to specifications
  • Operation and Control3.13.0Level 2 looks like: Navigate the settings on an office printer to print on both sides of the paper
  • Sciencebasic3.03.4Level 4 looks like: Conduct product tests to ensure safety standards are met
  • Persuasion3.03.1Level 4 looks like: Convince a supervisor to purchase new office equipment
  • Time Management3.03.0Level 2 looks like: Keep a monthly calendar of appointments
  • Systems Analysis2.92.9Level 2 looks like: Determine how loss of a team member will affect the completion of a job
  • Systems Evaluation2.92.9Level 2 looks like: Determine why estimates for the time to complete a task are overly optimistic
  • Mathematicsbasic2.83.0Level 2 looks like: Count the amount of change to be given to a customer
  • Negotiation2.82.9Level 2 looks like: Present justification to a manager for altering a work schedule
  • Management of Personnel Resources2.82.8Level 2 looks like: Encourage a coworker who is having difficulty finishing a project
  • Equipment Selection2.42.1Level 2 looks like: Select a tool to adjust a loose part on a bicycle
  • Troubleshooting2.42.1Level 2 looks like: Identify the source of a leak by looking under a machine
  • Equipment Maintenance2.12.1Level 2 looks like: Add oil to an engine as indicated by a warning light
  • Repairing2.01.9Level 2 looks like: Tighten a screw to get a door to close properly
  • Operations Analysis1.81.5Level 2 looks like: Select a printer for an office
  • Management of Material Resources1.81.4Level 2 looks like: Reserve a room for a management meeting
  • Technology Design1.61.3Level 2 looks like: Adjust exercise equipment for use by a customer
  • Management of Financial Resources1.60.8
  • Programming1.3—
  • Installation1.0—

Tasks

22 core · 1 supplemental

What people in this occupation do, as O*NET records it, core tasks first by importance (1–5).

  1. Set up and operate devices, such as mechanical ventilators, therapeutic gas administration apparatus, environmental control systems, or aerosol generators, following specified parameters of treatment.4.9
  2. Monitor patient's physiological responses to therapy, such as vital signs, arterial blood gases, or blood chemistry changes, and consult with physician if adverse reactions occur.4.8
  3. Read prescription, measure arterial blood gases, and review patient information to assess patient condition.4.8
  4. Relay blood analysis results to a physician.4.8
  5. Provide emergency care, such as artificial respiration, external cardiac massage, or assistance with cardiopulmonary resuscitation.4.7
  6. Enforce safety rules and ensure careful adherence to physicians' orders.4.7
  7. Maintain charts that contain patients' pertinent identification and therapy information.4.7
  8. Make emergency visits to resolve equipment problems.4.7
  9. Work as part of a team of physicians, nurses, or other healthcare professionals to manage patient care by assisting with medical procedures or related duties.4.7
  10. Determine requirements for treatment, such as type, method and duration of therapy, precautions to be taken, or medication and dosages, compatible with physicians' orders.4.6
  11. Inspect, clean, test, and maintain respiratory therapy equipment to ensure equipment is functioning safely and efficiently, ordering repairs when necessary.4.6
  12. Explain treatment procedures to patients to gain cooperation and allay fears.4.6
Show the other 11
  1. Perform bronchopulmonary drainage and assist or instruct patients in performance of breathing exercises.4.5
  2. Educate patients and their families about their conditions and teach appropriate disease management techniques, such as breathing exercises or the use of medications or respiratory equipment.4.4
  3. Perform pulmonary function and adjust equipment to obtain optimum results in therapy.4.4
  4. Demonstrate respiratory care procedures to trainees or other healthcare personnel.4.4
  5. Conduct tests, such as electrocardiograms (EKGs), stress testing, or lung capacity tests, to evaluate patients' cardiopulmonary functions.4.4
  6. Perform endotracheal intubation to maintain open airways for patients who are unable to breathe on their own.4.3
  7. Teach, train, supervise, or use the assistance of students, respiratory therapy technicians, or assistants.4.2
  8. Use a variety of testing techniques to assist doctors in cardiac or pulmonary research or to diagnose disorders.4.2
  9. Monitor cardiac patients, using electrocardiography devices, such as a holter monitor.4.1
  10. Transport patients to the hospital or within the hospital.3.7
  11. Attend high-risk and caesarian section infant deliveries to provide neonatal respiratory care as needed.3.5

Knowledge

Bodies of knowledge the work draws on.

  • Customer and Personal Service4.76.4Level 7 looks like: Respond to a citizen's request for assistance after a major disaster
  • Medicine and Dentistry4.45.3Level 4 looks like: Fill a tooth cavity
  • Public Safety and Security4.24.3Level 4 looks like: Inspect a building site for safety violations
  • English Language4.14.5Level 4 looks like: Edit an article for a news website
  • Mechanical3.95.0Level 4 looks like: Replace a valve on a steam pipe
  • Psychology3.95.2Level 4 looks like: Understand the impact of alcohol on human responses
  • Biology3.85.1Level 4 looks like: Investigate the effects of pollution on marine plants and animals
  • Administration and Management3.64.6Level 4 looks like: Monitor progress of a project to ensure timely completion
Show all 33
  • Computers and Electronics3.64.1Level 4 looks like: Use a computer to format a document
  • Education and Training3.54.5Level 4 looks like: Lead a quality improvement seminar
  • Physics3.54.3Level 4 looks like: Calculate the speed of a falling object
  • Administrative3.44.2Level 4 looks like: Type 30 words per minute
  • Chemistry3.44.4Level 4 looks like: Use the proper concentration of chlorine to purify a water source
  • Law and Government3.23.5Level 4 looks like: Prepare documents and title papers for the purchase of a new house
  • Mathematics3.24.1Level 4 looks like: Analyze data to determine areas with the highest sales
  • Sociology and Anthropology3.23.7Level 4 looks like: Write an article about cultural differences
  • Personnel and Human Resources3.13.4Level 4 looks like: Interview applicants for an administrative position
  • Telecommunications3.13.0Level 4 looks like: Install a wireless internet router
  • Therapy and Counseling3.13.6Level 4 looks like: Provide job counseling to the unemployed
  • Transportation3.02.9
  • Engineering and Technology2.82.7
  • Production and Processing2.83.1Level 4 looks like: Supervise an appliance assembly line
  • Philosophy and Theology2.73.5Level 4 looks like: Understand another culture's religious practices
  • Communications and Media2.62.6
  • Economics and Accounting2.52.5Level 1 looks like: Answer billing questions from credit card customers
  • Foreign Language2.42.5Level 1 looks like: Say "please" and "thank you" in a foreign language
  • Geography2.42.5Level 1 looks like: Know the capital of the United States
  • Sales and Marketing2.42.5Level 1 looks like: Sell cakes at a bake sale
  • Building and Construction2.32.1Level 1 looks like: Choose the proper type of wood for adding a deck onto a house
  • Design2.12.4Level 1 looks like: Draw a straight line 4 3/16 inches long
  • Food Production2.01.6Level 1 looks like: Grow herbs in the kitchen
  • Fine Arts1.81.2Level 1 looks like: Attend a popular music concert
  • History and Archeology1.81.3Level 1 looks like: Take a class in US history

Abilities

Enduring capacities the work calls for.

  • Problem Sensitivity4.34.4Level 4 looks like: Notice from a subtle difference in a client's mood that something is bothering them
  • Inductive Reasoning4.14.3Level 4 looks like: Determine the prime suspect based on crime scene evidence
  • Deductive Reasoning4.04.3Level 5 looks like: Decide what factors to consider in selecting stocks
  • Information Ordering4.04.0Level 2 looks like: Follow the correct steps to make change
  • Oral Comprehension4.04.3Level 4 looks like: Understand a coach's oral instructions for a sport
  • Oral Expression4.04.3Level 4 looks like: Give instructions to a lost motorist
  • Written Comprehension4.04.1Level 4 looks like: Understand an apartment lease
  • Near Vision3.93.9
Show all 52
  • Written Expression3.83.8Level 4 looks like: Write a job recommendation for a subordinate
  • Speech Clarity3.63.3Level 4 looks like: Make stadium-wide announcements during a sporting event
  • Category Flexibility3.33.3Level 3 looks like: Classify flowers according to size, color, and smell
  • Speech Recognition3.33.1Level 4 looks like: Identify a former customer's voice over the phone
  • Perceptual Speed3.13.1Level 4 looks like: Read five pressure indicators in 10 seconds to make sure each is within safe limits
  • Arm-Hand Steadiness3.03.0Level 2 looks like: Light a candle
  • Control Precision3.03.0Level 2 looks like: Adjust a room light with a dimmer switch
  • Flexibility of Closure3.03.0Level 2 looks like: Detect that your phone is ringing while at a concert
  • Manual Dexterity3.03.0Level 4 looks like: Pack oranges in crates as quickly as possible
  • Number Facility3.03.0Level 3 looks like: Calculate a discounted price
  • Selective Attention3.03.0Level 2 looks like: Answer a business call with coworkers talking nearby
  • Finger Dexterity2.93.1Level 4 looks like: Attach small dials to audio equipment on an assembly line
  • Fluency of Ideas2.93.0Level 2 looks like: Name four different uses for a screwdriver
  • Multilimb Coordination2.92.9Level 2 looks like: Row a boat
  • Trunk Strength2.92.4Level 2 looks like: Sit up in an office chair
  • Extent Flexibility2.82.6Level 2 looks like: Reach to adjust the radio in a car
  • Far Vision2.82.9Level 2 looks like: Read a roadside billboard
  • Mathematical Reasoning2.83.1Level 4 looks like: Decide how to calculate profits to determine the amounts of yearly bonuses
  • Memorization2.83.0Level 4 looks like: Recite the first names of the five people you just met
  • Originality2.83.0Level 2 looks like: Use a credit card to open a locked door
  • Speed of Closure2.82.9Level 3 looks like: Recognize a song after hearing only the first few notes
  • Time Sharing2.82.9Level 3 looks like: Watch street signs while driving at 30 miles an hour
  • Visual Color Discrimination2.62.6
  • Auditory Attention2.52.5Level 2 looks like: Listen to a lecture while people nearby are talking
  • Hearing Sensitivity2.52.3Level 2 looks like: Notice a doorbell ringing
  • Reaction Time2.42.3Level 2 looks like: Start to slow down the car when a traffic light turns yellow
  • Static Strength2.32.3Level 1 looks like: Push an empty shopping cart
  • Visualization2.32.3Level 2 looks like: Imagine how to place paper in a printer so that the letterhead comes out on top
  • Dynamic Strength2.11.6Level 2 looks like: Use pruning shears to trim a bush
  • Rate Control2.12.0Level 1 looks like: Ride a bicycle alongside a jogger
  • Stamina2.11.9Level 1 looks like: Walk 1/4 mile
  • Depth Perception2.01.8Level 2 looks like: Merge a car into traffic on a city street
  • Gross Body Coordination2.01.8Level 2 looks like: Get in and out of a truck
  • Wrist-Finger Speed2.01.8Level 2 looks like: Use a screwdriver to twist in a screw
  • Response Orientation1.91.8Level 2 looks like: When a doorbell and phone ring at the same time, quickly select which to answer first
  • Gross Body Equilibrium1.81.3Level 2 looks like: Stand on a ladder
  • Peripheral Vision1.60.9
  • Speed of Limb Movement1.61.1Level 2 looks like: Saw through a thin piece of wood
  • Sound Localization1.50.8
  • Spatial Orientation1.50.6
  • Explosive Strength1.3—
  • Glare Sensitivity1.3—
  • Night Vision1.3—
  • Dynamic Flexibility1.0—

Work activities

Kinds of activity the work is made of.

  • Assisting and Caring for Others4.96.5Level 7 looks like: Care for seriously injured persons in an emergency room
  • Getting Information4.85.4Level 4 looks like: Review a budget
  • Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials4.85.1Level 4 looks like: Inspect equipment in a chemical processing plant
  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems4.86.0Level 7 looks like: Make the final decision about a company's 5-year plan
  • Documenting/Recording Information4.75.3Level 4 looks like: Document the results of a crime scene investigation
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates4.45.3Level 4 looks like: Report the results of a sales meeting to a supervisor
  • Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work4.45.2Level 4 looks like: Plan and adjust a personal to-do list according to changing demands
  • Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge4.45.9
Show all 41
  • Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events4.35.8
  • Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information4.24.9Level 4 looks like: Estimate the time required to evacuate a city in the event of a major disaster
  • Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards4.25.3Level 4 looks like: Evaluate a complicated insurance claim for compliance with policy terms
  • Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People4.25.5Level 4 looks like: Determine the value of property lost in a fire
  • Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others4.14.4Level 4 looks like: Interpret how foreign tax laws apply to U.S. exports
  • Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings4.16.2Level 7 looks like: Check the status of a patient in critical medical care
  • Controlling Machines and Processes4.05.0Level 4 looks like: Operate a drilling rig
  • Working with Computers4.03.9Level 4 looks like: Write software for keeping track of parts in inventory
  • Analyzing Data or Information3.94.7Level 4 looks like: Determine the interest cost to finance a new building
  • Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships3.95.2Level 4 looks like: Maintain good working relationships with almost all coworkers and clients
  • Processing Information3.95.2Level 4 looks like: Calculate the adjustments for insurance claims
  • Training and Teaching Others3.94.8Level 4 looks like: Teach a social sciences course to high school students
  • Performing General Physical Activities3.84.7Level 4 looks like: Paint the outside of a house
  • Performing for or Working Directly with the Public3.84.3Level 4 looks like: Sell shoes in a crowded shoe store
  • Handling and Moving Objects3.75.0Level 4 looks like: Arrange books in a library
  • Thinking Creatively3.54.3Level 4 looks like: Adapt popular music for a high school marching band
  • Developing Objectives and Strategies3.43.9Level 4 looks like: Develop the plan to complete the merger of two organizations over a 3-year period
  • Developing and Building Teams3.43.5Level 4 looks like: Lead an assembly team in an automobile plant
  • Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment3.43.9Level 4 looks like: Change the oil on a tractor
  • Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates3.33.7Level 4 looks like: Manage a small team of employees in a dynamic workplace
  • Coaching and Developing Others3.24.1Level 4 looks like: Provide on-the-job training for administrative workers
  • Scheduling Work and Activities3.23.8Level 4 looks like: Prepare the work schedule for salesclerks in a large retail store
  • Communicating with People Outside the Organization3.12.8
  • Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others3.13.2Level 4 looks like: Organize the cleanup crew after a major sporting event
  • Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others3.03.5Level 4 looks like: Get two subordinates to agree about vacation schedules
  • Providing Consultation and Advice to Others2.93.9Level 4 looks like: Recommend a new software package to increase operational efficiency
  • Repairing and Maintaining Electronic Equipment2.73.0Level 4 looks like: Make repairs by removing and replacing circuit boards
  • Performing Administrative Activities2.52.7
  • Monitoring and Controlling Resources2.42.5Level 1 looks like: Work as a server responsible for keeping track of utensils
  • Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment2.42.6
  • Selling or Influencing Others1.91.6Level 1 looks like: Convince a coworker to assist with an assignment
  • Staffing Organizational Units1.91.9Level 1 looks like: Work in a position that has minimal staffing requirements
  • Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment1.71.5Level 1 looks like: Specify the lighting for a work area

Work context

The conditions most characteristic of the work, on O*NET's 1–5 context scale.

  • Exposed to Disease or Infections5.0
  • Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams5.0
  • Indoors, Environmentally Controlled5.0
  • Physical Proximity5.0
  • Importance of Being Exact or Accurate4.9
  • Health and Safety of Other Workers4.7
  • Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team4.7
  • Coordinate or Lead Others in Accomplishing Work Activities4.5
  • Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals4.3
  • Freedom to Make Decisions4.3

Technology

10 tools

Software used in this work. In demand: among the tools job postings for this occupation name most. Hot: often named in job postings across the economy.

Hot (7)

  • eClinicalWorks EHR software
  • MEDITECH software
  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Office software
  • Microsoft Outlook
  • Microsoft PowerPoint
  • Microsoft Word
Other tools (3)
  • Database software
  • Electronic medical record EMR software
  • HMS

Related occupations

O*NET's own list of the occupations most related to this one, closest first.

  1. Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians
  2. Paramedics
  3. Acute Care Nurses
  4. Radiation Therapists
  5. Critical Care Nurses
  6. Physical Therapist Assistants
  7. Physical Therapists
  8. Occupational Therapy Assistants
  9. Registered Nurses
  10. Physical Therapist Aides

ESCO equivalents

From the official ESCO–O*NET crosswalk, strongest match first. A broader occupation takes in this one; a narrower one is a part of it.

Closest occupations

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This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. ESCO occupations and skills are from the European Commission's ESCO classification, and the occupation crosswalk is the official ESCO–O*NET mapping by the ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA. This service uses the ESCO classification of the European Commission. BlissPoint Analytics has modified all or some of this information: skill, task and descriptor ratings are rounded to one decimal, and ESCO occupations show Job Zone and interests copied from a crosswalked O*NET occupation. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.