Health Careers Spotlight:
Respiratory Therapists help people breathe more easily. Their patients, newborn through elderly, have cardiopulmonary (heart-lung) problems brought on by asthma, emphysema, pneumonia, cystic fibrosis and other conditions. Respiratory therapists test patients for breathing capacity and how well the lungs are absorbing oxygen into the blood.
To improve breathing, they treat patients with exercises and physiotherapy, by administering inhaled medications and, if necessary, by hooking up ventilators for patients who cannot breathe for themselves. Respiratory therapists are also educators, making sure patients and their families know how to maintain cardiopulmonary function and health.
The job out-look for respiratory therapists is excellent. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a need for over 40 percent more respiratory therapists through the year 2008. Salaries for respiratory therapists range from $37,650 to $50,860 per year.
For more information on respiratory therapists or another health career, please call 802-527-1474.
Brian Baker is a Respiratory Therapist at Fletcher Allen
Health Care in Burlington. We recently emailed
Brian to discuss his experiences working in the
healthcare field.
Q How did you become interested in Respiratory
Therapy?
A I observed this practice when I was a patient
at FAHC and I have been
working in respiratory
therapy now for
twenty-two years. I
also considered a career
in nursing but the
health care providers
that cared for me when
I was a patient
ultimately
influenced my
decision to become a
respiratory therapist.
Q Could you describe
the demands of your
job?
A I am responsible for
ventilator management
in a very busy intensive
care unit. I work both 8 and 12 hour days. It is
sometimes very stressful working in medical emergencies
in the intensive care unit or emergency room.
In addition, I supervise respiratory therapy students
from Champlain College.
Q What personal characteristics are desirable to be
good at this job?
A You need the ability to deal with a stressful, fast-paced
environment. You also need strong math, science,
and time management skills. And because you
work with a variety of people, co-workers, clients,
patients, nurses, doctors, radiologist, and lab techs,
you need to have good people skills.
Q What satisfaction and/or frustration do you get
from your job?
A I really enjoy being part of a team that
helps people. However, it’s frustrating that I’m not always
able to spend as much time with a patient as I would like.
Q What is the salary range for a respiratory therapist
at Fletcher Allen?
A The annual salary range at Fletcher Allen is from
$33,000 to $50,000.
Q What high school classes should a student take to
prepare for a career in Respiratory Therapy?
A Math and science courses.
Q Can a person specialize within the field of respiratory
therapy?
A Yes. You can specialize in the areas of adult, neo-natal,
pediatric, pulmonary or technology.
Q What advice would you give someone who is planning
to enter this field?
A Take your studies very seriously and you should be
OK.