"Having trouble breathing or having heart issues can be extremely scary. Sitting across from a patient who I can help breathe easier is what I love best about my job. Improvement can take time, so I encourage them to celebrate small successes and stay focused on how far they’ve come. Throughout the treatment plan, I collaborate with their nurses, doctors, and other healthcare providers to teach the patients about their condition and behaviors that they can do to help themselves and monitor their progress. With so many causes of respiratory challenges, from environmental and behavioral factors to infectious diseases, I learn from the care of each patient. I feel fortunate that I was able to get hired as a Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT) on the condition that I continue my education to earn the Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) certification within a certain amount of time. I'm so excited to grow in my career while having a positive impact on people’s lives."

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Job Description

SOC Code: 29-1126

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.*

*Source: This information is based on O*NET™ data. O*NET is a trademark registered to the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.

Top Job Skills:

• Collection of blood specimens
• Consults with physicians
• Bronchoscopy
• Customer service
• Discharge planning

General Work Activities:

• Interacting With Others
  • Implement advanced life support techniques
  • Treat medical emergencies
  • Inform medical professionals regarding patient conditions and care
  • Assist healthcare practitioners during examinations or treatments
  • Collaborate with healthcare professionals to plan and/or provide treatment
  • Explain medical procedures and/or test results to patients or family members
• Information Input
  • Gather medical information from patient histories
  • Examine medical instruments and/or equipment to ensure proper operation
• Work Output
  • Operate diagnostic or therapeutic medical instruments or equipment
  • Maintain medical facility records

Source: SC Works Online Services (SCWOS)

*All data is factual, but names, images, and quotations have been adapted to protect the identity of employees and businesses

 

Job Statistics

Examples of Workforce Areas with Job Openings

• Greenville
• Trident
• Midlands
• Pee Dee
• Worklink
• Catawba

Examples of Employers with Job Openings

• Prisma Health
• Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System
• VieMed
• Roper St. Francis Healthcare
• Tenet Healthcare Corporation

Related Occupations

 

• Acute Care Nurses
• Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians
• Critical Care Nurses
• Paramedics
• Radiation Therapists
• Physical Therapist Aides
• Physical Therapists

 

Learn More with SCWOS

SC Works Online Services (SCWOS) is the state’s largest job database and provides all of South Carolina's job postings from all major sites, including Monster and Career Builder, in one resource. SCWOS has thousands of positions listed by employers all over the state. To access SCWOS, visit jobs.scworks.org.

Find in-depth breakdowns of occupational statistics such as necessary job certifications, job skills and abilities, current job openings, overview of general work activities, and more by visiting O*NET.org.