Have you ever thought of a healthcare career?
The demand for healthcare professionals has never been higher, so job stability continues to be excellent. Continued growth in biomedical technology ensures the field will never get boring. And the opportunity to really help people and make a lasting and meaningful difference in the lives of others means you’ll get much more out of your career than just a paycheck.
Have you ever considered becoming a Respiratory Therapist (RT)?
Respiratory therapist jobs exist in most hospitals, clinics, and home care organizations.
Essentially, they work with people who have heart and lung conditions and illnesses doing a lot of different procedures and therapy. Some of the actual work they do include:
> Diagnosing lung and breathing disorders and recommending treatment methods.
> Interviewing patients and doing chest physical exams to determine what kind of therapy is best for their condition.
> Consulting with physicians to recommend a change in therapy, based on your evaluation of the patient.
> Analyzing breath, tissue, and blood specimens to determine levels of oxygen and other gases.
> Managing ventilators and artificial airway devices for patients who can’t breathe normally on their own.
> Responding to Code Blue or other urgent calls for care.
> Educating patients and families about lung disease so they can maximize their recovery.
What type of job outlook do RT’s have?
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of respiratory therapists is expected to increase faster than average over the next decade, primarily because the aging baby boom generation will increase the number of older people, who tend to suffer the most from respiratory conditions like pneumonia and COPD and who often have respiratory complications due to heart disease and other common diseases of aging. While U.S. employment in general is forecast to increase by 15 percent, the need for RTs will grow by up to 26 percent (source)!
So what should you do if you think RT is a career choice for you?
If you decide that RT is a career that you would like to pursue, our program at Independence University may be the program for you. Our faculty are experience practitioners in the field of RT and have many years of practice with infants, children, and adults. Also, most have many years of teaching experience so they are able to help you successfully complete your program and go on to obtaining your national credentials to become both Certified and Registered as a Respiratory Therapist.
So, if you are interested in this career opportunity, contact our admissions consultants immediately, and they can give you all the information you will need to apply to become a student in our Respiratory Therapy program.
Author Bio
Dr. Bob Vega graduated with a BS in Health Science and Respiratory Therapy from Loma Linda University in California. In addition to completing a MAM in Management degree from the University of Redlands, Vega also has an MBA from Chaminade University of Honolulu. His Doctoral degree (DM) in Management/Organizational Leadership is from the University of Phoenix. Since 1979, Vega has worked for a variety of healthcare organizations, mostly managing start-up projects in hospital and clinical departments. He manages the Respiratory Care programs for Independence University and currently resides in Kailua, Hawaii, with his spouse and two adult children.
