Job Overview For Graduates Of A Respiratory Therapy Program

Respiratory therapy is a health care specialty that focuses on prevention

, diagnosis, treatment, management and rehabilitation of patients with breathing or other cardiopulmonary disorders. Graduates of a respiratory therapy program provide treatment that can range from giving emergency relief to patients with asthma to long-term care for chronic conditions such as emphysema.

According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, respiratory therapists held nearly 106,000 jobs in 2008. Roughly 81 percent of jobs were in hospitals, mainly in departments of respiratory care, pulmonary medicine or anesthesiology. Most of the remaining jobs held by graduates of a respiratory therapy program were in offices of physicians or other health care practitioners, nursing care facilities, consumer-goods rental shops that supply respiratory equipment for use in homes, home healthcare services and employment services.

Job Outlook for Respiratory Therapists

According to the BLS, job growth for respiratory therapists is expected to increase much faster than average than other occupations. Job opportunities should be extremely good for graduates of a respiratory therapy program.

Employment of respiratory therapists is projected to grow by more than 21 percent from 2008 to 2018. The increasing demand for graduates of a respiratory therapy program will come from substantial increase in the population of middle-aged and elderly individuals. Increase in demand will also result from the expanding role of respiratory therapists in emergency care, disease prevention, case management and the detection of pulmonary disorders.

It is the elder population of Americans that suffer most from cardiopulmonary diseases and respiratory ailments, such as chronic bronchitis, pneumonia, heart disease and emphysema. As the elderly and middle-age populations increase, the need for graduates of a respiratory therapy program is expected to increase as well. Also, advances in inhalable medication and the treatment heart attack and accident victims, lung transplant patients and premature infants - a majority of whom depend on a ventilator during treatment - will increase the need for the services of graduates of a respiratory therapy program.

Job Prospects for Graduates of a Respiratory Therapy Program

Job opportunities are expected to be extremely good, especially for individuals with a bachelor's degree and certification, as well as those with skills in cardiopulmonary care or experiencing working with young children. The vast majority of job openings for graduates of a respiratory therapy program will continue to be in hospitals, but a growing number of job openings are expected to be out of the hospital. These jobs include positions in home healthcare services, consumer goods rental firms, offices of healthcare practitioners or in employment services as a temporary worker in a number of settings.

by: Beth Glick

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