The Role of the Respiratory Care Practitioner
Most people take breathing for granted. It's second nature, an involuntary reflex. But for thousands of Americans who suffer from breathing problems, each breath is a major accomplishment. Those people include patients with chronic lung problems such as asthma, bronchitis, and emphysema, but they also include heart attack and accident victims, premature infants, and people with cystic fibrosis, lung cancer, or AIDS.
In each case, the person will most likely receive treatment from a respiratory care practitioner under the direction of a physician. Respiratory care practitioners, including both respiratory therapists and respiratory therapy technicians, work to evaluate, treat and care for patients with breathing disorders.
There are more than 124,000 respiratory care practitioners in the United States. They are members of the health care team that provides respiratory care for patients with heart and lung disorders. Respiratory care practitioners are a vital part of the hospital's lifesaving response team that answers patient emergencies.
While most respiratory care practitioners work in hospitals, an increasing number of them have branched out into alternate care settings such as nursing homes, physicians' offices, home health agencies, specialized care hospitals, medical equipment supply companies, and patients' homes.
Respiratory care practitioners perform procedures that provide both diagnosis and treatment.