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For most people, breathing is as easy and natural as
blinking. But for thousands of Canadians, breathing is a
struggle. They might be accident victims, premature
babies with immature lungs, heart attack and stroke
patients, or people who live with asthma and emphysema.
When it comes to their care, a Respiratory Therapist
will likely play a vital role on the healthcare team.
Respiratory Therapists are healthcare professionals who
assist physicians with the diagnosis and treatment of
lung disorders. Their duties include:
- Maintaining an open airway for trauma, intensive care,
and surgery patients
- Assisting in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and support
- Providing life support for patients who can't breathe on
their own
- Assisting in high risk births
- Stabilizing high risk patients being moved by air or
ground ambulance
- Assisting anesthesiologists in the operating room
- Administering inhaled drugs and medical gases such as
asthma medication and oxygen
- Conducting tests to measure lung function
- Teaching people to manage their asthma or to quit
smoking
- Providing in-home respiratory care to adults and
children with chronic lung disease
Most Respiratory Therapists work in hospitals. You'll
find them in neonatal nurseries, operating rooms,
intensive care units, general wards, and emergency
departments.
Respiratory Therapists also work in the community,
bringing their expertise to:
- Home care
- Asthma, emphysema, cystic fibrosis and other clinics
- Teaching
- Research
- Rehabilitation
- Diagnostic clinics and sleep disorder labs
- Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment
- Medical equipment sales and service
They need good judgment, excellent interpersonal
skills, and the ability to maintain composure in
critical medical situations.
Most Respiratory Therapists graduate from three-year
training programs offered by accredited Canadian
community colleges, universities and institutes. Several
universities also offer four year Respiratory Therapy
Degrees.
Training programs in Canada incorporate an Occupational
Profile developed and updated by the Canadian Society of
Respiratory Therapists (CSRT). Students learn
theoretical subjects, such as anatomy, and receive
clinical training in hospital and home care settings.
Following graduation, students are eligible to write the
national registration examinations of the Canadian Board
for Respiratory Care. Successful candidates earn the
CSRT Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) credential.*
*Credential requirements may differ where the profession
of respiratory therapy is provincially regulated.
The Canadian Society of Respiratory Therapists (CSRT) is
a national professional organization dedicated to
excellence in cardiorespiratory care. Since it was
established in 1964, the CSRT has awarded its
internationally recognized RRT credential to over 6200
respiratory therapists.
The above information was obtained from and is copyright
© of the Canadian Society of Respiratory Therapists |