A respiratory therapist’s job description and tasks elude many people. This position holds a lot of importance amongt medical jobs since it cares for people with chronic lung problems. Not only does the respiratory therapist care for the patients directly, they are also colleagues of doctors and other medical experts in order to assess their patients. There are a wide range of respiratory therapy programs to choose from, and you will have to commit to a 2-4 year program before you can enter this profession. Taking an exam to earn your CRT certificate (Certified Respiratory Therapist), or an RRT certificate (Registered Respiratory Therapist) should be the first thing you do once your program is finished in order to start working.

Watching out for breathing anomalies, assisting in rehab, seeing the lung capacity level, and setting up and working ventilator machines are all responsibilities of the respiratory therapist. All of these prove to be very important for a patient who is suffering from a lung disorder, and a doctor is not always qualified to perform these tasks. A respiratory ceu (continuing education unit) is available for students who would like to become respiratory therapists but cannot commit to full time studying at respiratory therapist schools just yet. For those who have already completed programs most are enjoying their work and making between forty and fifty thousand dollars a year doing so.