Allied Health Division

Respiratory Care

Choosing a Career
That Makes a Difference

*Day, Night and Weekend Tracks Available

Are you a caring person who likes to help people? Do you like to work with high tech equipment? Do you enjoy a job where every day you will have different challenges and opportunities? Would you like a job where there are opportunities for specialization or advancement to management or education? If you answered yes to these questions then Respiratory Therapy may be the career for you.

Respiratory Therapists are the health care professionals who care for people with breathing problems. You can live without food for a few weeks, you can live without water for a few days, but if you are deprived of air you will die within minutes. Most people take breathing for granted until there is a problem then breathing becomes a desperate struggle . Unfortunately many people either already have or will develop breathing disorders in the years ahead.

Under the direction of physicians Respiratory Therapists assist in the diagnosis, treatment and management of patients with cardiopulmonary problems. Respiratory Therapists use a great deal of independent judgment to make recommendations to the health care team regarding patients’ respiratory care. A career in Respiratory Therapy allows you the opportunity to work with people of all age groups from premature infants, to children, to adults, to the elderly. You can choose to specialize in areas such as critical care, home care, pulmonary diagnostics, neonatal intensive care, and more. Respiratory Therapists are employed in hospitals, nursing homes, home care companies, doctors’ offices, diagnostic and rehabilitation clinics, educational institutions and more.

For more information on a career in Respiratory Care view the video Life and Breath (Real Player required).

Also view the PowerPoint presentation Respiratory Care, A Life and Breath Career for You.

To see if a career in Respiratory Care is right for you take the "Be an RT" quiz.