Lecture 1 History and Role of respiratory care

Registered Respiratory Therapist

Licensed Health care professional.

What do RRT’s specialize in

Assessment, treatment, and care of patients with breathing or cardiopulmonary disorders.

What are procedures are RRT’s trained for.

Mechanical ventilation, Airway management, oxygen therapy, meication administration, and patient education.

What are common work settings for RRT’s

Hospitals (inpatient acute), Home Care, Sleep Lab, Pulmonary Rehab Clinics, Transport and Critical Care Teams, Long-term Acute Cares and skilled nursing facilities, Out patient clinic and physician offices. Research and Education. Industry and equipment sales.

ICU

Managing ventilators, ABG and critical patients.

Emergency Departments

Rapid response to respiratory distress, trauma and code situations.

Medical-surgical Units

Routine respiratory treatments, oxygen therapy and patient education

Neonatal and pediatric ICU

Specialized care for infant and children with respiratory issues.

Home care

Monitoring and supporting patients with chronic lung disease. Education patients and caregiver on equipment, reducing hospital readmissions through ongoing respiratory support. 

Pulmonary Rehab

Developing exercise and education programs for patients with chronic lung conditions, improving quality of life and physical endurance. Improving quality of life and physical endurance. 

Sleep Laboratories

Performing and scoring sleep studies

Managing conditions like sleep apnea and titration (CPAP/BiPap)

Transport and critical care teams

Assisting in air or ground transport of critically ill patients

Managing airways and ventilators during transport

Outpatient Clinics and physician offiices

conducting pulmonary function test. Supporting asthma or COPD management plans

Research and Education

Teaching in respiratory therapy programs or clinical education roles, Conducting research in pulmonary medicine

Industry and equipment sales

·Educating healthcare providers on new respiratory technologies

·Working with medical device companies as clinical application specialists