If you would like to become a respiratory therapist, you have made an excellent career choice. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that this will be one of the fastest growing occupations in the decade of 2006 to 2016. But its growth is not likely to stop there.

The aging population is growing. Within the next two decades, the youngest baby boomer will hit retirement age—and they (like all people) are living longer. The U.S. Census Bureau reports that, by 2010, the average life expectancy of an American will be 78.3 years. .

Many of these people will need the services of a good respiratory therapist—YOU.

Why the Aging Population Needs Respiratory Therapists

Respiratory therapists treat those with breathing and cardiopulmonary disorders. They interview, evaluate, run diagnostic tests, and treat conditions such as bronchitis, emphysema, and pneumonia—all conditions that most commonly occur in older people.

Though respiratory therapists treat all age groups, the growing aged population will demand a lot more of their medical services in the coming years.

Respiratory Therapist Employment

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, a majority of respiratory therapists—79 percent of them in 2006—worked in hospitals. The rest of them were employed by various types of health practitioners, nursing homes, home health care companies, and by suppliers of home respiratory equipment.

In the future, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that the majority of jobs for respiratory therapists will come from hospitals. However, they expect that a growing number will be employed outside of hospitals, in home health care companies or in nursing home facilities.

Jobs in Hospitals

There are many different departments of a hospital that can use respiratory therapists. Some of these departments include:

• Respiratory therapy
• Pulmonary medicine
• Anesthesiology
• Respiratory Care
• Hospital Emergency Rooms

Work Environment

Respiratory therapists usually put in a 35 to 40 hour workweek. Their shifts, however, can vary quite a bit. If they work in hospitals—as most do—they can work days, nights, and weekend because hospitals are always open.

Respiratory therapists usually spend a considerable amount of time standing and walking while tending to their patients. During an emergency, they must stay calm under pressure. They can be exposed to infectious diseases and to dangerous gases during a typical workday, and they must take precautions accordingly.

Respiratory therapists that work in home health care may have to travel frequently to visit their patients.

Advancement Opportunities

In clinical practice, respiratory therapists usually begin their careers by administering general respiratory aid to patients. They can advance in this field, however, to caring for critically ill patients whose respiratory condition affect other organs, such as the heart.

Other advancement opportunities for respiratory therapists include:

• Management of a respiratory therapy department—more likely if you have a bachelor’s or a master’s degree.
• Branch manager of a home health care facility
• Sales manager of a respiratory therapy equipment supply company
• Teaching positions in respiratory therapist schools
• Marketing medical devices to consumers or to healthcare facilities.