Career Laders: Respiratory Care

Respiratory therapists (RTs) care for those with asthma, cystic fibrosis, bronchiolitis, obstructive sleep apnea, lung injury, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, just to name a few. An RT is a trained and highly skilled professional and spends an intense two years in college to learn the profession. The training is hands-on from day one.

While in school and clinical training, RTs study the cardiopulmonary system and learn skills to help the doctor diagnosis and treat respiratory conditions. RTs work with the most sophisticated machinery and medically frail patients in health care today. From using complicated mechanical ventilators to teaching a child how to properly take inhaled medicines, a RT must have many skills.

Doctors rely on the lung health expertise of RTs. In the United States, there are about 100,000 RTs who evaluate, treat, and monitor all kinds of breathing disorders. They even help prevent illness by encouraging those who smoke to quit and by teaching people how to manage their respiratory conditions.

Visit the Respiratory Care Web site

Contact Jennifer Brink, program chair in Respiratory Care, at 260-480-4270 or jbrink@ivytech.edu.