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The respiratory care profession has a bright future with a great deal of job security and opportunity for advancement. The need for respiratory care practitioners is expected to grow two-times faster than the national average for all job growth.

Roughly 115,000 health care workers in the United States are respiratory therapists. Not all of them work in hospitals or even wear scrubs, but what all Respiratory Therapists do is help people breathe easier.

A day in the life of an RT might include:

• Diagnosing lung and breathing disorders and recommending treatment methods.
• Analyzing breath, tissue and blood specimens to determine levels of oxygen and other gases.
• Managing therapy to help patients recover lung function.
• Monitoring and maintaining mechanical ventilation and artificial airway devices for patients who can’t breathe normally on their own.
• Conducting smoking cessation classes for their patients and their communities.
• Providing emergency care for people with heart, lung, and breathing problems.
• Assisting in the delivery of a premature baby and implementing a treatment regime for their developing lungs.

Bottom line -- you’ll spend your days helping people, saving lives and giving something back to your community. Not many careers offer benefits like that.