Where Can You Work as a Respiratory Therapist?

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As a Respiratory Therapist, (RT), you can look for work at a variety of healthcare facilities including hospitals, cardiopulmonary diagnostic labs, and rehabilitation centers. You might also find jobs at sleep centers, nursing homes, and through home healthcare agencies. While your duties won’t vary much from setting to setting, there may be differences in your schedule or in the types of patients you see. Check out some of the places you might work as an RT. Which one sounds right for you?

Respiratory Therapists in Hospitals

More than 80% of Respiratory Therapists work in hospital settings, but there are plenty of departments in any hospital. You might work in an emergency room, or on hospital units such as intensive care, pulmonary, pediatrics, and neonatal intensive care. All of these departments may need skilled Respiratory Therapists who can assist patients with breathing problems.

  • ER: You’re in a fast-paced environment, quickly performing lifesaving breathing techniques and putting patients on ventilators to help them breathe.
  • Pulmonary Unit: You help diagnose, monitor, and treat patients who have lung problems such as asthma, pneumonia, bronchitis, and emphysema.
  • ICU and NICU: You help critically ill patients by monitoring their airways, adjusting the amount of oxygen they receive, and ensuring their equipment works properly.
  • Pediatric Unit: You work with children who have underdeveloped lungs or who suffer from asthma, and educate families on how to care for children with lung or breathing problems.

Since hospitals are always open, you may frequently work nights, weekends, or holidays. Your shifts may be eight to 12 hours long, and you may rotate schedules with other Respiratory Therapists on staff.

respiratory therapist at work

RTs work in Cardiopulmonary Diagnostic Labs

In a Cardiopulmonary Diagnostic Lab, you help doctors diagnose lung and breathing conditions. You perform pulmonary function and spirometry tests to assess how well patients breathe and if their lungs function properly. Since diagnostic labs have more regular hours and appointments, your schedule here may be from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., depending on the facility. Labs that are open late may ask RTs to split shifts. For example, if a lab is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., one Respiratory Therapist might come in at 7 a.m., another at 7:30 a.m. and another at 8 a.m.

RTs at Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Centers

At a cardiopulmonary rehabilitation center, health management is your focus. You work with patients ranging from children to older adults. Through exercise routines, educational classes, and treatment plans, you teach them to manage their conditions and strengthen their lungs. Throughout the week, you monitor breathing rates, blood oxygen levels, and heart rates of your patients as they participate in activities such as walking or cycling. You develop individualized exercise and educational plans for them, taking into account other health factors such as mobility and age. You also teach patients how to use an inhaler and demonstrate breathing techniques for when they feel short of breath. Rehabilitation centers are often open extended hours and over the weekends to accommodate patients. This means you may work eight to 12 hour shifts, including nights and weekends.

Respiratory Therapists at Sleep Centers

Sleep centers or sleep clinics allow patients to participate in overnight studies that assess their sleeping habits. This can help determine if they have a problem such as sleep apnea, insomnia, or parasomnia. As a sleep center Respiratory Therapist, you set up and attach the equipment, which includes sensors that can keep track of the patient’s heart rate, airflow, and oxygen levels. Then, as they sleep, you monitor their breathing, movement, snoring, and other sleep disturbances. You analyze the data to determine whether they have a medical condition such as obstructive sleep apnea, which is a blockage in the airway, or central sleep apnea, which is a problem with the muscles that control breathing. Since sleep studies are completed overnight, you work overnight shifts several times a week. These shifts are typically 12 hours in length, but that means you work fewer days in the week and rotate your schedule with other Respiratory Therapists.

Nursing Home RTs

Nursing homes are a great option for Respiratory Therapists since there are always residents who need treatment for breathing problems. You monitor them closely for changes in lung health and administer therapies such as chest physiology, suctioning, and oxygen therapy to help clear their airways. When residents develop breathing conditions, you teach them to use inhalers and nebulizers to maintain a sense of independence. At a nursing home, there’s typically more flexibility in scheduling, so you can choose to work 12-hour shifts and fewer days of the week, or you could work 8-hour shifts five days a week.

Respiratory Therapists at Home Healthcare Agencies

Through a home healthcare agency, you travel to the homes of patients with mobility issues or those who live too far from healthcare facilities. There, you provide treatments, monitor breathing, teach patients to use medical devices, and ensure the equipment remains in working condition from visit to visit. With this type of work, you may set your own schedule as you rotate travel from patient to patient.

If you’re ready to work as a Respiratory Therapist, contact Charter College today. We offer an Associate of Applied Science degree in Respiratory Therapy program that can prepare you for an entry-level job in this field. The program is offered online with an in-person practicum for flexibility and convenience. Call 888-200-9942 or fill out the form to learn more.