Respiratory therapy assistants help primary respiratory therapists treat patients by observing their status, preparing and cleaning equipment, maintaining patient records, and demonstrating equipment use. They need extensive knowledge of respiratory therapy equipment and a compassionate nature, and typically complete at least one year in a technical school.
Working as a respiratory therapy assistant involves assisting a primary respiratory therapist in treating patients to ensure proper care. Being successful in this career often requires a person with extensive knowledge of respiratory therapy equipment and a compassionate nature. In general, an individual will need to complete at least one year in a technical school that focuses on respiratory health. Some typical responsibilities of a respiratory therapy assistant include observing the status of patients, preparing equipment, cleaning equipment, maintaining patient records, and demonstrating how patients should use equipment.
Routine observation of the status of patients is an integral part of this work. To ensure stability and well-being, it is important that a respiratory therapy assistant periodically check each patient’s breathing. As a primary respiratory therapist is often busy, it is up to an assistant to ensure that a patient’s equipment is properly connected and that the patient is comfortable. If a problem arises, it is up to the assistant to immediately report the incident to a higher level. Consequently, it is imperative that an assistant have a thorough understanding of breathing equipment and be able to identify breathing difficulties in patients.
Another responsibility is to properly prepare breathing equipment. For example, a respiratory therapy assistant can set up a ventilator for a patient and regulate the amount of airflow. To ensure safety, he may also need to test the equipment for proper functioning. Because some types of equipment contain gases or combustible materials, a physical therapy assistant must always be careful.
Along with this, most breathing equipment needs to be cleaned regularly. Things like oxygen masks, in particular, must be sterilized between uses with different patients. Also, an assistant may need to check the amount of oxygen in a tank to ensure there is enough before the next use.
Keeping patient records is also common for a respiratory therapy assistant. During a patient’s stay in a medical facility, it is generally the caregiver’s responsibility to ensure that all treatments and types of respiratory equipment are documented. It will also include all tests administered and the results. Keeping accurate records is important to later share with other doctors and medical facilities.
Also, an individual sometimes shows patients how to use breathing equipment. In most cases, this refers to patients who are preparing to leave a facility and return home. A respiratory therapy assistant’s job is to demonstrate how to regulate airflow, attach respiratory masks, and handle equipment safely.
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