Respiratory Therapy
- Associate of Applied Science (AAS)
- 78 credits
- 2 Years
- Delivery Method: On-Campus
- The Program Application Window is Open: Learn More
Why Study Respiratory Therapy at LSC?
Respiratory therapists are health care specialists who work under the direction of a physician to evaluate, treat, manage, and rehabilitate patients with cardiopulmonary disorders or complications. The respiratory therapy program at Lake Superior College in Duluth, MN combines traditional lecture, competency focused lab, and bedside hospital experience. You will graduate prepared to take a nationally recognized credential exam (NBRC) to earn the Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) credential.
Career Information
Respiratory Therapists Assess, treat, and care for patients with breathing disorders. Assume primary responsibility for all respiratory care modalities, including the supervision of respiratory therapy technicians. Initiate and conduct therapeutic procedures; maintain patient records; and select, assemble, check, and operate equipment.
This data is delivered by an API from CareerOneStop, sponsored by U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. www.careeronestop.org Find more information including data update schedules at CareerOneStop's Data Sources (https://www.careeronestop.org/Help/data-sources.aspx). Full list of datasources.
Median Annual Salary/Wage Earnings for Respiratory Therapists
the United States
$78K
$37/hr
$59K - $104K
$28/hr - $50/hr
Minnesota
$82K
$39/hr
$69K - $97K
$33/hr - $46/hr
Duluth, MN Area
$79K
$37/hr
$65K - $92K
$31/hr - $44/hr
The Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program produces employment and wage estimates annually for over 800 occupations. These estimates are available for the nation as a whole, for individual states, and for metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas; national occupational estimates for specific industries are also available.
Salary data are from U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program (www.bls.gov/oes/). Current as of May 2024.
Projected 10-Year Job Growth for Respiratory Therapists
Outlook: Bright
the United States
13%
Projected Annual Job Openings: 8,200
2023 to 2033
Minnesota
14%
Projected Annual Job Openings: 80
2022 to 2032
My Next Move provides career outlook designations that include Bright, Average, or Below Average. Bright Outlook occupations are expected to grow rapidly in the next several years, will have large numbers of job openings, or are new and emerging occupations.
Occupation outlook data come from O*NET Bright Outlook occupations (www.onetonline.org/find/bright) and My Next Move career outlook designations (www.onetcenter.org/bright/current/mnm_outlook.html). Note this information is only available at a national level, so even if you selected a state, you’ll see this information for the whole country. Current as of November 2024.
Employment Numbers for Respiratory Therapists
the United States
Estimated Employment:
133,900
Minnesota
Estimated Employment:
1,210
My Next Move provides career outlook designations that include Bright, Average, or Below Average. Bright Outlook occupations are expected to grow rapidly in the next several years, will have large numbers of job openings, or are new and emerging occupations.
Occupation outlook data come from O*NET Bright Outlook occupations (www.onetonline.org/find/bright) and My Next Move career outlook designations (www.onetcenter.org/bright/current/mnm_outlook.html). Note this information is only available at a national level, so even if you selected a state, you’ll see this information for the whole country. Current as of November 2024.
Alternative Job Titles for Respiratory Therapists
- Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Respiratory Therapist
- Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT)
- Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT)
- Respiratory Care Practitioner (RCP)
- Respiratory Therapist (RT)
- Staff Respiratory Therapist
- Staff Therapist
The O*NET database contains a rich set of variables that describe work and worker characteristics, including skill requirements.
Occupation data (titles, sample titles, descriptions, daily work activities, knowledge, skills, abilities, tasks, related occupations, technologies and tools, and work values) come from the O*NET 29.0 Database (www.onetcenter.org/database.html) by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Current as of October 2024.
Job Tasks and Activities for Respiratory Therapists
- Adjust settings or positions of medical equipment.
- Assist healthcare practitioners during examinations or treatments.
- Clean medical equipment or facilities.
- Collaborate with healthcare professionals to plan or provide treatment.
- Communicate test or assessment results to medical professionals.
- Conduct tests, such as electrocardiograms (EKGs), stress testing, or lung capacity tests, to evaluate patients' cardiopulmonary functions.
- Demonstrate respiratory care procedures to trainees or other healthcare personnel.
- Determine protocols for medical procedures.
- Determine requirements for treatment, such as type, method and duration of therapy, precautions to be taken, or medication and dosages, compatible with physicians' orders.
- Educate patients and their families about their conditions and teach appropriate disease management techniques, such as breathing exercises or the use of medications or respiratory equipment.
- Enforce safety rules and ensure careful adherence to physicians' orders.
- Examine medical instruments or equipment to ensure proper operation.
- Explain medical procedures or test results to patients or family members.
- Explain treatment procedures to patients to gain cooperation and allay fears.
- Gather medical information from patient histories.
- Implement advanced life support techniques.
- Inform medical professionals regarding patient conditions and care.
- Inspect, clean, test, and maintain respiratory therapy equipment to ensure equipment is functioning safely and efficiently, ordering repairs when necessary.
- Maintain charts that contain patients' pertinent identification and therapy information.
- Maintain medical equipment or instruments.
- Maintain medical facility records.
- Make emergency visits to resolve equipment problems.
- Monitor cardiac patients, using electrocardiography devices, such as a holter monitor.
- Monitor patient conditions during treatments, procedures, or activities.
- Monitor patient's physiological responses to therapy, such as vital signs, arterial blood gases, or blood chemistry changes, and consult with physician if adverse reactions occur.
- Move patients to or from treatment areas.
- Operate diagnostic or therapeutic medical instruments or equipment.
- Perform bronchopulmonary drainage and assist or instruct patients in performance of breathing exercises.
- Perform endotracheal intubation to maintain open airways for patients who are unable to breathe on their own.
- Perform pulmonary function and adjust equipment to obtain optimum results in therapy.
- Prepare medical supplies or equipment for use.
- Provide emergency care, such as artificial respiration, external cardiac massage, or assistance with cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
- Read prescription, measure arterial blood gases, and review patient information to assess patient condition.
- Relay blood analysis results to a physician.
- Repair medical facility equipment.
- Set up and operate devices, such as mechanical ventilators, therapeutic gas administration apparatus, environmental control systems, or aerosol generators, following specified parameters of treatment.
- Supervise patient care personnel.
- Teach, train, supervise, or use the assistance of students, respiratory therapy technicians, or assistants.
- Test patient heart or lung functioning.
- Train medical providers.
- Train patients, family members, or caregivers in techniques for managing disabilities or illnesses.
- Transport patients to the hospital or within the hospital.
- Treat chronic diseases or disorders.
- Treat medical emergencies.
- Use a variety of testing techniques to assist doctors in cardiac or pulmonary research or to diagnose disorders.
- Verify that medical activities or operations meet standards.
- Work as part of a team of physicians, nurses, or other healthcare professionals to manage patient care by assisting with medical procedures or related duties.
The O*NET database contains a rich set of variables that describe work and worker characteristics, including skill requirements.
Occupation data (titles, sample titles, descriptions, daily work activities, knowledge, skills, abilities, tasks, related occupations, technologies and tools, and work values) come from the O*NET 29.0 Database (www.onetcenter.org/database.html) by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Current as of October 2024.
Interests for Respiratory Therapists
- Social
Helping, teaching, advising, assisting, or providing service to others. - Realistic
Designing, building, or repairing equipment, materials, or structures, engaging in physical activity, or working outdoors. - Investigative
Studying and researching scientific subjects and human behavior.
The O*NET database contains a rich set of variables that describe work and worker characteristics, including skill requirements.
Occupation data (titles, sample titles, descriptions, daily work activities, knowledge, skills, abilities, tasks, related occupations, technologies and tools, and work values) come from the O*NET 29.0 Database (www.onetcenter.org/database.html) by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Current as of October 2024.
Skills for Respiratory Therapists
In order of importance
- Active Listening
Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
Importance: 72/100 - Monitoring
Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
Importance: 72/100 - Critical Thinking
Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
Importance: 72/100 - Speaking
Talking to others.
Importance: 69/100 - Social Perceptiveness
Understanding people's reactions.
Importance: 66/100 - Reading Comprehension
Reading work-related information.
Importance: 66/100 - Service Orientation
Looking for ways to help people.
Importance: 66/100 - Active Learning
Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
Importance: 66/100 - Complex Problem Solving
Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
Importance: 60/100 - Coordination
Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
Importance: 60/100 - Judgment and Decision Making
Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
Importance: 60/100 - Instructing
Teaching people how to do something.
Importance: 56/100 - Time Management
Managing your time and the time of other people.
Importance: 53/100 - Learning Strategies
Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
Importance: 53/100 - Writing
Writing things for co-workers or customers.
Importance: 53/100 - Science
Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.
Importance: 50/100 - Quality Control Analysis
Testing how well a product or service works.
Importance: 50/100 - Operations Monitoring
Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.
Importance: 50/100 - Management of Personnel Resources
Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.
Importance: 47/100 - Persuasion
Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
Importance: 47/100 - Operation and Control
Using equipment or systems.
Importance: 47/100 - Systems Evaluation
Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
Importance: 47/100 - Systems Analysis
Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.
Importance: 47/100 - Negotiation
Bringing people together to solve differences.
Importance: 47/100 - Mathematics
Using math to solve problems.
Importance: 44/100 - Troubleshooting
Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
Importance: 35/100 - Equipment Selection
Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.
Importance: 35/100 - Repairing
Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
Importance: 31/100 - Equipment Maintenance
Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.
Importance: 31/100 - Operations Analysis
Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
Importance: 28/100 - Technology Design
Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
Importance: 28/100 - Management of Material Resources
Managing equipment and materials.
Importance: 25/100 - Management of Financial Resources
Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.
Importance: 22/100 - Programming
Writing computer programs.
Importance: 13/100
The O*NET database contains a rich set of variables that describe work and worker characteristics, including skill requirements.
Occupation data (titles, sample titles, descriptions, daily work activities, knowledge, skills, abilities, tasks, related occupations, technologies and tools, and work values) come from the O*NET 29.0 Database (www.onetcenter.org/database.html) by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Current as of October 2024.
Knowledge for Respiratory Therapists
In order of importance
- Customer and Personal Service
Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Importance: 83/100 - Medicine and Dentistry
Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
Importance: 82/100 - English Language
Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Importance: 73/100 - Education and Training
Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
Importance: 68/100 - Psychology
Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
Importance: 61/100 - Biology
Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
Importance: 56/100 - Computers and Electronics
Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Importance: 56/100 - Chemistry
Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
Importance: 53/100 - Mathematics
Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Importance: 52/100 - Therapy and Counseling
Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
Importance: 48/100 - Physics
Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
Importance: 47/100 - Law and Government
Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
Importance: 43/100 - Sociology and Anthropology
Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
Importance: 40/100 - Public Safety and Security
Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
Importance: 39/100 - Philosophy and Theology
Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
Importance: 34/100 - Mechanical
Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
Importance: 33/100 - Communications and Media
Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
Importance: 33/100 - Administrative
Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
Importance: 33/100 - Engineering and Technology
Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
Importance: 30/100 - Administration and Management
Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Importance: 29/100 - Personnel and Human Resources
Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
Importance: 26/100 - Foreign Language
Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
Importance: 25/100 - Telecommunications
Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
Importance: 24/100 - Production and Processing
Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
Importance: 15/100 - Economics and Accounting
Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
Importance: 14/100 - Sales and Marketing
Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
Importance: 13/100 - Transportation
Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
Importance: 12/100 - Geography
Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
Importance: 8/100 - Building and Construction
Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
Importance: 7/100 - Design
Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
Importance: 5/100 - History and Archeology
Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
Importance: 5/100 - Food Production
Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
Importance: 2/100 - Fine Arts
Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
Importance: 2/100
The O*NET database contains a rich set of variables that describe work and worker characteristics, including skill requirements.
Occupation data (titles, sample titles, descriptions, daily work activities, knowledge, skills, abilities, tasks, related occupations, technologies and tools, and work values) come from the O*NET 29.0 Database (www.onetcenter.org/database.html) by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Current as of October 2024.
Physical Abilities for Respiratory Therapists
In order of importance
- Oral Expression
Communicating by speaking.
Importance: 75/100 - Problem Sensitivity
Noticing when problems happen.
Importance: 75/100 - Inductive Reasoning
Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
Importance: 75/100 - Deductive Reasoning
Using rules to solve problems.
Importance: 72/100 - Oral Comprehension
Listening and understanding what people say.
Importance: 72/100 - Information Ordering
Ordering or arranging things.
Importance: 72/100 - Near Vision
Seeing details up close.
Importance: 69/100 - Written Comprehension
Reading and understanding what is written.
Importance: 69/100 - Written Expression
Communicating by writing.
Importance: 63/100 - Speech Clarity
Speaking clearly.
Importance: 63/100 - Speech Recognition
Recognizing spoken words.
Importance: 56/100 - Perceptual Speed
Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
Importance: 56/100 - Finger Dexterity
Putting together small parts with your fingers.
Importance: 53/100 - Manual Dexterity
Holding or moving items with your hands.
Importance: 53/100 - Selective Attention
Paying attention to something without being distracted.
Importance: 53/100 - Arm-Hand Steadiness
Keeping your arm or hand steady.
Importance: 50/100 - Far Vision
Seeing details that are far away.
Importance: 50/100 - Control Precision
Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
Importance: 50/100 - Multilimb Coordination
Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
Importance: 50/100 - Category Flexibility
Grouping things in different ways.
Importance: 50/100 - Flexibility of Closure
Seeing hidden patterns.
Importance: 50/100 - Extent Flexibility
Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.
Importance: 47/100 - Time Sharing
Doing two or more things at the same time.
Importance: 47/100 - Fluency of Ideas
Coming up with lots of ideas.
Importance: 47/100 - Hearing Sensitivity
Telling the difference between sounds.
Importance: 47/100 - Mathematical Reasoning
Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
Importance: 47/100 - Originality
Creating new and original ideas.
Importance: 47/100 - Number Facility
Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
Importance: 47/100 - Visual Color Discrimination
Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.
Importance: 47/100 - Trunk Strength
Using your lower back and stomach.
Importance: 44/100 - Auditory Attention
Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.
Importance: 44/100 - Memorization
Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
Importance: 41/100 - Depth Perception
Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
Importance: 41/100 - Speed of Closure
Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
Importance: 35/100 - Stamina
Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
Importance: 35/100 - Visualization
Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
Importance: 35/100 - Static Strength
Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
Importance: 31/100 - Dynamic Strength
Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
Importance: 28/100 - Reaction Time
Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
Importance: 28/100 - Gross Body Coordination
Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
Importance: 28/100 - Response Orientation
Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.
Importance: 28/100 - Wrist-Finger Speed
Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
Importance: 28/100 - Gross Body Equilibrium
Keeping your balance or staying upright.
Importance: 25/100 - Rate Control
Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
Importance: 25/100 - Speed of Limb Movement
Quickly moving your arms and legs.
Importance: 25/100 - Peripheral Vision
Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.
Importance: 22/100 - Sound Localization
Noticing the direction that a sound came from.
Importance: 19/100 - Glare Sensitivity
Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
Importance: 16/100 - Night Vision
Seeing at night or under low light.
Importance: 16/100 - Spatial Orientation
Knowing where things are around you.
Importance: 13/100
The O*NET database contains a rich set of variables that describe work and worker characteristics, including skill requirements.
Occupation data (titles, sample titles, descriptions, daily work activities, knowledge, skills, abilities, tasks, related occupations, technologies and tools, and work values) come from the O*NET 29.0 Database (www.onetcenter.org/database.html) by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Current as of October 2024.
Tools and Technology used by Respiratory Therapists
- Apnea monitors
- Arterial blood gas monitors
- Autotransfusion units
- Bedside pulmonary function screeners
- Blood collection syringes
- Bronchoscopes
- Cardiac output CO monitoring units
- Chest cuirass products
- Chest percussors
- Clinical incubators or infant warmers
- Electrocardiography EKG units
- Electronic blood pressure units
- Endotracheal tubes
- Flow sensors or regulators or components
- High frequency ventilators
- Intensive care ventilators
- Intermittent positive pressure breathing IPPB machines
- Intraaortic balloon pumps
- Medical acoustic stethoscopes
- Medical aerosol tents
- Medical gas cylinders or related devices
- Medical head hoods
- Medical nasal cannulas
- Medical or surgical suction or vacuum appliances
- Medical oxygen masks or parts
- Mercury blood pressure units
- Nebulizers
- Non invasive bi level machines
- Non invasive continuous positive air pressure machines
- Notebook computers
- Oxygen concentrators
- Oxygen delivery connectors or adapters
- Perfusion oxygen or hematocrit saturation monitors
- Personal computers
- Personal digital assistant PDAs or organizers
- Pulmonary functioning tubing
- Pulse oximeter units
- Respiratory humidifiers or vaporizers
- Respiratory manometer kits
- Respiratory monitoring kit accessories
- Respiratory monitoring kits
- Respiratory therapy compressors
- Resuscitation masks
- Spirometers
- Sputum collection apparatus or containers
- Surgical isolation suit or helmet or shield
- Tablet computers
- Tourniquets
- Tracheostomy tubes
- Treadmill exercisers for rehabilitation or therapy
- Vacuum blood collection tubes or containers
- Calendar and scheduling software
- Calendar and scheduling software
- Data base user interface and query software
- Database software
- Electronic mail software
- Microsoft Outlook
- Medical software
- Electronic medical record EMR software
- HMS
- MEDITECH software
- eClinicalWorks EHR software
- Office suite software
- Microsoft Office software
- Presentation software
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Spreadsheet software
- Microsoft Excel
- Word processing software
- Microsoft Word
The O*NET database contains a rich set of variables that describe work and worker characteristics, including skill requirements.
Occupation data (titles, sample titles, descriptions, daily work activities, knowledge, skills, abilities, tasks, related occupations, technologies and tools, and work values) come from the O*NET 29.0 Database (www.onetcenter.org/database.html) by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Current as of October 2024.
Employment Industries for Respiratory Therapists
- General medical and surgical hospitals; private
85,400 employed - General medical and surgical hospitals; local
10,800 employed - Specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals; private
8,400 employed - Nursing care facilities (skilled nursing facilities)
4,900 employed - General medical and surgical hospitals; state
4,300 employed - Temporary help services
2,600 employed
The O*NET database contains a rich set of variables that describe work and worker characteristics, including skill requirements.
Occupation data (titles, sample titles, descriptions, daily work activities, knowledge, skills, abilities, tasks, related occupations, technologies and tools, and work values) come from the O*NET 29.0 Database (www.onetcenter.org/database.html) by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Current as of October 2024.
Career Information Datasources for Respiratory Therapists
- Wages by occupation
U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program
The Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program produces employment and wage estimates annually for over 800 occupations. These estimates are available for the nation as a whole, for individual states, and for metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas; national occupational estimates for specific industries are also available. Current as of May 2024. - Education and training assignments
U.S Department of Labor, Employment Projections, Education and Training Data, Education and training assignments by detailed occupation
BLS provides information about education and training requirements for hundreds of occupations. In the education and training system, each of the occupations for which the office publishes projections data is assigned separate categories for education, work experience, and on-the-job training. Current as of September 2024. - Occupation data
O*NET at the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA)
The O*NET database contains a rich set of variables that describe work and worker characteristics, including skill requirements. Current as of October 2024. - Occupation outlook
O*NET at the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA)
My Next Move provides career outlook designations that include Bright, Average, or Below Average. Bright Outlook occupations are expected to grow rapidly in the next several years, will have large numbers of job openings, or are new and emerging occupations. Current as of November 2024. - Career videos
Career videos were developed by CareerOneStop.org
Explore our collection of videos on hundreds of different careers. Career videos are organized into 16 clusters, or related types of work. Select a category to view a list of videos related to that cluster. Videos include career details such as tasks, work settings, education needed, and more. Current as of rolling. - Educational attainment, typical education of current workers
USDOL’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program, Education and Training Data,
BLS provides information about education and training requirements for hundreds of occupations. Educational attainment data for each occupation show the level of education achieved by current workers. Current as of September 2024.
Below you will find the Career Field and Career Cluster that this program is related to. Learn more about if this career area fits your interests!
Is Health Science right for you?
Health science workers promote health and wellness. They diagnose and treat injuries and disease. As a physician, dentist, or nurse, you could work directly with patients. You could also work in a laboratory to get information used in research or provide administrative support by keeping medical records.
Plan Your Education
The Respiratory Therapy Program Guide is a tool to help you map out how to successfully get your degree at Lake Superior College.
- 2024-2025 Program Guide
- 2023-2024 Program Guide
- 2022-2023 Program Guide
- 2021-2022 Program Guide
- 2020-2021 Program Guide
View approximate total tuition and fees for MN residents to complete this degree.
This program may be completed in 2 years if prerequisites are complete.
This program has additional entry requirements.
The Respiratory Therapy Program Application Window is open.
Accepted/Current LSC Students: Apply to the program.
Prospective LSC Students: Learn more about the application process.
Skills and Knowledge
- Solid understanding of the technical aspects of treating respiratory problems
- Soft skills needed to work in a professional manner with a wide variety of patients and supervising physicians
- Clinical training in a variety of areas in one of our regional hospitals
Accreditation
The Lake Superior College Respiratory Therapy Program, CoARC program number 200374, AAS degree, in Duluth, MN is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (www.coarc.com)
Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC)
264 Precision Blvd
Telford, TN 37690 USA
Telephone: 817-283-2835
Fax: 817-354-8519
Email: WEBMASTER@COARC.COM
CoARC accredits respiratory therapy education programs in the United States. To achieve this end, it utilizes an ‘outcomes based’ process. Programmatic outcomes are performance indicators that reflect the extent to which the educational goals of the program are achieved and by which program effectiveness is documented.
Program outcome data for Lake Superior College’s Respiratory Therapy Program is accessible through the CoARC programmatic outcomes data link below.
Program and Profession Physical Requirements
All respiratory therapy students complete more than 700 hours of bedside care, with most hours in adult general and adult intensive care environments. The student must meet and sustain the physical requirements of the profession during the respiratory therapy program at Lake Superior College. Students are required to prepare and manipulate respiratory equipment, respond quickly, administer medication, perform patient assessment, analyze data, critically think, document, and communicate effectively at each clinical site. The data below has been pulled from O*NET OnLine which is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor. Specific examples are listed in bullet form. Please email the Program Director or Directory of Clinical Education if you have questions.
Ability to shift back and forth between two or more activities or sources of information such as speech, sound, touch, or other.
- Perform bedside assessment (heart rate, respiratory rate, breath sounds) and document with interruptions from the patient, medical staff, or other.
Ability to focus on a single source of sound in the presence of other distracting sounds to differentiate variable pitches and loudness.
- Differentiate normal function and abnormal function/alarms of respiratory therapy equipment from other equipment.
Ability to identify different colors, objects, and people.
- Medical gas equipment is color coded for safety. Some respiratory equipment is similar but functions very different.
Ability to judge the depth of several objects and to see details in close and distant ranges.
- Good or corrected vision is required to read bedside monitors and ventilator screen data up close and from a distance.
Ability to concentrate on a task over a period without being distracted.
- Focus is required to ensure patient safety.
Ability to exert maximum muscle force to lift, push, pull, or carry objects.
- Perform chest compressions for at least two minutes continuously and manipulating a ventilator on wheels throughout a hospital are two examples.
Ability to stand and walk for extended periods.
- Respond to emergencies, climb stairs, and cover multiple floor levels.
Ability to bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.
- Reach over, above, or below a hospital bed or respiratory equipment.
Ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
- Perform or assist in critical procedures and prepare and use respiratory equipment.
Ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
- Manipulate a syringe and needle to draw arterial blood. Assemble a nebulizer, add medication, and switch from one therapy to another.