Appendix B: Examples of Health Professions

Respiratory Therapist

Close to 80 percent of respiratory therapists work in the respiratory care, anesthesiology, or pulmonary medicine departments of hospitals. Other career opportunities may exist in nursing homes, home health agencies, physicians' offices, or medical equipment rental companies. Most respiratory therapists work 35-40 hours per week, and hospital employees may spend some of these hours in late night or weekend shifts.

All entrants into the respiratory therapy field must complete a formal training program. The length of program and type of credential awarded varies among the 334 accredited programs for respiratory therapists. Community colleges offer 2-year programs and award an associate's degree, while 4-year colleges and universities award a bachelor's degree. If an individual has a bachelor's degree in a health-related, nonrespiratory field, he or she may complete a 1 to 2 year program and spend 2 years in a clinical environment to be eligible for certification. The National Board for Respiratory Care conducts the certification examination and awards RRT credentials. Respiratory therapists with the most education and training will typically be given positions in critical rather than general care settings.

*Median annual earnings for respiratory therapists were $37,680 in 2000. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $28,620 and the highest 10 percent earned more than $50,660 a year.

*U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2000-01 Edition. Copyrighted by: The National Health Council, October 1998; reproduced with permission by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Further reproduction prohibited without permission of copyright holder, www.nationalhealthcouncil.org.