Respiratory Therapist | Kirkwood Community College

Skills & Competencies

Skills developed through this program

Auto-populatedfrom O*NET via SOC 29-1126.00

Skills

Active ListeningCritical ThinkingMonitoringSpeakingActive LearningSocial PerceptivenessService OrientationReading Comprehension

Knowledge

Customer and Personal ServiceMedicine and DentistryEnglish LanguageEducation and TrainingPsychology

Abilities

Oral ExpressionProblem SensitivityInductive ReasoningOral ComprehensionDeductive ReasoningInformation OrderingWritten ComprehensionNear VisionWritten ExpressionSpeech Clarity

Tasks

Provide emergency care, such as artificial respiration, external cardiac massage, or assistance with
Monitor patient's physiological responses to therapy, such as vital signs, arterial blood gases, or
Set up and operate devices, such as mechanical ventilators, therapeutic gas administration apparatus
Attend high-risk and caesarian section infant deliveries to provide neonatal respiratory care as needed.

Technology

Calendar and scheduling softwareData base user interface and query softwareMedical softwareSpreadsheet softwareOffice suite software

Tools

Aerosol masksAir compressorsAmbu bagsApnea monitorsBedside spirometersBilevel positive airway pressure BiPAP ventilatorsBlood collection syringesBlood gas kitsBlood gas machinesBronchoscopesCannulasCapillary cathetersCell saversChristmas tree adaptersContinuous positive airway pressure CPAP ventilators

Work Values

RelationshipsSupportRecognitionWorking ConditionsAchievementIndependence

Career Pathways

Occupations this program prepares you for

Auto-populatedfrom O*NET + BLS

Occupations matched to this program, with median wage, top wage, growth, and openings
SOC	Occupation	Method	Wage	Growth	Openings
Match confidence: high29-1126.00	Respiratory Therapists	title_inference	$80,450 median$108,820 top	+12.03%	1,680

Program Pathways

Credentials this program stacks toward

No program pathways.

What You'll Learn

Key competencies developed through this program

Auto-populatedfrom NSX Competency Framework

Mastery: developing (Level 2)(based on Associate's Degree)

Mechanical ventilators and therapeutic gas administration apparatus — set up, calibrate, and adjust within prescribed parameters for stable patients across general medical-surgical and step-down units.
Arterial blood gases and blood chemistry results — measure, interpret within normal reference ranges, and consult the physician independently when values indicate adverse patient response.
Patient physiological monitoring data — analyze trends in vital signs and respiratory indicators and adapt therapy delivery to maintain patient safety with routine oversight.
Emergency care interventions (external cardiac massage, assisted ventilation) — execute established protocols during actual emergent events under a team-based hospital response structure.
Patient condition assessments — integrate prescription review, arterial blood gas values, and clinical history to form a working clinical picture without step-by-step direction.
Respiratory therapy equipment maintenance schedules — perform inspection, cleaning, and functional testing independently and initiate repair orders when equipment performance deviates from specifications.
Multidisciplinary care teams — coordinate effectively with physicians and nurses during procedures and care-plan discussions, contributing respiratory-focused clinical observations.
Therapy documentation — maintain complete and accurate patient records in medical software platforms, applying departmental standards with minimal correction needed.
Active learning strategies — apply updated clinical guidelines and continuing education content to daily practice in familiar patient-care contexts.
Time management tools (scheduling software, task lists) — organize a multi-patient caseload across a shift to ensure timely therapy delivery in a busy inpatient department.

Program Details

Detailed information about this program

No detailed information available.

Requirements

What you need to earn this credential

No requirements listed.

Financial Aid

Eligible funding programs

No funding information available.

Scholarships

No scholarships listed.