Respiratory Therapist

RESPIRATORY THERAPIST: A respiratory therapist (RT) helps patients with breathing problems by diagnosing, treating, and managing lung-related conditions. They work under the guidance of doctors and healthcare teams to create treatment plans. RTs perform tasks like interviewing and examining patients, conducting pulmonary function tests, taking blood samples, managing ventilators, and administering oxygen or lung-specific drugs. They also teach patients how to use medications and equipment, monitor their progress, provide emergency care, and even offer home health visits. RTs work in settings such as hospitals, outpatient centers, and long-term care facilities, supporting patients from admission to discharge. 

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NEONATOLOGIST: A neonatologist is a physician with additional training in treating newborn babies that need special care.  They are able to evaluate, stabilize and treat infants who require medical intervention, including premature babies, babies who need help to breathe at birth, and babies born with life-threatening medical conditions.  Neonatologists typically work in hospital NICU units.  

OCCUPATIONAL/PHYSICAL THERAPY: Premature babies require special support to promote healthy growth and development, may need special help to make sure they are learning to eat and breathe well, and may benefit from muscle therapies. An occupational or physical therapist (PT) is a health professional who helps to support infants, rehabilitate patients while recovering from surgery, or a patient who has been injured or incapacitated in some way by an accident, illness, or stroke.  These therapists may see patients in a medical office or hospital setting, depending on the career path chosen by the therapist.

Respiratory therapists typically need an associate’s degree in respiratory therapy. However, in Utah, a Bachelor of Science in Respiratory Therapy is required for credentialing as a certified respiratory therapist (CRT) or a registered respiratory therapist (RRT). Respiratory therapists must be licensed in all states except Alaska; requirements vary by state. An Associate's in Respiratory Therapy is a stepping stone to a Bachelor of Science degree. The Bachelor of Science Respiratory Therapy degree includes two additional semesters of course study after completing the first two years of the undergraduate curriculum.  These programs are designed to provide students with educational and clinical experience by emphasizing advanced clinical knowledge, critical thinking, and versatility.  Students are engaged in theoretical, practical, and clinical aspects of adult, pediatric, and neonatal respiratory care.  They gain a well-rounded and in-depth knowledge base of respiratory clinical science and its application in health care.

All doctors must at least complete an undergraduate degree from a four-year college or university, plus four additional years of graduate school at an accredited medical school. Graduating from medical school is required for obtaining a Medical Doctorate degree (M.D.), or a Doctorate of Osteopathy degree (D.O.). A Neonatologist typically spends 3 years in a residency in general pediatrics and then spends an additional 3 years training in a neonatal intensive care unit.

A career as a physical therapist requires a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in physical therapy and then passing the certification exam. Like most health careers, the coursework is heavy on the sciences including biology, chemistry, and anatomy, to name a few.  There are also master’s level degrees and doctorate-level degrees available. 

US Earning Potential Averages For Respiratory Therapists: (Jobs.Utah.Gov) 

US Earning Potential Averages For Neonatologists: (Jobs.Utah.Gov) 

Utah Earning Potential Averages For Physical Therapists: (Jobs.Utah.Gov)