Technical courses deal with procedures, equipment, and clinical tests. Therapists should be sensitive to patients' physical and psychological needs. Respiratory care workers must pay attention to detail, follow instructions, and work as part of a team. Operating complicated respiratory therapy equipment requires mechanical ability and manual dexterity. High school students interested in a career in respiratory care are encouraged to take courses in health, biology, mathematics, chemistry, and physics.
Respiratory care involves basic mathematical problem-solving.
An understanding of basic chemical and physical principles is also important. Computing medication dosages and calculating gas concentrations are just two examples of the need for knowledge of science and mathematics. Thirty-Seven States license respiratory care personnel. Most employers require that applicants for entry level or generalist positions hold the CRTT or are eligible to take the certification examination. Respiratory therapists advance in clinical practice by moving from care of general to critical patients, whom have significant problems in other organ systems such as the heart or kidneys.