Respiratory therapists and related

NOC

32103

- Respiratory therapists, clinical perfusionists and cardiopulmonary technologists

Respiratory therapists help physicians treat respiratory and cardiopulmonary disorders. Clinical perfusionists provide support during cardiac surgery. Cardiopulmonary technologists help physicians treat cardiovascular and pulmonary disease.

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Full NOC Description

Respiratory therapists assist physicians in the evaluation, diagnosis, treatment and care of patients with respiratory and cardiopulmonary disorders. Clinical perfusionists provide technical support to patients undergoing cardiac surgery and patients requiring cardio-respiratory support. Cardiopulmonary technologists assist physicians in the technical aspects of diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular and pulmonary disease. Respiratory therapists are employed in hospitals, extended care facilities, public health centres, sleep, private or dental clinics and respiratory home care companies.

Main Duties

This group performs some or all of the following duties:

Respiratory therapists

Perform diagnostic tests, such as arterial blood gas analysis and cardiopulmonary functions tests

Operate and monitor respiratory equipment to administer treatments such as oxygen, oxygen-air mixtures, humidified air or specialty medical gases

Operate, monitor, maintain and test a variety of diagnostic and therapeutic equipment

Perform or assist with interventions such as airway maintenance, line insertions, inductions and intubations, and manage patients and associated equipment

Execute anesthesia assistance services

Perform artificial respiration and external cardiac massage

Evaluate and monitor patients' cardiorespiratory conditions

Provide and optimize patients' mechanical ventilation

Assist with transport of high-risk patients

May prepare and administer authorized medications

Supervise and train students and other respiratory therapists

Participate in home care programs for chronic respiratory patients and provide patient and family education

Participate in research related to cardiac and pulmonary disorders.

Respiratory therapists may work in specific areas of practice such as anesthesia, critical care, neonatal and pediatrics, cardiopulmonary diagnostics, respiratory home and community care, research and private health industry.

Clinical perfusionists

Assemble, maintain and operate extracorporeal circulation equipment, intra-aortic balloon pumps and other heart assist devices to support or temporarily replace patients' cardiopulmonary functions during open-heart surgery

Administer blood products, drugs and other substances through heart-lung machines and other devices as directed by cardiac surgeons and anaesthetists to maintain adequate flow of oxygenated blood to all organs of the body

Monitor vital signs to support and maintain patients' physiological functions and metabolic needs during cardiopulmonary surgery

Participate in routine maintenance, calibration and inspection of all perfusion related equipment

Supervise and train student clinical perfusionists and other clinical perfusionists.

Cardiopulmonary technologists

Perform diagnostic tests, such as pulmonary function and asthma stress, or assist physicians with cardiac and cardiopulmonary stress tests and bronchoscopies

Determine patients' blood characteristics such as activated clotting time and oxygen saturation

Operate, monitor, maintain, calibrate and test diagnostic and therapeutic equipment

Monitor patients and advise physician of any changes in patients' condition

Prepare medications and administer inhaler and other treatments under supervision of cardiologist

Provide information and care for patients during tests

Assist with the preparation of cardiac catheterization room, prepare specialized catheters and assist cardiologists during catheterization

Perform analysis, programming and monitoring of implanted devices such as pacemakers and defibrillators during surgery

Supervise and train students and other cardiopulmonary technologists

Provide technical support for research.

Also Known As

anesthesia assistant
cardiopulmonary technologist
cardiovascular perfusion supervisor
cardiovascular perfusionist
certified clinical perfusionist (CCP)

chief respiratory technologist

clinical perfusionist

perfusionist

registered respiratory therapist (RRT)

respiratory therapist

respiratory therapy chief

respiratory therapy clinical instructor

Requirements

Employment Requirements

Respiratory therapists require the completion of a three-year college or university degree program in respiratory therapy, both including clinical training.

Licensing is required for respiratory therapists in Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta.

A national certification for respiratory therapists is available for therapists working in Prince Edward Island, British Columbia, Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.

In Quebec, a certificate is required for respiratory therapists to prescribe smoking cessation medication.

Clinical perfusionists require the completion of a respiratory therapy or registered nursing program with a minimum of one year of work experience as a respiratory therapist or registered nurse and completion of a college or university program in clinical perfusion, including clinical training.

Certification with the Canadian Society of Clinical Perfusion is required for clinical perfusionists.

Cardiopulmonary technologists require a two-year college diploma in an allied health discipline such as respiratory therapy, nursing diploma, or a university degree in a related science and completion of a college post-diploma program in cardiovascular technology and additional training in pulmonary technology through courses or supervised on-the-job clinical training.

Registration with the Canadian Association of Cardio-pulmonary Technologists (CACPT) may be required.

Provincial Regulation

Provincially Regulated: Yes

Regulation Body

New Brunswick Association of Respiratory Therapists (NBART)

Employment by Sex

The following graph shows the percentage of men and women working in this occupation in New Brunswick.

Data legend

75.6%

Female

24.4%

Male

Employment by age

The following graph shows the breakdown of all persons working in this occupation in New Brunswick by age group.

Data legend

4.9%

15-24

28.4%

25-34

37.0%

35-44

19.8%

45-54

8.6%

55-64

1.2%

65+

Employment by highest level of education

The following graph shows the breakdown of all persons working in this occupation in New Brunswick by highest level of education achieved.

Data legend

0.0%

No Certificate, Diploma or Degree

0.0%

High School, Diploma or Equivalent

0.0%

Apprenticeship or Trades Certificate or Diploma

51.6%

College or University Below Bachelor Level

48.4%

University - Bachelor Level or Above

Employment by Industry

The following graph shows the industry groups in which the largest shares of persons working in this occupation in New Brunswick are employed. Small percentages for all top three industry groups may suggest employment for this occupation is widely distributed amongst many industry groups.

Data legend

96.3%

Health care and social assistance

N/A

3.7%

All Other Industries

Employment by Economic Regions

The following graph shows the breakdown of all persons employed in this occupation in New Brunswick by which economic region they reside in.

Data legend

21.00%

Northeast

27.20%

Southeast

25.90%

Southwest

11.10%

Central

14.80%

Northwest

Economic Regions

The following map displays New Brunswick’s five economic regions. An economic region (ER) is a grouping of counties, created as a standard unit for analysis of regional economic activity across Canada.

Annual Average Salary by Economic Regions

The following graph shows the average salary of all persons employed in this occupation in each of New Brunswick’s five economic regions.

Data legend

$80,000

Northeast

$69,000

Southeast

$72,000

Southwest

$68,000

Central

$66,000

Northwest

Economic Regions

Hourly Median Wages by Economic Regions

The following represents the median hourly wage of all persons employed in this occupation in each of New Brunswick’s five economic regions.

Salary

The following shows the average salary of everyone who worked full-time and year-round in this occupation across each of the Atlantic Provinces and nationally.

Employment Outlook

The following represents the number of job openings that are expected to occur in this occupation over the next three and ten years respectively, broken down by openings expected to result from growth (“new jobs”) and openings expected to result from attrition (death and retirements).

Occupational Profiles