Introduction to Respiratory Therapy Course
Respiratory Therapy is the relatively new area in the medical field. The respiratory therapy field is gaining a lot of importance in the last 5-10 years due to changed lifestyle. The respiratory therapists devote their lives to support and treat the patients suffering from respiratory disorders. The respiratory therapists ideally assist in the diagnosis, treatment, management and care for the patients with cardiopulmonary and associated disorders.
The respiratory therapy students are trained to evaluate, diagnose and provide treatment to the respiratory disorders using relevant equipment. The main task of the respiratory therapists is to assist the physicians in various treatment procedures like evaluation, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of the patients. The respiratory therapy students are trained to handle the equipment that is required to provide external respiration. They will be usually working with ventilators in intensive care units (ICU) and Critical care units (CCU) pandemic treatment centres, isolation wards in the hospitals. They continuously monitor the readings of the machines and adjust the machine according to the patient’s requirements under the proper guidance of the expert and certified physicians.
They are also required to generate the regular reports from the readings obtained by the machines and send them to the physicians and immediately inform the concerned physician in case of emergency.
The B.Sc Respiratory Therapy is the 3-years undergraduate programme under the allied health science of medical field. The students who have finished their PUC or 10+2 with Physics, Chemistry and Biology as subjects from recognised board can apply for the B.Sc Respiratory Therapy course.
Benefits of Choosing B.Sc Respiratory Therapy Course
The changed lifestyles of the people have made them prone to various respiratory disorders. The increase in impure particles and pollutants in the air due to pollution has spoilt the air we breathe. The respiratory system has become prone to various diseases like trauma, bronchitis, asthma, pneumonia, etc. There has been an increase in patients with respiratory disorders in recent years. This has created a demand for respiratory therapy professionals today.
The respiratory therapists help people who suffer from chronic respiratory diseases like asthma, bronchitis and emphysema. People suffering from heart attacks, sleeping disorders and prematurely born infants need respiratory therapy.
The increased hype in professional courses like MBBS, BDS, etc the students aspiring to join the medical field were never aware of many allied health courses; one such course is B.Sc Respiratory Therapy course. The lack of awareness and the lack of information about the benefits of respiratory therapy kept them away from joining this course. The B.Sc Respiratory Therapy course has many benefits to offer for students some of them are just explained below
Let’s discuss them in detail
Saving Lives
The greatest reward for most medical professionals is the opportunity to save the lives of patients. The patients in intensive care units (ICUs) and emergency rooms often develop breathing complications. And some end up losing their lives due to respiratory issues rather than the actual illness or diseases that led to their hospitalisation. The best example is the Covid 19 pandemic; the respiratory therapists were the real heroes who prevented massive casualties where millions of people lost their lives. If the respiratory therapists were not available then the casualties might have reached billions across the world. The respiratory therapists are responsible to provide the required medication, ventilators and airwaves devices to keep the patient's breathing.
Different areas of Specialisation
When working as a respiratory therapist, one is not limited to emergency departments or intensive care units (ICU) and Critical Cardiac Care Units (CCU). In addition to working in pulmonary, surgical and medical wards they are also required in neonatal intensive care units (NICU), Maternal Intensive Care Units (MICU) or become an educator in the community. Other career paths for respiratory therapists include working in bronchoscopy suites, pulmonary rehabilitation and respiratory sales, etc. The respiratory therapists have diverse options for career growth with available specialisations. They can join the roles like shift manager in hospitals, head of department, ICU head, hospital administrator, educational programme lead, etc.
Competitive Salaries and Allowances
While saving the lives of many patients may be the top motivation for respiratory therapists, one must consider his/her monthly and yearly earnings. As a respiratory therapist one will spend long hours at work and sometimes respond to emergencies. The respiratory therapists are top paid professionals in the healthcare field. The surge in demand has forced the organisations to pay excellent salary packages for skilled respiratory therapy professionals.
Lesser training duration
The B.Sc Respiratory Therapy is a 3-years course when compared to MBBS which is 4.5 years. The students will start earning as professional respiratory therapists soon after the completion of their B.Sc degree. Since the demand is huge for skilled professionals, they are hired in large numbers by healthcare organisations as soon they complete their degree. The B.Sc respiratory therapy students will start their careers in the medical field very early when compared to MBBS students. The career growth is also more for respiratory therapists when compared to MBBS doctors.
Bring Change in People’s lives
As a respiratory therapist one will have to extend his/her work way beyond medical institutions. The respiratory therapists encounter multiple opportunities to change the lives of people. With the training and experience they gained during their study, the respiratory therapists can rescue emergency situations like drowning patients or help patients use medical devices properly at their homes. Patients with chronic disorders need continuous advice and assistance to live a quality life despite their health conditions. The career as a respiratory therapist gives a sense of feeling of saving a life of one person and a livelihood. The respiratory therapists enjoy a sense of satisfaction after a tiring day.
Final Lines
Working as a respiratory therapist can be highly rewarding because of the multiple opportunities this field has to offer. If you are up for a challenge and would like to affect the people’s lives then as a respiratory therapist one will be having a fulfilling career in this field. The students aspiring to join the medical field can even fulfill their dream by joining the B.Sc respiratory course even without an MBBS degree.