The responsibility of a respiratory therapist is to evaluate, treat and care for patients who suffer from breathing or cardiopulmonary disorders.  They are the primary caregiver for these patients in regards to all respiratory care therapeutic treatments and diagnostic procedures.  They do work under the supervision and direction of a physician but handle the applications directly.  In addition to their duties in caring for patients, they also manage a group of respiratory therapy technicians who follow orders and handle more trivial tasks.  Respiratory therapists work one on one with doctors and other health care staff to develop and implement plans directed toward individual patients.

There are many types of patients that are treated by respiratory therapists.  They range from premature infants, to elderly patients to those who are on life support.  The common thread among the patients is the need for care directed to their lungs.  Individuals who suffer from chronic asthma and emphysema are also patients treated by the respiratory therapist.  They are responsible for providing temporary relief.  The therapists may also provide emergency services to patients involved in drowning, suffered from heart attacks or victims of a stroke.

It is extremely important for respiratory therapists to gather as much information as possible about a specific patient.  They perform many evaluations that include interviewing, physical examinations and diagnostic tests.  They determine a patients breathing capacity while testing the levels of oxygen and other gases in the blood stream.  It may also be necessary to test a patients pH levels in order to determine any levels of acidity and alkalinity of the blood.

Treatments for patients who are suffering from respiratory problems can include the use of oxygen mixtures, chest physiotherapy and aerosol medications.  The treatments are prescribed by the physicians and then implemented and monitored by the therapist.

Therapists are also stepping into roles that are not the customary roles of the past.  They often participate in programs that assist the patient in their home.  The go into the home and educate families and patients on the use and maintenance of ventilators and other life support machines.  In some hospitals respiratory therapists are now conducting informational classes on the dangers of smoking and educating of disease prevention.  They may also assist with patients in pulmonary rehabilitation and those who are experiencing breathing problems during sleep.  In some hospitals respiratory therapists also host counseling sessions to instruct, counsel and help diagnose individuals who may be suffering from breathing problems.