 Career
Path Forecast
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics,
faster-than-average employment growth is projected for respiratory
therapists. Job opportunities should be very good, especially for
respiratory therapists with cardiopulmonary care skills or experience
working with infants.
Employment of respiratory
therapists is expected to grow 19 percent from 2006 to 2016, faster than
the average for all occupations. The increasing demand will come from
substantial growth in the middle-aged and elderly population -- a
development that will heighten the incidence of cardiopulmonary disease.
Growth in demand also will result from the expanding role of respiratory
therapists in case management, disease prevention, emergency care, and
the early detection of pulmonary disorders.
Older Americans suffer
most from respiratory ailments and cardiopulmonary diseases such as
pneumonia, chronic bronchitis, emphysema, and heart disease. As their
numbers increase, the need for respiratory therapists is expected to
increase as well. In addition, advances in inhalable medications and in
the treatment of lung transplant patients, heart attack and accident
victims, and premature infants (many of whom are dependent on a
ventilator during part of their treatment) will increase the demand for
the services of respiratory care practitioners.
Job opportunities are
expected to be very good. The vast majority of job openings will
continue to be in hospitals. However, a growing number of openings are
expected to be outside of hospitals, especially in home health care
services, offices of physicians or other health practitioners,
consumer-goods rental firms, or in the employment services industry as a
temporary worker in various settings.
Note: Some resources in this section are provided by the US Department
of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
|
|
