{"schemaVersion":"1.0","exportedAt":"2026-05-15T12:38:50.697Z","occupation":{"soc":"29-1126.00","title":"Respiratory Therapists","group":"Healthcare Practitioners & Technical","sector":"62","jobZone":3,"jobZoneInferred":false},"framework":{"version":"v.26.05","description":"","contextCovered":"This framework covers respiratory therapists working across acute care, critical care, emergency, and specialty inpatient settings, from entry-level clinical practice through departmental leadership and organizational strategy.","levels":{"emerging":{"label":"Emerging","statements":["Respiratory therapy equipment (ventilators, aerosol generators, oxygen delivery devices) — identify and set up under direct supervision in an inpatient clinical setting.","Patient prescriptions and basic medical records — read and review with guidance to gather initial information about a patient's respiratory condition.","Arterial blood gas collection procedures — perform foundational steps under close supervision in an acute care unit.","Blood analysis results — relay accurately to the supervising physician or charge nurse using standard communication protocols.","Patient vital signs and physiological responses — record and report changes to a supervising clinician during routine therapy sessions.","Basic emergency response protocols (artificial respiration, CPR support) — recognize activation cues and assist credentialed staff during simulated or supervised emergency scenarios.","Patient therapy charts — document pertinent identification data and treatment information under direction following departmental charting standards.","Respiratory therapy equipment cleaning and inspection checklists — complete step-by-step under supervision to support equipment safety in a clinical environment.","Healthcare team communications — participate in structured handoff and bedside rounds by listening actively and relaying observations in clear, concise language.","Scheduling and electronic health record software — navigate basic functions to locate patient assignments and log therapy data under supervisory guidance."]},"developing":{"label":"Developing","statements":["Mechanical ventilators and therapeutic gas administration apparatus — set up, calibrate, and adjust within prescribed parameters for stable patients across general medical-surgical and step-down units.","Arterial blood gases and blood chemistry results — measure, interpret within normal reference ranges, and consult the physician independently when values indicate adverse patient response.","Patient physiological monitoring data — analyze trends in vital signs and respiratory indicators and adapt therapy delivery to maintain patient safety with routine oversight.","Emergency care interventions (external cardiac massage, assisted ventilation) — execute established protocols during actual emergent events under a team-based hospital response structure.","Patient condition assessments — integrate prescription review, arterial blood gas values, and clinical history to form a working clinical picture without step-by-step direction.","Respiratory therapy equipment maintenance schedules — perform inspection, cleaning, and functional testing independently and initiate repair orders when equipment performance deviates from specifications.","Multidisciplinary care teams — coordinate effectively with physicians and nurses during procedures and care-plan discussions, contributing respiratory-focused clinical observations.","Therapy documentation — maintain complete and accurate patient records in medical software platforms, applying departmental standards with minimal correction needed.","Active learning strategies — apply updated clinical guidelines and continuing education content to daily practice in familiar patient-care contexts.","Time management tools (scheduling software, task lists) — organize a multi-patient caseload across a shift to ensure timely therapy delivery in a busy inpatient department."]},"proficient":{"label":"Proficient","statements":["Complex ventilator management — autonomously optimize mode, pressure, volume, and weaning parameters for critically ill patients across ICU and emergency department environments.","Comprehensive patient assessments — integrate prescription data, arterial blood gas analysis, chest imaging context, and clinical observations to formulate and execute individualized respiratory care plans.","Non-routine physiological events — apply inductive and deductive reasoning to identify atypical patient responses and implement evidence-based interventions without physician prompting.","Advanced emergency interventions — lead or fully participate in resuscitation efforts, including coordinating CPR, airway management, and cardiac support within a rapid-response team.","Environmental control and specialty aerosol therapy systems — operate and troubleshoot across diverse clinical settings including neonatal, pediatric, and adult populations.","Clinical judgment and decision-making — independently evaluate risk-benefit tradeoffs when standard protocols do not clearly apply, escalating appropriately and documenting clinical rationale.","Interdisciplinary collaboration — take a primary role in care-coordination discussions, translating respiratory data into actionable clinical recommendations for physicians, nurses, and allied health colleagues.","Equipment safety programs — oversee the full lifecycle of respiratory devices, identifying systemic maintenance issues and recommending procurement or process changes to department leadership.","Complex problem solving — diagnose multifactorial causes of treatment failure (patient, equipment, and protocol factors) and implement corrective plans with measurable outcomes.","Patient and family education — design and deliver clear, empathetic explanations of respiratory conditions and home therapy devices, adapting communication style to health literacy level."]},"advanced":{"label":"Advanced","statements":["Departmental respiratory care standards and clinical protocols — develop, revise, and implement evidence-based guidelines that govern practice across an entire respiratory therapy department.","Respiratory therapy staff — mentor, supervise, and evaluate emerging and developing therapists, designing individualized learning strategies to accelerate competency growth.","Organizational quality-improvement initiatives — lead data-driven projects targeting ventilator-associated events, readmission rates, or therapy utilization, presenting findings to hospital leadership.","Interdisciplinary care models — champion respiratory therapy integration into ICU liberation bundles, rapid-response teams, and care-transition programs at the institutional level.","Advanced clinical education programs — design and deliver orientation curricula, simulation training, and continuing-education sessions that elevate team-wide clinical performance.","Healthcare technology selection — evaluate and advocate for acquisition of respiratory equipment and medical software platforms, applying technical expertise and cost-benefit analysis for executive decision-makers.","Regulatory and accreditation compliance — ensure departmental practices meet Joint Commission, state licensure, and professional credentialing requirements, leading audit readiness activities.","Strategic workforce planning — assess staffing models, recruitment pipelines, and retention strategies to sustain a competent respiratory therapy workforce aligned with organizational growth.","Cross-functional leadership — represent respiratory therapy perspectives on hospital committees, policy bodies, and community health partnerships, influencing care delivery beyond the department.","Research and knowledge translation — evaluate emerging evidence in respiratory medicine, synthesize findings into practice recommendations, and disseminate insights through professional channels or institutional publications."]}}},"sources":{"onet":"v30.2 (CC BY 4.0)","crosswalk":"https://skillscrosswalk.com","generator":"LER.me"},"attribution":"© EBSCOed"}