Respiratory Therapists, Clinical Perfusionists, and Cardiopulmonary Technologists

Nature of work

Respiratory therapists work with health care teams to diagnose, treat, educate, and promote wellness in patients with respiratory and cardiopulmonary disorders. They work for hospitals, extended care facilities, public health centres, and respiratory home care companies. Respiratory therapists may specialize in areas like anesthesia, critical care, pediatrics, cardiopulmonary diagnostics, and respiratory home care.

Clinical perfusionists provide technical support to patients undergoing cardiac surgery and patients requiring cardio-respiratory support. Cardiopulmonary technologists help physicians in the technical aspects of diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular and pulmonary disease. Clinical perfusionists and cardiopulmonary technologists are primarily employed in hospitals.

Respiratory therapists, clinical perfusionists and cardiopulmonary technologists who are supervisors or instructors are included in this group.

Job duties

Respiratory therapists:

• Complete diagnostic tests like arterial blood gas analysis and cardiopulmonary functions tests.
• Use and monitor respiratory equipment to administer treatments like oxygen, oxygen-air mixtures, humidified air, or medications.
• Use, monitor, maintain, and test a variety of diagnostic and therapeutic equipment.
• Assess patients and complete or assist with interventions like airway maintenance, line insertions, inductions, and intubations.
• Do artificial respiration and external cardiac massage.
• Help with transport of high-risk patients.
• 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.

Clinical perfusionists:

• Assemble, maintain, and run 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 anesthetists 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:

• Complete diagnostic tests like pulmonary function and asthma stress or help physicians with cardiac and cardiopulmonary stress tests and bronchoscopies.
• Determine patients' blood characteristics like activated clotting time and oxygen saturation.
• Use, 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.
• Help prepare cardiac catheterization room, prepare specialized catheters, and help cardiologists during catheterization.
• Analyze, program, and monitor implanted devices like pacemakers and defibrillators during surgery.
• Supervise and train students and other cardiopulmonary technologists.
• Provide technical support for research.

Sample job titles

• anesthesia technologist
• cardiopulmonary technician
• certified clinical perfusionist (CCP)
• perfusionist
• pulmonary function technologist
• registered respiratory therapist (RRT)
• respiratory care practitioner
• respiratory technician
• respiratory technologist
• respiratory therapy clinical instructor

Skills

You should be interested in medicine and health. Manual dexterity and good coordination are necessary. You must be able to deal with people in a mature, tactful, and professional way. You should also be comfortable working with instruments, apparatus, and technology. A background in science would be helpful.

Job requirements

• Respiratory therapists require the completion of a three-year college, hospital or university degree program in respiratory therapy, including clinical training.
• Registration with a provincial regulatory body is required for respiratory therapists.
• 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 like 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.

Other considerations

While most people in these jobs are employed full-time, part-time and casual work arrangements are common. Shift-work is common in these jobs. Supervisory and instructor positions in this group require experience in their respective fields as a respiratory therapist, clinical perfusionist or cardiopulmonary technologist.

Regulations

Contacts

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