Respiratory Therapists

People in this career often have these skills:

• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
• Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.

• Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.

People in this career often know a lot about:

• Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• Medicine and Dentistry - Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
• Public Safety and Security - Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
• Psychology - Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.

• Mechanical - Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
• Biology - Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
• Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
• Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• Physics - Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
• Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• Chemistry - Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
• Administrative - Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.

People in this career often have talent in:

• Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
• Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.

• Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
• Information Ordering - The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
• Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
• Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
• Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.

People in this career often do these activities:

• Prepare medical supplies or equipment for use.
• Operate diagnostic or therapeutic medical instruments or equipment.
• Monitor patient conditions during treatments, procedures, or activities.
• Inform medical professionals regarding patient conditions and care.
• Gather medical information from patient histories.

• Communicate test or assessment results to medical professionals.
• Treat medical emergencies.
• Implement advanced life support techniques.
• Verify that medical activities or operations meet standards.
• Collaborate with healthcare professionals to plan or provide treatment.
• Assist healthcare practitioners during examinations or treatments.
• Maintain medical facility records.
• Repair medical facility equipment.
• Determine protocols for medical procedures.
• Examine medical instruments or equipment to ensure proper operation.
• Clean medical equipment or facilities.
• Maintain medical equipment or instruments.
• Explain medical procedures or test results to patients or family members.
• Treat chronic diseases or disorders.
• Train patients, family members, or caregivers in techniques for managing disabilities or illnesses.
• Train medical providers.
• Test patient heart or lung functioning.
• Adjust settings or positions of medical equipment.
• Supervise patient care personnel.
• Move patients to or from treatment areas.
• Administer basic health care or medical treatments.
• Assist healthcare practitioners during surgery.

• Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians

• Radiation Therapists

• Diagnostic Medical Sonographers

• Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses

• Surgical Technologists

• Neurodiagnostic Technologists

• Radiologic Technologists and Technicians

• Medical Appliance Technicians