WASHINGTON, D.C. — While respiratory therapy has existed for decades, the importance of the field is receiving more recognition this year.

Today, respiratory therapists are working alongside doctors and nurses on the front lines, helping patients whose breathing has been impacted by the coronavirus. 

Robert Wolfe is a respiratory therapist at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, New York. He said he first learned about respiratory therapy shortly after graduating high school when his grandfather ended up in the hospital. 

“While he was in the hospital I went to visit him and a respiratory therapist came in and I just started talking with them. And I thought, 'oh this is really cool,'” he said. 

Wolfe has been a respiratory therapist for the past 20 years. He said his job has stayed relatively the same since the coronavirus began, but there are more steps involved in his daily routine, such as wearing more personal protective equipment. 

“You have to think about protecting yourself and everybody else in the room,” Wolfe said. 

And since the pandemic began, Tom Kallstrom, the Executive Director/CEO of the American Association for Respiratory Care, said more people have learned about the field of respiratory therapy and what it entails. 

“We're getting a lot of attention as a profession now,” he said. 

While respiratory therapists typically treat patients with breathing-related health conditions like asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and pneumonia, Kallstrom said they have played a crucial role in helping patients fight against coronavirus. 

“The respiratory therapist oftentimes is the person that sticks the tube, it's called intubation, into the lungs. We then make sure the airway is secure," he said. "We then put them on a mechanical ventilator."

According to Kallstrom, respiratory therapists continue to monitor their patient's condition on the ventilator. Once a patient is ready to be removed from their ventilator, they are extubated, or the tube is removed from the patient's lungs.

Wolfe believes that weaning patients off of their ventilators and watching them start breathing on their own again is the best part of his job. 

“To pull that tube out and have them say hi to their family, that’s probably the most rewarding,,” Wolfe said. 

According to the Projections Managing Partnership, there are about 200 respiratory therapy jobs available in Kentucky each year. Additionally, the annual mean salary for respiratory therapists in Kentucky is $50,150, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

Most respiratory therapy jobs require at least a two-year associate's degree, but Kallstrom says that those with a bachelor's degree are more likely to be hired for leadership and management roles. 

He also expects the job growth for respiratory therapists to continue, even after the pandemic is over. 

“As we look to the future, we need more therapists,” he said. ​