Respiratory therapy is a growing career field. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, respiratory therapy is expected to grow faster than average in the coming decade.

As our population ages, and lives longer, they become more susceptible to such diseases as pneumonia, chronic emphysema, chronic asthma, and heart disease—all specialties of a respiratory therapist.

…and we are living longer.

The U.S. Census Bureau predicts that the life expectancy of the average American in 2010 will be 78.3 years.

A large percentage of these people will need the services of a respiratory therapist at some time in their lives. If you are considering a respiratory therapy career, this is good news for you.

Respiratory Therapy Job Description

Respiratory therapists treat patients with breathing or cardiovascular problems. Some of their job duties include running diagnostic tests, administering oxygen to patients, measuring lung function, monitoring cardiopulmonary functions, hooking patients up to incubators, and respiratory rehabilitation.

They treat all ages of patients, from newborn babies to the elderly. They can work in hospitals, nursing homes, physician’s offices, home health care agencies, and respiratory equipment retailers. At times, he or she may be the only person that stands between the patient and death.

But before they are permitted to assume such responsibilities, respiratory therapists must receive sufficient training.

Associate Degree Programs

An associate’s degree, at the very minimum, is required to enter the respiratory therapist field. Although there are some diploma or certificate degree programs that might allow you to participate in this field, this option is fading away. More and more employers today require that you have an associate’s degree before they will hire you.

Many medical colleges, vocational schools, universities, community colleges, and the Armed forces offer respiratory therapy programs.

These associate’s degree programs last for 2-years and include such science-oriented courses as:

• Microbiology
• Physics
• Human Anatomy
• Pathophysiology
• Chemistry
• Pharmacology
• Mathematics

You will also learn:

• Patient assessment
• Diagnostic procedures and tests
• Cardiopulmonary resuscitation
• Clinical practice procedures
• Cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation
• Medical recordkeeping and reimbursement
• Medical equipment usage
• Patient care outside of hospitals
• Respiratory health promotion

After Graduation

After graduation, you must become licensed in order to work as a respiratory therapist. A license is required to practice respiratory therapy in all states except Alaska and Hawaii.

The National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC) determines the licensing procedures for respiratory therapists. They award this license—called the Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT) credential—based on two factors:

• Your graduation from an entry-level (associate’s) or an advanced (bachelor’s or master’s) respiratory therapy program that has been accredited by the Committee on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC) or by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP).
• Your passing of a comprehensive exam

You may also receive a Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) credential if you:

• Have graduated from an advanced respiratory therapy program
• Are a Certified Respiratory Therapist
• Have passed two separate exams