Careers With a Respiratory Therapy Degree

Are you consumed by a passion to help people? Do you thrive for working under pressure? Do emergency situations bring out the best in you? Do you get an adrenalin rush every time you think about a "code blue" call? Do you want to be at the forefront of using cutting edge technology for the delivery of health care?

If your response to all the above questions is yes, then you are an ideal fit for the role of a Respiratory Therapist.

Respiratory Therapists (RTs) are also known as Respiratory Care Practitioners. They evaluate, treat, and provide care to patients with breathing or other cardiopulmonary disorders. Their work involves practicing under the supervision or direction of doctors. They also work closely and often supervise respiratory therapy technicians.

What does an RT do?

The American Association of Respiratory Care describes a day in the life of a Respiratory Therapist including activities like:

1. Diagnosing lung and breathing disorders.
2. Recommending treatments for respiratory disorders.
3. Conducting chest examinations on patients.
4. Analyzing breath, tissue, and blood samples of patients.
5. Managing ventilators and artificial airway devices for patients.
6. Educating patients and their families about lung diseases.

Respiratory Therapists provide care to patients ranging from premature babies with under developed lungs to older people suffering from lung diseases. They also respond to emergency situations like heart attacks, strokes, or shock.

How do I become an RT?

The minimum qualification to become a Respiratory Therapist is an associate respiratory therapy degree. Although an associate's degree in respiratory therapy may be enough to enter the profession, RTs need to earn a bachelor's or master's degree in respiratory therapy for career advancement.

In addition to the degree, all U.S. states except Alaska and Hawaii require RTs to have a valid license from the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC). The board confers the Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT) credential to students who graduate from entry-level or advanced respiratory therapy program and pass a licensure exam.

CRTs that complete advanced respiratory therapy programs and pass two separate exams are eligible for a Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) certificate from NBRC. However, students must ensure before enrolling in a respiratory therapy program that it is accredited by a recognized accrediting body like the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC) or Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC).

What Will I Learn?

As part of their education, students of a respiratory therapy degree learn topics such as cardiac & renal anatomy & physiology, cardiopulmonary pharmacology, pulmonary anatomy & physiology, pulmonary function testing, respiratory care protocols, polysomnography, and many more.

In addition to these clinical concepts, respiratory therapy graduates also learn management principles that respiratory care practitioners need to perform supervisory roles. These subject areas include management planning, psychology of motivation, business law, organization design and change, etc.

At the end of their program, graduates have the skills and knowledge to meet the everyday challenges that the work of an RT throws up - be it at a hospital treating patients with chronic breathing problems or responding to emergencies or at a patient's home providing preventive care.

If you want to stand shoulder to shoulder with the best brains in medical science and assist them in the delivery of health care, if you want a career that is both fulfilling and rewarding, and if you want a job with multiple advancement opportunities, then respiratory therapy is just what the doctor ordered for you!