Respiratory therapists are responsible for evaluating and treating patients with breathing or lung disorders. Working together with, and often under the supervision of, physicians or medical professionals, respiratory therapists treat disorders such as asthma, emphysema and cystic fibrosis using a variety of methods and highly-specialized equipment to assist patients with their breathing. To evaluate patients, respiratory therapists interview them and conduct diagnostic tests such as measuring their breathing capacity and determining the concentration of oxygen or acidity in their blood. To treat patients, respiratory therapists set up and monitor ventilator equipment, perform chest therapy to remove mucus from their lungs, and assist them with rehabilitative exercises. Although most respiratory therapists work in hospitals, an increasingly large number of them are employed by home care agencies, nursing homes, and respiratory therapy clinics.
The minimum educational requirement to become a respiratory therapist is an associate degree, although a bachelor’s or master’s degree is highly preferable. There are literally hundreds of accredited respiratory therapy programs available today. They are offered at colleges and universities, medical schools, vocational/technical institutes, and the Armed Forces.
In all states except Alaska and Hawaii, respiratory therapists must be licensed in order to practice. Licensure is usually based on obtaining the Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT) credential awarded by the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC). In order to earn CRT certification, a therapist must have graduated from an accredited educational program and must also pass the licensing exam offered by the NBRC. An advanced credential, the Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) certification, is available to CRTs who have graduated from advanced programs and are able to pass two separate examinations.
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