Respiratory Therapy Careers and Degrees: Here’s What You Need to Know

It can be argued that nothing is more important than breath. Which is why so many are drawn to a career as a respiratory therapist. Respiratory therapists help patients breathe better, taking care of patients suffering from chronic or acute illnesses like asthma or pneumonia.

Learn how to become a respiratory therapist and answer the question of how long does it take to become a respiratory therapist, as well as find out what to look for in respiratory therapy training, and more about this exciting health care career.

Why Become a Respiratory Therapist?

Respiratory therapists possess a set of specialized skills that play a vital role in the healthcare industry.

They typically work in various areas of a hospital, including emergency rooms, critical care units, and neonatal intensive care units.8  Respiratory therapists can choose to work as general respiratory therapists or specialize in a specific area, like pediatric, geriatric, critical care, or home care.  Another benefit of this career is the potential for flexibility. Depending on the setting you work in, you may have some flexibility in your schedule.

If helping people is important to you, you’ll love being a respiratory therapist. At the end of the day, you’ll know that you have truly made a difference in people’s lives.

What Does a Respiratory Therapist Do?

Respiratory therapists care for those who have trouble breathing. Some of the most common chronic respiratory illnesses are chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, occupational lung diseases and pulmonary hypertension. According to the World Health Organization, asthma affected an estimated 262 million people in 2019 4 and in 2019 chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) was the third leading cause of death worldwide, causing 3.23 million deaths.5

Respiratory therapists work with common respiratory patients like those described above, as well as everyone from premature infants with undeveloped lungs to elderly patients who have diseased lungs. Respiratory therapists also provide emergency care to patients suffering from heart attacks, drowning, or shock, according to the BLS.6

Some common job duties of a respiratory therapist include:

• Interviewing and examining patients with breathing or cardiopulmonary disorders
• Consulting with physicians to develop patient treatment plans
• Performing diagnostic tests, such as measuring lung capacity
• Treating patients by using a variety of methods, including chest physiotherapy and aerosol medications
• Monitoring and recording patients’ progress
• Teaching patients how to take medications and use equipment, such as ventilators

Respiratory therapists use a variety of tools to measure lung capacity, as well as bloodwork to determine oxygen levels. They also can provide physiotherapy on patients to remove mucus from their lungs and make it easier for them to breathe. Removing mucus is necessary for patients suffering from lung diseases, such as cystic fibrosis, and involves the therapist vibrating the patient’s rib cage, often by tapping the patient’s chest while the patient coughs.

Where Do Respiratory Therapists Work?

Respiratory therapists can work in a variety of medical settings. While the BLS reports that 82% of respiratory therapists worked in either state, local or private hospitals,8 they are not limited to there.

According to the American Association of Respiratory Care, respiratory therapists can be found in:9

• Intensive care units
• Emergency rooms
• Newborn and pediatric units
• Operating rooms and surgical suites
• In-home care settings
• Sleep laboratories
• Smoking cessation programs
• Asthma education programs
• Physicians’ offices
• Skilled nursing facilities

All of these settings will see respiratory therapists working to help people breathe easier, through lifesaving procedures like ventilation or everyday pulmonary therapy.

Skills for Respiratory Therapists

Respiratory therapy is a skilled industry. There are many technical abilities you will need to learn to pursue this career, including physiotherapy and other respiratory treatments. Those skills can be learned at various Respiratory Care programs. There are, however, so-called “soft skills” and traits that may make one more suited for a career in respiratory therapy. According to O*NET, these can include:

• 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.
• 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.
• Service Orientation— Actively looking for ways to help people.
• Social Perceptiveness— Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
• Complex Problem Solving— Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
• Judgment and Decision Making— Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
• Time Management— Managing one’s own time and the time of others.
• Inductive Reasoning— The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions.
• 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 there is a problem.
• 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.
• Perceptual Speed— The ability to quickly and accurately compare similarities and differences among sets of letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns.

How to Become a Respiratory Therapist

Unlike some more accessible medical fields that can allow entry-level employees to learn on the job, respiratory therapy requires a degree from an accredited institution. Here’s how to become a respiratory therapist:

Obtain an associate degree. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, respiratory therapists typically need at least an associate’s degree in respiratory therapy from a program approved by the American Medical Association, such as those accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC).15

1. Pass a certification exam. Some states require that you pass a state or professional certification exam like the Therapist Multiple-Choice (TMC) Examination through the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC).
2. Obtain licensure. Respiratory therapists are required to be licensed in all states except Alaska, where national certification is recommended. Licensure requirements vary but usually include passing a state or professional certification exam. For specific requirements, contact a state’s health board.
3. Stay up-to-date with licensure. While all states (except Alaska) have different requirements, most require you to renew your license.
4. Obtain a Bachelor of Science in Respiratory Therapy (BSRT). The next level of education for respiratory therapists is to obtain a BSRT.

It’s important to note that all 49 states that regulate the practice of respiratory care use the NBRC CRT or RRT credential as the basis for state licensure.10

Carrington College prepares students to take appropriate certification and licensure exams related to their individual majors. The College does not guarantee students will successfully pass these exams or be certified or licensed as a result of completing the program.