An associate degree is the minimum educational requirement, but a bachelor’s
or master’s degree may be important for advancement. All States, except
Alaska and Hawaii, require respiratory therapists to be licensed.
Education and training. An associate degree is required to become a
respiratory therapist. Training is offered at the postsecondary level by
colleges and universities, medical schools, vocational-technical institutes,
and the Armed Forces. Most programs award associate or bachelor’s degree and
prepare graduates for jobs as advanced respiratory therapists. A limited
number of associate degree programs lead to jobs as entry-level respiratory
therapists. According to the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health
Education Programs (CAAHEP), 45 entry-level and 334 advanced respiratory
therapy programs were accredited in the United States in 2006.
Among the areas of study in respiratory therapy programs are human
anatomy and physiology, pathophysiology, chemistry, physics, microbiology,
pharmacology, and mathematics. Other courses deal with therapeutic and
diagnostic procedures and tests, equipment, patient assessment,
cardiopulmonary resuscitation, the application of clinical practice
guidelines, patient care outside of hospitals, cardiac and pulmonary
rehabilitation, respiratory health promotion and disease prevention, and
medical recordkeeping and reimbursement.
High school students interested in applying to respiratory therapy
programs should take courses in health, biology, mathematics, chemistry, and
physics. Respiratory care involves basic mathematical problem solving and an
understanding of chemical and physical principles. For example, respiratory
care workers must be able to compute dosages of medication and calculate gas
concentrations.
Licensure and certification. A license is required to
practice as a respiratory therapist, except in Alaska and Hawaii. Also, most
employers require respiratory therapists to maintain a cardiopulmonary
resuscitation (CPR) certification.
Licensure is usually based, in large part, on meeting the requirements
for certification from the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC). The
board offers the Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT) credential to those
who graduate from entry-level or advanced programs accredited by CAAHEP or
the Committee on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC) and who also
pass an exam.
The board also awards the Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) to CRTs
who have graduated from advanced programs and pass two separate
examinations. Supervisory positions and intensive-care specialties usually
require the RRT.
Other qualifications. Therapists should be sensitive to a
patient’s physical and psychological needs. Respiratory care practitioners
must pay attention to detail, follow instructions, and work as part of a
team. In addition, operating advanced equipment requires proficiency with
computers.
Advancement. Respiratory therapists advance in clinical
practice by moving from general care to the care of critically ill patients
who have significant problems in other organ systems, such as the heart or
kidneys. Respiratory therapists, especially those with a bachelor’s or
master’s degree, also may advance to supervisory or managerial positions in
a respiratory therapy department. Respiratory therapists in home health care
and equipment rental firms may become branch managers. Some respiratory
therapists advance by moving into teaching positions. Some others use the
knowledge gained as a respiratory therapist to work in another industry,
such as developing, marketing, or selling pharmaceuticals and medical
devices.