Become a Respiratory Therapist

Respiratory health is an important part of medical care, and the need for respiratory therapists increases as humans live longer. Respiratory therapists commonly work at hospitals, and measure their patients’ lung capacity, provide treatment for lung and respiration diseases, and maintain mechanical ventilation and life support. In order to become a respiratory therapist, you’ll need to earn a 2- or 4-year degree in the field, and then earn a respiratory certification and state license.

Steps

Completing a Respiratory Therapy Degree Program

1. Take health courses in high school. Complete as many courses in biology, health, health occupations, math and science as possible. Information gained from these courses will help make your college studies more manageable, and will be applicable to your work as a respiratory therapist.
   • Take all high school courses that are required for college entrance. To be a respiratory therapist, you will need acceptance to at least a two-year higher education program.
   • As you graduate high school, a high class rank and GPA will help make you a stronger candidate for degree programs.
2. Research respiratory therapy programs. The Committee on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC) has accredited over 440 entry-level and advanced therapy programs in the United States.
   • Look for programs that are located in your state, or in a state that you would like to live in.
   • Contact programs directly to find out their job-placement rates. Aim for placement in a program with successful job placement.
3. Find a school offering studies in respiratory therapy. Many two-year institutions offer respiratory therapy degrees. If you prefer not to study at a typical college or university, there are other places at which you can receive training:
   • Locate a hospital offering formal respiratory therapy training. A few hospitals offer training programs.
   • Search for a vocational or technical school that has a respiratory therapy training program.
   • Complete respiratory therapy training through a branch of the military.
4. Complete a two-year respiratory therapy training program. You will graduate from this with an Associate degree in respiratory care. An Associates degree is the typical degree one needs to become a respiratory therapist, and many professionals in the field do not pursue higher degrees.
   • This degree program will include participating in, and passing, classroom and clinical hands-on programs.
   • Your 2-year degree will also require you to complete clinical hours outside of the university, to gain practical medical experience.
5. Complete a four-year Bachelor of Health degree. In this 4-year degree, you’ll specialize in Respiratory Care. You do not need both an Associate degree and a Bachelor degree—choose one or the other.
   • In your 4-year degree program, you’ll take courses related to clinical respiratory care, respiratory theory, and mechanical ventilation.
   • A Bachelor’s degree in Respiratory Care will take longer than an Associate degree, and delay how quickly you can start working in the field. However, the 4-year degree will give you a competitive edge. Many employers who want to hire respiratory therapists would prefer to hire someone with a Bachelor’s degree.

Earning Your Certification and State License

1. Take the national credentialing exam. This exam, called the Therapist Multiple-Choice (TMC) Examination, is offered by the National Board for Respiratory Care. Once you pass this exam, you will earn your respiratory therapy credential.
   • The TMC exam will test your understanding of entry-level respiratory therapist skills.
   • The test comprises 160 multiple-choice questions that test the three following areas of knowledge: (1) Patient Data Evaluation and Recommendations, (2) Troubleshooting and Quality Control of Equipment and Infection Control, and (3) Initiation and Modification of Interventions.
   • The TMC test costs $190 for first-time test takers, and $150 for repeat test-takers. The test can be taken at any of 190 testing centers across the United States.
   • Those graduating from entry level or advanced programs accredited by CoARC are eligible to take the exam with the intent of earning a Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT) license.
2. Obtain a license if required by your state. This licensing normally occurs when you graduate, and an Associates degree in the field is technically the minimum qualification needed to be a licensed respiratory therapist.If you’re applying for a state license, you’ll need to fill out an application and pay a fee. These licenses often need to be renewed annually.
   • Every state except Alaska currently licenses respiratory therapists.
3. Gain your cardio pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) certification and maintain it. Most employers require that their respiratory therapists hold a CPR certificate. Since you will be working with patients who have lung and respiratory disorders, you may need to perform CPR on the job.
   • CPR certification is offered through the American Red Cross. Check their website for dates and locations where CPR training will be offered. The course is usually held in a public facility, and may only take a few hours to earn.
   • Most Respiratory Therapy programs require CPR certification before students’ graduation.

Finding a Job as a Respiratory Therapist

1. Apply for a job as a respiratory therapist. In a position as a respiratory therapist, you’ll work with a variety of patients (ranging from infants to the elderly) and perform many duties, including diagnostic and emergency services.
   • Respiratory care, anesthesiology and pulmonary medicine departments of hospitals offer the most positions for respiratory therapists. These are good places to begin when searching for a job.
   • Respiratory therapy has a positive outlook as a job field—it’s forecast to grow substantially within the coming decade.
2. Do not limit yourself to hospitals when searching for jobs. Hospitals make up more than 75% of respiratory therapy jobs. However, other health facilities, such as nursing homes and doctor’s offices, are increasingly making use of respiratory services.
   • At a doctor’s office, you will likely have regular hours, while at a hospital (or providing outpatient services), you may be on-call around the clock.
3. Advance in your career. To do this, you will need to earn a title of Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT). This is considered the advanced-level credential in the respiratory therapy field, and the test will evaluate your higher-level respiratory therapist skills. The RRT test will consist of both a written examination and an in-person demonstration of your respiratory medical knowledge.
   • You can earn your RRT title by graduating from an advanced program and passing both the TMC exam, as well as the Clinical Simulation Examination (CSE). You can register for the CSE through the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC) website. The examination consists of 22 written questions.
   • You must earn your RRT title within three years of graduating from your respiratory therapy program. If you miss this deadline, you can also apply for an RRT title after you have had your CRT license for three years.
   • You will increase your chances of earning a supervisor or instructor position if you advance in your education and become a Registered Respiratory Therapist. You can register for the tests to become an RRT through the NBRC website.

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