Respiratory Therapist Schools

Schools by State
for Respiratory Therapists:

AL AR AZ CA CO CT DC DE FL GA HI IA ID IL IN KS KY LA MA MD ME MI MN MO MS MT NC ND NE NH NJ NM NV NY OH OK OR PA RI SC SD TN TX UT VA VT WA WI WV WY

Career Highlights for
Respiratory Therapists

Training generally required for this career includes: Associate degree.

Jobs and Salary
Median Salary (2008)	$52,200
Unemployment Vs. Other Jobs	Very Low
Jobs (2006)	102,000
Job Growth (2006-2016)	22.6%
Jobs (2016 forecast)	126,000

Flexibility
Working Part-Time	15%
Self-Employed	1%

Education of Current Workers
Bachelor Degree or Higher	28%
Some College	71%
High School or Less	1%

Relevant Job Titles

(Supplied by experts and industry contributors for this career category)

Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT)
Certified Respiratory Therapist Technician
Clinical Coordinator of Respiratory Therapy
Director of Cardiopulmonary Services
Inhalation Therapist
Oxygen Therapist
Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT)
Respiratory Care Practitioner (RCP)
Respiratory Therapist (RT)
Respiratory Therapy Director
Sleep Lab Technician
Staff Respiratory Therapist

Information Sources

BrainTrack's information on colleges and careers is drawn from many sources, including government databases, BrainTrack's own research, and results from original data analysis algorithms.

Respiratory Therapist Job Description

Career tips, salaries, and lists of schools.

Being able to freely take a deep breath is something that most people take for granted until they can't due to health conditions. Respiratory therapists (also called respiratory technicians or respiratory care practitioners) work with patients who have breathing disorders or other conditions that affect their heart and lungs. Working in hospitals and emergency rooms or for home health care agencies, respiratory therapists provide direct care to patients young and old who, because of underdeveloped growth, disease or damage, cannot get the oxygen they need from breathing.

Although respiratory therapists usually handle more complex tasks than respiratory technicians, their roles frequently overlap. The responsibilities of both roles usually include:

interviewing patients and performing examinations
conducting diagnostic testing
documenting patient information and progress
reporting results to doctors
responding to emergency / critical care situations
visiting patients in their homes to provide and maintain equipment
treating patients with drugs, physiotherapy, and use of medical devices and equipment
educating patients in self-care and the use of equipment

Unlike respiratory technicians, respiratory therapists work with doctors and other healthcare professionals to establish patient care plans. They are responsible for complicated therapeutic decisions such as providing care for patients on life-support or those in intensive care.

Respiratory Therapy Degrees and Respiratory Therapy Schools

A minimum of an associate's degree is required to be a respiratory therapist. Most associate's degree and bachelor's degree programs offered through universities, colleges, medical schools and vocational schools prepare students for careers in advanced respiratory therapy, while a few focus more on entry-level roles.

In order for graduates to be eligible for licensure in most states, programs must be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) or Committee on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC).

Respiratory Therapy Classes

Respiratory therapy students divide their time between coursework and supervised clinical experience. Courses typically include:

anatomy and physiology
pathophysiology and microbiology
chemistry and pharmacology
physics and mathematics
diagnostic and therapeutic tests and procedures
medical devices and equipment
assessing patients and documenting progress
cardiopulmonary resuscitation and rehabilitation
use of clinical practice guidelines
caring for patients at home
promoting respiratory health and preventing disease
medical records and insurance

Online Respiratory Therapy Classes and Programs

There are several associate's degree and bachelor's degree programs in respiratory therapy available online. These programs provide convenience and flexibility, but usually do not include the supervised clinical practice that is required to be properly prepared as a respiratory therapist. Important note: only programs accredited by the CAAHEP or CoARC qualify graduates for certification and licensure.

Respiratory Therapist Requirements

An associate's degree in respiratory therapy is the minimum educational requirement for respiratory therapists. In addition, employers require that they be cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) certified at all times.

In order to practice in all states except Alaska and Hawaii, respiratory therapists must be licensed. To obtain a license, national certification as a Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT) through the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC) is usually required. To qualify for supervisory or intensive-care positions, CRTs can obtain certification as a Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) by completing advanced programs and passing two examinations.

How to Evaluate Respiratory Therapy Schools

Asking the following kinds of questions is important when evaluating respiratory therapy degree programs:

Accreditation - Has the program been accredited by the CAAHEP or CoARC? If the program is offered online, has it also been accredited by the Accreditation Commission of the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC) or other distance learning oversight organization?
Curricula and focus - Does the program prepare students for only entry-level roles, or also advanced respiratory therapy?
Tuition and financial aid - What financial aid options such as grants, scholarships, work / study and student loans are available? How much support does the school offer to help students take advantage of these opportunities?
Class structure and practical experience - What is the student-teacher ratio in most classes? Does the school have a well-established program for supervised clinical experience working directly with patients?
Graduate success - What percentage of graduates became CRTs? Does the school provide comprehensive job placement assistance?

Relevant Schools That Respond Quickly to Info Requests Through This Site

School names link to detailed profiles. Use the Info from the School link to contact the school directly for more information. You may request information from as many schools as you like.

School	Campuses	Awards	Info
ATI Career Training Center	FL, TX	Associate	Info From School
ATI College of Health	FL	Associate	Info From School
Apollo College	AZ, NV	Associate	Info From School
Baker College Campus	MI	Associate	Info From School
CHI Institute	PA	Associate	Info From School
California College San Diego	CA	Associate, Bachelor	Info From School
Career Technical College	LA	Associate	Info From School
Everest Institute	GA	Associate	Info From School
Goodwin College	CT	Associate	Info From School
Grand Canyon University	Online	Bachelor	Info From School
Independence University	Online	Associate, Bachelor	Info From School
Kaplan College	AZ	Associate	Info From School
McCann School of Business & Technology	PA	Diploma	Info From School
Miami-Jacobs Career College	OH	Associate	Info From School
Sanford-Brown College	MO	Associate	Info From School
Stevens-Henager College	ID, UT	Associate, Bachelor	Info From School
Western Career College	CA	Associate, Certificate	Info From School

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