2015 and Beyond: What’s the Next Step for Respiratory Therapy?

More than 60 years ago, oxygen technicians (as they were termed at that time) were primarily responsible for administering oxygen to patients via nasal cannula or oxygen tents.¹  The oxygen therapist subsequently evolved into what we now call the respiratory therapist (RT). RTs now provide care to tens of millions of patients with pulmonary issues throughout the world and are now present in many areas of the health care system.²  Respiratory therapy has grown from on-the-job training to a fully credentialed profession. The Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care oversees approximately 386 accredited respiratory therapy programs in the United States where the majority of training programs offer an associate’s degree in respiratory therapy to graduates (few offer baccalaureate degrees and fewer offer a master’s degree).³  When an RT student completes an accredited program, the graduate must pass a competency exam for entry into the profession. Two exams...