During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, awareness of respiratory therapists (RT) grew significantly, as hospital-based RTs worked on the front lines to treat and manage the overwhelming influx of patients experiencing pulmonary issues.
Four years later, the demand for RTs is still rising due to an aging population, increased incidences of respiratory disorders, and elevated patient acuity/severity of pulmonary conditions. However, the number of RTs available has not kept pace with this dire need for them.
According to the American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC), more than 92,000 RTs will retire by 2030. Most (93%) are leaving the profession because of stress and burnout brought on by long hours that have continued since the pandemic. Others have left their full-time positions to join more lucrative traveling RT teams. Enrollment in respiratory care education programs has declined 27% since 2010, with only 10% of programs enrolled to capacity.
The AARC reports that 87% of respiratory care leaders agree or strongly agree that there is a current local shortage of RTs, and 84% believe a shortage of RTs in the future is likely or very likely.
“While COVID brought to light the importance of our profession, it also highlighted the tremendous need for skilled RTs amid rising challenges in lung health,” says Randy Solly, MS, RRT, RPFT, AE-C, coordinator of Gwynedd Mercy University’s (GMercyU) Respiratory Care program in Gwynedd Valley, Pennsylvania.
“Respiratory therapists play a critical role in addressing these challenges. In addition to providing specialized pulmonary care, managing mechanically ventilated patients, and customizing treatment plans for patients, RTs focus on providing education to help patients manage their conditions, administer their medications, recognize symptoms of distress, and help keep them out of the hospital.”
Students entering the profession have numerous opportunities within the health care field, including working in a hospital or critical care environment, at skilled nursing facilities, in physicians’ offices, and at outpatient facilities like health clinics and urgent care centers. Employment of RTs is predicted to grow by 13% before 2032—much faster than the average for all occupations, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) Office of Occupational Statistics and Employment Projections. About 8,600 openings for RTs are projected each year, on average, over the next decade.
“There’s a lot of autonomy in the job; you’re using your head as well as your hands,” Solly states. “RTs work in all areas of the hospital, from the ER and the OR to intensive care units, neonatal pediatrics, and medical surgical floors. There are many opportunities to specialize in the profession as well, including adult critical care, neonatal intensive care, pulmonary function technology, asthma education, and sleep disorders.”
GMercyU offers both an associate of science degree in RT as well as a Bachelor of Health Science degree in respiratory care. Upon completion of the programs, graduates can sit for the National Board of Respiratory Care’s Therapist Multiple-Choice (TMC) exam to earn a Certified Respiratory Therapist credential (CRT). Based upon their scores, candidates may be eligible to take the Clinical Simulation Exam (CSE) to earn the Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) credential. Therapists must obtain a license to practice in the state in which they are employed.
At Delaware Technical Community College (DTCC), students enrolled in the respiratory care program learn to assess, treat, and educate patients with a variety of lung diseases. The associate degree program, offered at DTCC’s Georgetown and Wilmington campuses, provides students with the hands-on training and knowledge they need to work in hospitals, emergency rooms, sleep centers, and in-home and outpatient care settings.
Lynell S. Jones, MBA-HCA, RRT-NPS, a registered respiratory therapist/neonatal pediatric specialist at Nemours Children’s Health, Delaware Valley, graduated from DTCC in 2010 and has been working at Nemours Children’s for more than a decade.
“I had planned on becoming an elementary school teacher, but I had a friend who was working as a respiratory therapist who convinced me to enroll in the RT program,” Jones says. “I didn’t really know what was involved in respiratory care until after my first semester, but I found that I really enjoyed taking care of people and educating patients and their families as part of the treatment process. This profession gives me the best of both worlds, providing patient care and education.”
While Jones admits that COVID-19 presented its share of challenges in the field, he believes it also brought more recognition to the profession. “Nobody really knew what a respiratory therapist was until the pandemic,” he says. “We’re an important part of the clinical care team, and we definitely tend to get attached to our patients and always want to do more. We do have to be aware of not doing too much or it can lead to corporate burnout. As for the shortage of practitioners in the field, it’s not only RTs; it’s affecting professionals across the board throughout the health care industry.”
While COVID brought to light the importance of our profession, it also highlighted the tremendous need for skilled RTs amid rising challenges in lung health.
DTCC is working with the Delaware Society of Respiratory Care to advocate for the advancement of respiratory care education through outreach and community events designed to attract students to the profession.
“We’re focusing on promoting more awareness in the community about lung health and the need for more qualified professionals in the industry,” says Crystal Cordrey, department chair, instructor, and program adviser for DTCC’s Respiratory Care program at the Georgetown campus.
“We’ve been holding a variety of educational outreach programs for middle school and high school students, attending career fairs, and visiting middle school health classes to share information about lung health and our profession. Most students think about doctors, nurses, or radiologists when it comes to the health care profession. They don’t always know there’s a choice for respiratory care, which can be just as rewarding and lucrative as any other medical profession.”
The current median income for RRTs is $70,540 annually, according to the BLS.
“RTs are a vital part of the health care team,” Solly points out. “Our educational programs underscore the need to address the pressing demands for skilled respiratory therapists amid rising challenges in lung health. It’s up to our educational institutions, credentialing organizations, and health care facilities to help attract new practitioners to the profession.”
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