Career opportunities within Respiratory Therapy include:

• Asthma Educator - Certified (AE-C) or COPD Educator
• Registered Pulmonary Function Technologist (RPFT)
• Ground and air transport therapist
• Hyperbaric oxygen therapist/wound care specialist
• Research scientist and clinical trials manager
• Licensure and practice as Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT)
• Neonatal-pediatric specialist (NPS)
• Polysomnographer/Sleep Disorders Specialist (CPSGT, RPSGT or RRT-SDS)

Advanced Studies/Continuing Education

Advanced studies or continuing education opportunities for graduates include:

• Graduate school for the Master’s or Doctorate degree
• Cardiopulmonary Perfusionist, or Advanced Practice Respiratory Therapist (physician extender)
• Physicians assistant-certified, or Anesthesia assistant-certified (physician extenders)
• Physician, i.e., Medical or osteopathic school

Program Outcomes

Graduates from the Respiratory Therapist Career Ladder program will be able to:

• Write, integrate, and assess patient-centered programs and quality outcomes in departments
• Educate patients and their families in the use of ventilators and other life-support systems
• Ensure that patients have knowledge of their diseases
• Conduct patient education to evaluate proper use of medications and equipment
• Expand patient education into the areas of pulmonary rehabilitation, smoking-cessation, disease prevention, case management, and polysomnography, the diagnosis of breathing disorders during sleep
• Design novel programs for surface and air transport teams or rapid-response teams in hospitals

Graduate Outcomes

Graduates of this program are recognized as:

• Critically literate patient care providers
• Providers focused on therapeutic objectives and patient outcomes
• Competent decision-makers
• Compassionate, professional patient educators
• Inspired leaders