INDUSTRY STATS
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Respiratory Therapist positions are at a 23% growth rate, which is much faster than average. With that said, there are currently 135,100 jobs in the market right now. The total number of jobs is expected to increase by 31,100 to 166,200 in the period of 2020-30.
What’s more, the median annual wage for the Respiratory Therapist jobs was $62,810 in May 2020. The lowest 10% earned less than $45,940, and the highest 10% more than $89,170.
Our conclusion? The Respiratory Therapist job market is wide open for candidates.
Top respiratory therapist sections that make the best resume
- Header
- Professional summary
- Experience (with numbers and results)
- Relevant skills
- Education
- Certifications
What to write in your respiratory therapist experience section
Perfecting your respiratory therapist resume experience section:
- Focus on results, not responsibilities;
- Use 4-6 bullet points per position;
- List only positions that are relevant to what you’re applying for;
- Include at least some form of quantitative data – it can be linked to the number of people you’ve managed or the - percentage decrease in costs that’s followed from your work - you decide;
- Choose action verbs over buzzwords.
We’ve collected some of the top resume experience sections from real Enhancv users. Check them out when drafting your own Respiratory Therapist resume!
- Provide patient care to those clients whom have a medical need at home or admitted with a referral. Scope of role includes developing strong relationships with hospital and referral sources, hospital coordination, discharging high tech referrals to the home, coordination of home care resources, set up durable medical equipment in home that is unique to a child’s need to thrive, client advocacy, and an overall awareness of the needs of the client.
- Partnership development with the respective medical, nursing staff, and respiratory therapy staff in planning, implementing, delivering, and evaluating respiratory care.
- Align communication strategies that best serve the patient population, the patients’ families, and any additional caregivers or medical personnel supporting the patient.
- Education of nurses and caregivers on home use of ventilators, tracheostomy care, enteral feeding, and suction. CPAP, BIPAP and Hi/Low flow set ups and other duties as required. Experience with home ventilators in multiple modes including NPPV, Mouthpiece ventilation and tracheostomy.
- Case management of complex respiratory patients including but not limited too ALS, MD, MS, SMA.
- Skillfully executes patient care including the utilization of clinical expertise on ventilator management, ventilation guidelines (non-invasive and invasive), waveform identification and classification, and oxygen delivery devices.
- Instruct on use and support via in person and phone call troubleshooting with all diagnostic studies that PHS offers. To include: 4CH, 3CH, overnight saturation study, PCO2 study, ETCO2 overnight study, and PH studies.
- Serves as a role model for Respiratory Care, teaches and coaches as necessary. Sets the standard with relation to behavior, attendance, and sound decision making.
- Assessment of respiratory status of pediatric, adult, and geriatric patients.
- Administers aerosolized medication therapies.
- Maintain invasive and non-invasive ventilation.
- Assist physicians with intubations.
- Performs arterial blood gas draws.
- Oxygen setup and management.
- Performs CPT.
- Apart of a rapid response team.
- Shift in charge
- Established Department policy
- Mechanical Ventilation Settings Management
- Arterial Blood gas sampling and reading result
- Chest physiotherapy
- Holding responsibility as a respiratory therapist of 12 Beds General ICU + 5 Beds CCU + 4 beds Isolation + ER with all kind of RT management
- All Transport responsibility
- Shift in charge
- Established Department policy
- Mechanical Ventilation Settings Management
- Arterial Blood gas sampling and reading result
- Chest physiotherapy
- Holding responsibility as a respiratory therapist of 12 Beds General ICU + 5 Beds CCU + 4 beds Respiratory Isolation + ER + IMCU
- patients in-Houspital and out-Hospital Transport
- Experience within an adult critical care setting working in collaboration with the multidisciplinary team to develop patient care plans
- Perform patient care in the form of diagnostic procedures and therapies related to mechanical ventilation, arterial blood gases, bronchoscopy and pulmonary function testing
- Demonstrated knowledge regarding respiratory diseases, medications, operations of high quality equipment and best practice evidence based treatments
- Prioritize critical care incidents and unexpected emergencies, such as CODE BLUES, to ensure resource allocation is appropriate and timely for various patient services
- As a certified worker member of the Joint Heath and Safety Committee act to address clinical issues/barriers relating to infection control, staffing, resource allocation and process improvement strategies brought forward by frontline workers
- Follow the standards and guidelines set out by the College of Respiratory Therapists of Ontario to conduct safe patient care
- Proficiency in adult endotracheal intubation, arterial blood gas sampling, tracheostomy management, and mechanical ventilation
- Troubleshoot respiratory therapy equipment including ventilators, anesthetic gas machines, and pulmonary function body box
- Seek out professional opportunities for continuous improvement in education, communication, patient safety and clinical operations
- Act as a Labor Management Representative to negotiate and resolve department issues with the organizations senior management team
- Experience in a Level 3b NICU setting providing respiratory therapy to over 30 premature, surgical and medical neonatal patients
- Communicate effectively with parents and families on respiratory diseases, medications, equipment and care management plans used in the neonatal setting such as NIV, HFO, HFJV and iNO
- Respond to emergencies within the unit including CODE PINK to ensure excellent airway and ventilation support to patients at all times
- Resignation due to COVID-19 pandemic site restrictions
- Integral part of the healthcare team
- Core therapist in Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit
- Utilized in all Intensive Care Units (MICU, SNICU, CVICU, BICU, RSCCU, PICU, NICU)
- Managed 65 patients over a 250 mile territory
- 24/7 Call, 5-7 days a week
- Patient and caregiver education
- Patient care to include the ICU, Ventilator Management, emergency intervention (NICU, PICU, ICU, ER)
- Primarily assigned to NICU
- Neonatal Transport, Ground and Air
- Providing cardiopulmonary services to adults and children in critical care and med/surg settings.
- Critical Care Transport Therapist capable of initiating advanced procedures in the transport of the critically ill or injured neonatal or pediatric patient.
- ECMO Specialist capable of ensuring appropriate patient care through the continuous monitoring of the ECMO circuit, related technology, and patient status.
- Sales specialist responsible for dispensing medical equipment such as CPAP, oxygen, apnea monitors and braces.
- Respiratory student assistant responsible patient assessment and care, nebulized medications and CPT therapy.
- Respiratory Therapist responsible for vent management, trach care, and patient care.
- Assure quality outcomes for all involved with education and complete documentation.
- Patient care to include PICU, Med/Surge, and ED on two campuses one being a Level One Trauma Center.
- Equipment/parts listing for everything in our Trauma Bay Airway Carts
- Vent management w/ therapist driven protocols to include: AVEA, Hamilton, Trilogy, and V60.
- Applied my knowledge of Asthma to helping educate family in the Emergency room.
- Shift in-charge.
- Adjusting the Setting of Ventilator in Critical care area.
- Management and planning of weaning patient from mechanical ventilator.
- Oxygen devices selection of related respiratory disorders.
- Assistant in many critical care procedures like bedside tracheostomy, bronchoscopy, elective & emergency intubation and patient transport inside and outside the hospital.
- Analyzing and interpretation of blood gases: Arterial blood gas (ABG), Capillary blood gas (CBG).
- Holding Responsibility for 12 Beds Medical ICU, 6 Beds Surgical ICU, and 6 Beds CCU as Respiratory Therapist.
- Involve in patient management and daily care plan.
- Assistant in many critical care procedures like bedside elective & emergency intubation and patient transport inside and outside the hospital.
- Management of ventilator setting in critical care units.
- Management and planning of weaning patient from mechanical ventilator.
- Assessment of patient conditions and diagnosis.
- Oxygen devices selection of related respiratory disorders.
- Analyzing and interpretation of blood gases: Arterial blood gas (ABG), Capillary blood gas (CBG).
- Holding responsibility as a respiratory therapist of 12 beds general ICU, Surgical and Medical Wards, and ER with all kind of RT management.
- Assess and manage patients on Oxygen Therapy and Mechanical ventilation
- Evaluate and monitor patients' response to therapy for documentation
- Perform respiratory care such as tracheostomy management, suction therapy, bronchoscopy assist, and pulmonary function testing
- Delivered Respiratory therapies to patients.
- Educated patients, family members, and fellow coworkers of respiratory care.
- Trained and educated new employees.
- Contributed to team meetings and collaborated with management in the decision-making process.
- Set and maintained staff workloads for shift.
- Neonatal, Pediatric & Adult Intensive Care; CV Surgery recovery
- Neonatal ALS, OR Delivery Room and High-risk delivery attendance
- Complex Intra-hospital transport
- Arterial Line Placement
- High frequency Ventilation strategies: HFJV, HFPV
- NAVA strategy
- Speciality gas: Heliox and Nitric oxide
- Inhaled Prostacyclin administration
- Respiratory Care Protocols: Ventilator initiation, management and discontinuance, Medication and Airway Clearance, Nitric oxide
- Annual Staff Blood Gas Competencies (Stick, Line, Capillary, Analyzer)
- Neonatal, Pediatric & Adult Intensive Care; CV Surgery recovery
- Neonatal ALS, OR Delivery Room and High-risk delivery attendance
- Complex Intra-hospital transport
- Arterial Line Placement
- High frequency Ventilation strategies: HFJV, HFPV, HFOV
- NAVA strategy
- Speciality gas: Heliox and Nitric oxide
- Inhaled Prostacyclin administration
- Respiratory Care Protocols: Ventilator initiation, management and discontinuance, Medication and Airway Clearance, Nitric oxide
- Annual Staff Blood Gas Competencies (Stick, Line, Capillary, Analyzer)
PRO TIP
Make sure to relate your experience to your job description, but never lie. That’s not tolerated and will show up in the face-to-face interview later on.
Action verbs for your respiratory therapist resume
Recommended reads:
Respiratory therapist resume skills section to impress recruiters
Checklist for a perfect Respiratory Therapist resume skills section:
- Make sure to include most if not all essential skills for the job;
- Check the job description and add some keywords to pass ATS;
- List both hard and technical skills;
- When it comes to soft skills – elaborate on them in other sections of your resume (e.g. the experience section).
Top skills for your respiratory therapist resume
MEDITECH EMR
McKesson EMR
Evita 4
HAMILTON
SLE 5000
SV300 / Mindray
Datex-Ohmeda / GE
BiPAP Vision and V60
Oxylog
Communication
Compassion
Patience
Flexibility, adaptability, and emotional stability
Proactive, ethical, and responsible nature
Honesty
Team-player
Strong work ethic
Time management
PRO TIP
Don’t feel obliged to spend a separate section for your soft skills - you can weave them throughout your job experience or career summary. But, don’t just write empty words - back them with examples.
Recommended reads:
Respiratory Therapist Resume Header: Tips, red flags, and best practices
Checklist for your respiratory therapist resume header
- Your name and surname in a legible and larger resume font
- The job title you’re applying for or your current job title as a subheading to your name
- Link to your portfolio or online profile, such as LinkedIn
- Address (City and State for the US; just your city for rest of the world)
- Email address
- Headshot (required or welcomed in the EU; not required and sometimes frowned upon in the US)
Stick to popular email providers such as Gmail or Outlook. And use these professional formats to create your username:
- first.last@gmail.com
- last.first@gmail.com
- firstlast@gmail.com
- f.last@gmail.com
- first.l@gmail.com
Recommended reads:
PRO TIP
Some companies, states, and countries have policies about identifying information like photos on your Respiratory Therapist resume. Be sure to check all the relevant rules before submitting yours. If you’re in doubt, you can always try contacting the company’s HR department to ask for their policy.
Writing an effective respiratory therapist resume summary
Impressive respiratory therapist resume summary checklist:
- Point out the achievements that make you a valuable applicant;
- Mention the total years of experience you have;
- Highlight the things you believe make you the best fit for the position;
- Keep it short: aim at having no more than 3-5 sentences.
Resume summary formula:
PRO TIP
Your summary should act as an elevator speech, briefly promoting how you will benefit the employer if hired. Pitch your strengths in the summary and expand on them in your Respiratory Therapist experience section. Give examples like how your work benefited each employer.
Recommended reads:
Drawing the attention to your respiratory therapist resume education section
Crafting a job-winning education section.":
- Use the reverse-chronological format when listing your degrees;
- Tailor the classes you’ve taken to the position you’re applying for if you’re an entry-level candidate;
- Mention the awards and honors you’ve received;
- Add your certifications (but only those relevant to the position).
Top certifications for your respiratory therapist resume
NCLEX Simplified: Respiratory and Endocrine
Finally understand ventilators, trachs, ABGs, SIADH, pheochromocytomas and MORE!
CBT: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy For Therapists & Coaches
Comprehensive CBT Therapy Training | Cognitive Behavior Therapy Practitioner Level | Treat Anxiety, Depression & More
Certified Alternative Healing Therapist/Practitioner
Become A Soul Care Provider, Get a Healing Certificate. Be a Spiritual Counselor, Comfort Others, Positive Psychology!
Bowen Therapy NO MASSAGE Healing Certificate Course (8CEU)
An incredible NO MASSAGE remedial therapy for massage therapists or anyone else that wants to learn how to heal people.
Pulmonology : Chest Medicine and Respiratory Medicine
Chest Medicine and Respiratory Medicine
Recommended reads:
PRO TIP
There are dozens of certifications that you can claim as a Respiratory Therapist. But, some are more effective than others. That’s why you mustn’t include every certificate other applicants might have. Try instead to earn and list a few of the difficult ones.
Choosing the best format for your respiratory therapist resume
The content of your Respiratory Therapist resume is what will get you hired, right?
But even when your content’s amazing and you’re a true over-achiever, recruiters might not think you’re a good fit if your resume looks messy or is not formatted the right way.
In general, there are three basic resume formats we advise you to stick with:
- Reverse-chronological resume format;
- Functional skills-based resume format;
- Combination (or Hybrid) resume format.
Deciding which one to use depends on your experience, the industry, and the company. In short — you need to know what your applicant profile is.
For instance, reverse-chronological resumes are great for people with over 10 years of experience and no employment gaps. Here, you need to list all your relevant experience in a reverse-chronological format, starting from the most recent and going back to less recent positions.
Functional skills-based resumes, on the other hand, are great for entry-level applicants, graduate students, or people who have different kinds of experience. It focuses on skills, education, and character traits, rather than experience.
If none of these work for you, and you dream of adopting a more creative approach that makes a difference, the combination (or hybrid) resume format is exactly what you’re looking for. It allows you to focus on both your experience and your skills, making it a ‘best of both worlds’ format. It’s also suitable for those who want to spice things up by adding different creative sections (e.g. ‘life philosophy’ or ‘what my day looks like’).
Here are some additional tips on perfecting your resume layout and style:
- Go for a traditional resume font sized 12p;
- Use standard 1-inch resume margins for increased readability;
- Make sure your resume fits on a one-page template. In case you’ve got 10 years of experience or more, your resume’s length can reach two pages;
- Avoid unwanted editing and plagiarism – save your resume as PDF before sending it to the recruiters.
Want to take it a step further? Learn how to make your resume stand out without relying too much on creativity.
Recommended Reads:
PRO TIP
If you feel that you don’t have high chances in a particular company, due to lack of relevant experience, then you can still consider using a creative layout. That might help you get noticed and invited for an interview, as most of the other applicants will have boring resume designs.
Want to include something more to your respiratory therapist resume?
So you’ve already listed details about your education, experience, and skills. You’ve also crafted an amazing summary.
But now you feel a creative urge to showcase your personality and not just your expertise.
We’ve got you! Thanks to our modern templates, you can now include a chart of what your typical day looks like or even a word or two about your life philosophy. All this without sacrificing your Respiratory Therapist resume’s professional feel.
Some non-traditional sections for your resume include:
Making your respiratory therapist resume stand out
You want to make a strong first impression to all recruiters that get a hold of your resume. Sure you do! But how?
Well, the easiest way to stand out is by adding a bit of creativity to your Respiratory Therapist resume. You could do this by going for a colorful layout or adding a creative section or two. It all depends on the industry and the position you’re applying for!
For instance, a position in design would allow for a more colorful resume, while a position in finance would probably not.
What makes a great respiratory therapist resume: key takeaways
- Choose a resume layout that sends the right message across and fits your current career situation;
- Create a resume header that shows your desired job title, and easy to find contact numbers;
- Be specific about your experience, accomplishments and future goals in your summary;
- Feature detailed metrics and specific examples that show the impact you made in your previous roles when describing your experience;
- List soft skills backed by examples;
- Add all of your technical skills and certifications that you have and match the job description;
- Show off a dash of personality in your resume that will demonstrate your culture fit and the right mix of hard and soft skills.
