In today’s dynamic healthcare landscape, respiratory therapists are essential to any healthcare team. However, their supply is dwindling, with some areas still lacking enough therapists to provide patient care.
But as a respiratory therapist, what can you do?
Have you thought about pursuing a career as a traveling respiratory therapist?
For those with a passion for respiratory care and a sense of adventure, becoming a travel respiratory therapist offers a unique blend of both. In this article, we will help you navigate the road toward this exciting and lucrative career path.
Table of Contents
- What Is a Travel Respiratory Therapist?
- 4 Benefits of Working as a Travel Respiratory Therapist
- How To Become a Travel Respiratory Therapist: Skills, Qualifications, Demand, and Earning Potential
- Is Being a Travel Respiratory Therapist Worth It?
- Start Your Travel Respiratory Therapist Journey With Pronto
What Is a Travel Respiratory Therapist?
A travel respiratory therapist (RT) is a traveling health professional who provides care for patients with breathing difficulties or other cardiopulmonary disorders.
Along with collaborating with staff doctors and nurses to care for patients, travel respiratory therapists have a range of duties, which include:
- Assisting with the diagnosis of lung or breathing disorders
- Evaluating patients and performing tests and studies
- Determining the appropriate therapy and treatment options with physicians
- Analyzing blood and sputum samples in a lab
- Educating patients and families about lung diseases and breathing disorders
- Managing equipment and devices needed to support people who have trouble breathing on their own
Travel respiratory therapists take contracts to work in different medical environments throughout the United States, including:
- Hospitals
- Cardiopulmonary diagnostic labs
- Cardiopulmonary rehabilitation centers
- Nursing homes
- Home health agencies
4 Benefits of Working as a Travel Respiratory Therapist
According to a recent survey of respiratory care leaders conducted by the American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC), nearly nine in ten (87%) industry leaders agreed or strongly agreed there is a current local shortage of RTs, and 84 percent think a shortage of RTs in the future is very likely.
As a travel respiratory therapist, you’ll embark upon a rewarding career that benefits you and may potentially save lives.
Trusted Nursing Staff was formed by a group of healthcare professionals who understood the need for traveling support staff in our current healthcare climate. As industry leaders who understand where you, our fellow healthcare professionals, are coming from, we promise when you work with us, we will always have your best interest in mind.
Let’s review some benefits you can expect to experience while working as a travel respiratory therapist.
#1: Getting To Travel
As a travel respiratory therapist, you get to combine your wanderlust for work with your passion for your career.
Healthcare is one of the few industries that allows extensive travel work options. As one of the hard-working professionals who fulfill these travel assignments, you can support facilities and communities that are in dire need of your expert care.
If this thought excites you, working as a travel respiratory therapist is the perfect career for you.
Traveling for work is like getting paid to visit places you’ve always dreamed of seeing. But instead of visiting briefly for vacation, travel allied health professionals get to remain in their preferred destinations for up to 6, 8, or 13 weeks. You’ll have all the time you need to scope out your temporary home and see all it has to offer.
Trusted Nurse Staffing developed Pronto to make it even easier for allied health professionals to access countless travel opportunities nationwide. Just sign up and get scrolling to find your next big adventure today.
#2: Job Flexibility
Travel respiratory therapists have the privilege of choosing when and where they want to work. You could spend one summer working at facilities with leading pulmonology experts, and the next month at a facility within a rural community that is in critical need of your expertise.
Accepting assignments as a travel respiratory therapist also allows you to optimize your schedule and time management. If you want to make more money, you could take contracts back to back. If you decide you need a break, you could plan your timeline to align with significant events or vacations.
You won’t need to stress over how you use your PTO or worry about missing big holidays or events. Your career choices are entirely in your hands — and we’re here to help.
Trusted Nurse Staffing offers allied health travel professionals exceptional contract management support. We aim to help you find the best assignment to satisfy your wants, needs, and goals.
#3: Professional Growth
Every healthcare professional worth their salt knows that exposure to new settings and circ*mstances is how we grow. By becoming a travel respiratory therapist, you’ll be thrown into new environments and scenarios that will broaden your perspective and help you cultivate a deeper understanding of the pulmonology field.
Working as an allied health travel professional will diversify your experiences and career; whether you’re diving deep into a case you’ve never witnessed or handling the latest, top-of-the-line equipment.
#4: Networking Opportunities
Traveling healthcare professionals have the fantastic opportunity to work alongside industry leaders at premier facilities. As you connect and collaborate with these top minds and researchers, your network will grow, and countless doors may open for you and your career.
However, networking opportunities are not constrained to career advancement. Travel professionals continually make friends and allies throughout their travels. You may even make a friend or meet a colleague who would be interested in sharing your travels as a new allied health traveler.
In that case, Trusted Nurse Staffing offers our travelers a $1,500 bonus for referring friends or a facility already not employed with us. It’s just another way we can give back for all you do while supporting your future endeavors.
How To Become a Travel Respiratory Therapist: Skills, Qualifications, Demand, and Earning Potential
Skills
An accomplished travel respiratory therapist will possess a blend of clinical expertise and personal attributes to succeed in various environments, such as:
- Clinical proficiency: A traveling respiratory therapist should be competent and fully proficient at assessing, diagnosing, and treating cardiopulmonary patients.
- Adaptability: Travelers must navigate and quickly familiarize themselves with their surroundings, new policies, and procedures.
- Strong leadership and communication skills: Travel respiratory therapists must effectively communicate with patients, families, and other healthcare team members.
- Independence and self-reliance: Certain facilities may allow respiratory therapists more autonomy than others, which means traveling therapists should be comfortable working alone occasionally.
- Intrapersonal skills: As a traveler, you’ll encounter many different personalities. You must be able to work with nearly everyone to guarantee patient care and assignment success.
- Organizational skills: The healthcare field is fast-paced, and sometimes everything will come at you all at once. As a travel respiratory therapist, you’ll need to be able to compose yourself quickly, organize your thoughts, and multitask.
Education
To become a respiratory therapist, you must obtain an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in respiratory science from a program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Respiratory Care (CoARC).
While only an associate’s degree is required, many employers prefer that their travel respiratory therapists have at least a bachelor’s degree.
Credentialing and Licensure
Once you have obtained your degree in respiratory science, you must pass the Therapist Multiple-Choice (TMC) Examination to earn your Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT) and Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) credential.
Passing the TMC exam at the uppercut score level will also allow you to sit in for the Clinical Simulation Examination (CSE), which is needed for the RRT but not the CRT. After passing the CSE, you’ll be awarded your RRT credential.
Nine states require travel respiratory therapists to hold an RRT, including:
- Arizona
- California
- Georgia
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- Ohio
- Oregon
- Washington
- West Virginia
Additionally, all 50 states that regulate the practice of respiratory care use the CRT or RRT credential as the basis for state licensure. No additional state licensure is needed to practice respiratory therapy as a travel allied health professional.
Additional Certifications
Pulmonology experts, like respiratory therapists, also have the opportunity to gain extra certifications to specialize in focuses.
Most travel respiratory therapists may hold CRT and RRT credentials, but they may need other certifications to fulfill certain specialties, such as:
- Neonatal or pediatric:
- Geriatric:
- Pulmonary rehab
- Asthma Educator-Certified credential (AE-C)
- Polysomnography
- Registered Polysomnographic Technologist (RPSGT) credential
- Critical care
- Basic Life Support (BLS) certification
- Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ALS) certifications
- Pulmonary diagnostics
Obtaining these certifications may take time and money. Luckily, Trusted Nurse Staffing can help you find travel assignments that work around your school schedule. One of our many benefits includes license, certification, and CEU reimbursem*nts so our travelers can stay on top of their game and get the best assignments.
Continued Education
To keep your CRT and RRT credentials up-to-date, you’ll need to meet the continued education requirements of your home state. Continued education units (CEUs) vary from state to state, with some states not having any CEUs required to maintain credentials.
Learn more about your state’s CEU requirements here.
Experience
While only one year of experience is generally required to become a travel respiratory therapist, many facilities prefer their travel allied health professionals to have two.
Trusted Nurse Staffing prefers applicants to have at least two or more years of practical experience. We want to ensure you are as comfortable and successful in your new career as one of our travel respiratory therapists.
Demand
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimates that the occupational growth rate for respiratory therapists will be 13% from 2022 to 2032.
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, health professionals were staggered by the apparent shortage of vital healthcare professionals like respiratory therapists. Other factors that compound this shortage include:
- Aging demographics
- An increased focus on reducing hospital admissions
- New technologies and advancements
- Rising cases of cardiopulmonary disorders
Trusted Nurse Staffing works with allied travel health professionals to help them embark upon a career-advancing journey that will help countless communities. As healthcare professionals, it is our mission to do everything we can to support each other in the face of adversity.
Trust in Trusted Nurse Staffing to assist you in fulfilling your dreams and making a difference.
Earning Potential
Certified respiratory therapists make an average of $1,379 per week. The five highest-paying cities for certified respiratory therapists include:
- San Francisco, CA: $1,723 per week
- New York City, NY: $1,610 per week
- Boston, MA: $1,546 per week
- Washington, DC: $1,535 per week
- Chicago, IL: $1,446 per week
Registered respiratory therapists make roughly $1,452 per week. The top five highest-paying cities for registered respiratory therapists are:
- San Francisco, CA: $1,853 per week
- New York City, NY: $1,732 per week
- Boston, MA: $1,662 per week
- Washington, DC: $1,650 per week
- Chicago, IL: $1,555 per week
As a traveling respiratory therapist, you’ll likely see offers higher than this, depending on the type of facility, qualification requirements, and location.
Is Being a Travel Respiratory Therapist Worth It?
Are you thrilled by the idea of helping underserved communities receive vital cardiopulmonary care? Can you imagine yourself living in a new place every other month? Does the thought of meeting different people and overcoming new obstacles excite you?
If so, you may be a perfect candidate for the role of a travel respiratory therapist.
Trusted Nurse Staffing and various healthcare facilities across the country are looking for individuals just like you to support staff workers and provide patient care.
Keep reading to learn how to get started with Pronto and Trusted Nurse Staffing today.
Start Your Travel Respiratory Therapist Journey With Pronto
Ready to dive into the exhilarating world of travel allied health professionals?
With the help of Trusted Nurse Staffing and Pronto, we can get you started on the journey toward your dream career as a travel respiratory therapist today.
So, what are you waiting for? Simply:
- Create a profile and sign up on Pronto.
- Get matched with a recruiter whose sole responsibility will be answering your questions and making you feel supported.
- Start your search on Pronto for travel respiratory therapist jobs that meet all your preferences and criteria.
Once you’ve struck gold with an assignment that is perfect for you, we will assign you your own Trusted Nursing support team, which includes:
- Clinical support
- Payroll and compliance experts
- Ongoing assignment advocacy
- And more
Of course, we wouldn’t be the leading allied health travel recruiters if we didn’t provide additional benefits, such as:
- A welcome box
- $1500 bonus for referrals (friends or facilities who are not currently working with us)
- An ambassador program where you can receive bonuses for creating content
- Up to $5,250 in student loan reimbursem*nt annually
- And more!
Begin your new career as a travel respiratory therapist with the help of Trusted Nurse Staffing and Pronto today.
