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Best respiratory care practitioner certifications
Respiratory care practitioner certifications allow job seekers to demonstrate their competency as an respiratory care practitioner to employers. However, not all respiratory care practitioner certifications provide the same value for job seekers.
The best certifications for a respiratory care practitioner are Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT), Basic Life Support for Healthcare and Public Safety (BLS), and Basic Life Support (BLS).
Below is a list of the best respiratory care practitioner certifications. Obtaining an respiratory care practitioner certification will give you a leg up when you apply for jobs and increase your potential salary.
4 best certifications for respiratory care practitioners
| Rank | Respiratory care practitioner certification | Organization |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT) | NBRC |
| 2 | Basic Life Support for Healthcare and Public Safety (BLS) | American Red ... |
| 3 | Basic Life Support (BLS) | AHA |
| 4 | Neonatal/Pediatric Respiratory Care Specialist (RRT-NPS) | NBRC |
4 best respiratory care practitioner certifications
1. Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT)
The Therapist Multiple-Choice (TMC) Examination objectively measures essential knowledge, skills, and abilities required of respiratory therapists at entry into practice. Passing the TMC Examination and wearing the CRT badge of distinction signals to employers, colleagues and patients that you are committed to excellence in respiratory care. Additionally, all 49 states that regulate the practice of respiratory care use the CRT or RRT credential as the basis for state licensure.
- More than two years of education or training after high school required? Yes
- More than two years of work experience required? Yes
- Oral or written exam required? Yes
- Renewal required? Every 1 year(s)
2. Basic Life Support for Healthcare and Public Safety (BLS)
Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers (BLS) uses a scenario-based approach to develop the critical thinking and problem solving skills that drive better patient outcomes. Consistent with AHA Guidelines for CPR/ECC. Covers breathing and cardiac emergencies - including CPR, AED, and obstructed airway - for adult, child, and infant patients. Free, two-year digital "Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers" certificate upon course completion..
- More than two years of education or training after high school required? No
- More than two years of work experience required? No
- Oral or written exam required? Yes
- Renewal required?
3. Basic Life Support (BLS)
The Basic Life Support (BLS) for Healthcare Providers Classroom Course is designed to provide a wide variety of healthcare professionals the ability to recognize several life-threatening emergencies, provide CPR, use an AED, and relieve choking in a safe, timely and effective manner.
- More than two years of education or training after high school required? No
- More than two years of work experience required? No
- Oral or written exam required? Yes
- Renewal required? Every 2 year(s)
4. Neonatal/Pediatric Respiratory Care Specialist (RRT-NPS)
The Neonatal/Pediatric Respiratory Care Specialty Examination is designed to objectively measure essential knowledge, skills and abilities required of respiratory therapists in this specialty area. Achievement of the CRT credential plus one year of clinical experience in neonatal/pediatric respiratory care or the RRT credential is required for admission to the Neonatal/Pediatric Specialty Examination.
- More than two years of education or training after high school required? Yes
- More than two years of work experience required? Yes
- Oral or written exam required? Yes
- Renewal required? Every 5 year(s)
What is the best certification for a respiratory care practitioner?
The best respiratory care practitioner certification is Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT). The Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT) is awarded by the National Board for Respiratory Care. This certification corresponds to a specialty within a recognized occupation.
Here's a bit more background on how to obtain this respiratory care practitioner certification:
- To become a certified Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT), you need to pass the exam.
- This certificate requires more than two years of work experience.
- Renew certification every 1 year.
What are some of the most in-demand certifications for respiratory care practitioners?
The most in-demand respiratory care practitioner certification is Certified Respiratory Therapist based on all active job postings. Having this respiratory care practitioner certification will give you access to more respiratory care practitioner jobs with higher salaries.
What certifications can impact a respiratory care practitioner career and salary?
The Certified Respiratory Therapist certification will help you to secure a respiratory therapist position, which will increase your pay and career trajectory. A respiratory therapist's average salary is $54,067 whereas respiratory care practitioners make an average salary of $55,702.
The most common combination of respiratory care practitioner certifications include: Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT), Basic Life Support for Healthcare and Public Safety (BLS), and Basic Life Support (BLS).
Online courses for respiratory care practitioners to earn certifications
1. Trauma Emergencies and Care
Welcome to Trauma Emergencies and Care. In this course, you will learn about some of the mechanics and physics of trauma on the human body, and how this can cause injury. You will continue to expand your new vocabulary with medical terminology, and learn how to describe the different injuries you may see. You will also learn about the trauma system itself- and when it is important to transport patients to a trauma center. Then we will dive into specific injuries based on what part of the body...
2. Pain Management: Easing Pain in Palliative Care
In this course, you will be able to develop a systems view for assessing and managing pain in the palliative care setting. By the end of the course, you will be able to: 1) Describe the pain problem in the palliative care setting; 2) Assess a person’s pain, 3) Explain the benefits of integrative therapies and pharmacologic strategies to manage pain...
3. Providing Trauma-Informed Care
Exploring psychological trauma and how to provide care and compassion to trauma survivors...
4. The Key to Happiness: Self Care
Discover Self Care as a tool for creating positive change in your mental health, behaviours, and well-being...
5. Palliative Care Always Capstone Course
The Palliative Care Always Capstone course is designed to let you test your knowledge about palliative and help others understand the value of palliative care, while showing your creative side. In this course, you will impact community awareness about palliative care, promote self-care and wellness, show-off your communication skills in a virtual environment, and finish the course off by proving your thoughts on ways to offer psychosocial support to a patient and family...
6. Emergency Care: Pregnancy, Infants, and Children
Welcome to the final course of lectures in your quest to master EMT basics. In this course, we will cover some of the highest-stress patient populations: pregnant patients and kids, also known as pediatrics. To wrap up your EMT knowledge we will end this course with information about hazmat situations, extricating patients from tight spots and finally how you write a note about your patient care. You will learn to ensure it communicates what your assessment of the patient was, what...
7. Coping Skills and Self-Care for Mental Health
Essential skills to manage intense emotions and develop a self-care practice to promote mental health...
8. Self-Care Life Coach Certification (Boundary Setting)
Empower Your Life Coach Your Clients to Develop Self-Care, Self-Love, Boundary Setting and How to Say No...
9. Health After Cancer: Cancer Survivorship for Primary Care
This course presents basic principles of cancer survivorship to primary-care physicians. Developed by a team of experts in caring for cancer survivors, and narrated by a primary-care physician, this course provides practical tips and tools that can be easily integrated into medical practice. You will learn about the complex physical and psychosocial needs and concerns of the growing number of cancer survivors, along with the key role that primary care physicians have in guiding these patients...
10. Value-Based Care: Managing Processes to Improve Outcomes
COURSE 3 of 7. This course is designed to introduce you to critical office-based processes that a value-based practice must manage in the drive towards improved patient outcomes. In Module 2, we’ll focus on office-based and clinical patient-based supporting functions. At every level in healthcare, guidelines, processes, and functions exist to improve outcomes, and following a consistent process will return the best effect. Refine your understanding of value and learn strategies to provide real...
11. Health for All Through Primary Health Care
This course explores why primary health care is central for achieving Health for All. It provides examples of how primary health care has been instrumental in approaching this goal in selected populations and how the principles of primary health care can guide future policies and actions. Two of the most inspiring, least understood, and most often derided terms in global health discourse are “Health for All” and “Primary Health Care.” In this course, we will explore these terms in the context...
12. Health Care Delivery in Healthcare Organizations
Have you ever needed health care and thought that there must be better ways to get or deliver health care? For example, have you found yourself thinking that there should be a way to get a diagnostic test or treatment at home? Or do you work in a healthcare organization and find yourself thinking that there must be better ways to deliver health care? If you have, this course is for you. Course content includes an overview of health care delivery including healthcare consumerism, the patient's...
13. Health Care IT: Challenges and Opportunities
A strong argument can be made that the health care field is one of the most information-intensive sectors in the U.S. economy and avoidance of the rapid advances in information technology is no longer an option. Consequently, the study of health care information technology and systems has become central to health care delivery effectiveness. This course covers the modern application of information technology that is critical to supporting the vision and operational knowledge of the health care...
14. Thinking About Care
Although all humans require care to develop and thrive, it is rarely the focus of academic studies. This course enriches learner’s understanding of this critical yet underappreciated facet of their lives by addressing such questions as: What is care? Who has traditionally provided it? How valued is care work? Does money take the care out of care work? In addition to advancing learner’s knowledge of the place of care in modern society and controversies surrounding it, Thinking About Care will...
15. Traditional herbal medicine in supportive cancer care: From alternative to integrative
Please join us for an exciting and innovative journey, examining one of the most important and often overlooked aspects of the oncology setting: Traditional Herbal Medicine in Supportive Cancer Care. This course is presented with short lectures offering a wide range of issues related to the principles and practice of herbal medicine in cancer care. The course includes interviews with leading world experts from the field of Integrative Oncology, from the U.S. and Canada, as well as Europe, the...
16. Medical Emergencies: Airway, Breathing, and Circulation
In this course, you will develop the knowledge and skills to assess and stabilize certain types of patients for transport. By the end of this course, you will be able to: 1) assess a basic medical patient 2) describe general pharmacologic principles and the skills associated with medication administration, 3) explain airway physiology, the assessment of the airway and available interventions for airway management, 4) identify, assess and formulate a plan to stabilize a patient with a...
17. Prehospital care of acute stroke and patient selection for endovascular treatment using the RACE scale
Acute stroke is a time-dependent medical emergency. In acute ischemic stroke, the first objective is to restore brain flow using sistemic thrombolytic treatment and, in patients with large vessel occlusion, by endovascular treatment. In hemorrhagic stroke there are also specific treatments that can improve the clinical outcome. The sooner the initiation of all these therapies the higher the clinical benefit. Thus, the organization of Stroke Code systems coordinated between emergency medical...
18. Addiction Treatment: Clinical Skills for Healthcare Providers
This course is designed with a singular goal: to improve the care you provide to your patients with substance use disorders. By delving into a model case performed by actors, seven Yale instructors from various fields provide techniques to screen your patients for substance use disorder risk, diagnose patients to gauge the severity of their use, directly manage treatment plans, refer out to treatment services, and navigate the various conditions that may limit your patient’s access to treatment...
19. Introduction to Integrative Therapies and Healing Practices
This introductory course provides a framework for incorporating integrative therapies into your work with clients or patients. By the end of the course, you will be able to assess if integrative therapies are good options in specific situations, as well as educate patients and colleagues about benefits and risks. You will be confident discussing the evidence base for integrative therapies in general, with an understanding of some of the challenges of research in this area, and able to identify...
20. Anatomy: Cardiovascular, Respiratory and Urinary Systems
In this anatomy course, part of the Anatomy Specialization, you will explore the interactive relationships of the cardiovascular, respiratory and urinary systems, and the roles they play in your body. This course is a primer for the cardiovascular, respiratory, and urinary systems in which students learn the pertinent details of the structures and functions through a combination of lectures, videos, labeling activities and quizzes...