Respiratory Therapist resume example. Plus the keywords recruiters search for.
A respiratory therapist resume that shows ventilator skill, fast response in codes and protocol-driven care — with the NBRC credential, state license and critical care keywords hospitals screen for.
Reviewed by Nazir Elmurodov · Updated
/ The example
Respiratory Therapist resume example.
Marcus Bell
Registered Respiratory Therapist, RRT
Denver, CO · marcus.bell@email.com · (303) 555-0139
Summary
Registered respiratory therapist with 6 years in adult critical care and general floors. I manage ventilators and noninvasive support, respond to every code and rapid response on my shift and work with nursing to get patients off the ventilator safely.
Experience
Respiratory Therapist, Adult ICU, Front Range Medical Center · May 2022 – Present
- • Manage mechanical ventilation for up to 8 ICU patients a shift, adjusting settings from ABG results and physician orders
- • Run daily spontaneous breathing trials with nursing under the ventilator weaning protocol and report readiness to the ICU team on rounds
- • Respond to every code blue and rapid response on my shift, manage the airway with bag-valve-mask ventilation and assist with intubation
- • Set up and titrate BiPAP, CPAP and high-flow nasal cannula, and trained 12 new nurses on noninvasive ventilation alarms
Respiratory Therapist, Platte Valley Hospital · Jul 2020 – Apr 2022
- • Covered 25–30 floor patients a shift for oxygen therapy, aerosol treatments, airway clearance and incentive spirometry
- • Applied the RT-driven assessment protocol to stop treatments patients no longer needed, cutting scheduled nebulizer treatments on my units by about 20%
- • Taught inhaler technique and home oxygen safety to COPD and asthma patients before discharge
Education & certifications
A.A.S. Respiratory Therapy, Cherry Creek Community College (CoARC-accredited program), 2020 · RRT (NBRC) · Colorado respiratory therapist license · ACLS · BLS
Skills
Mechanical ventilation · Ventilator weaning · ABG analysis · Airway management · Noninvasive ventilation · BiPAP · CPAP · High-flow nasal cannula · Oxygen therapy · Aerosol therapy · Airway clearance · Patient education · Epic
Marcus Bell
Registered Respiratory Therapist, RRT
marcus.bell@email.com · Denver, CO
(303) 555-0139
Summary
Registered respiratory therapist with 6 years in adult critical care and general floors. I manage ventilators and noninvasive support, respond to every code and rapid response on my shift and work with nursing to get patients off the ventilator safely.
Experience
Respiratory Therapist, Adult ICU — Front Range Medical Center
May 2022 – Present
• Manage mechanical ventilation for up to 8 ICU patients a shift, adjusting settings from ABG results and physician orders
• Run daily spontaneous breathing trials with nursing under the ventilator weaning protocol and report readiness to the ICU team on rounds
• Respond to every code blue and rapid response on my shift, manage the airway with bag-valve-mask ventilation and assist with intubation
• Set up and titrate BiPAP, CPAP and high-flow nasal cannula, and trained 12 new nurses on noninvasive ventilation alarms
Respiratory Therapist — Platte Valley Hospital
Jul 2020 – Apr 2022
• Covered 25–30 floor patients a shift for oxygen therapy, aerosol treatments, airway clearance and incentive spirometry
• Applied the RT-driven assessment protocol to stop treatments patients no longer needed, cutting scheduled nebulizer treatments on my units by about 20%
• Taught inhaler technique and home oxygen safety to COPD and asthma patients before discharge
Education
Cherry Creek Community College (CoARC-accredited program)
A.A.S. Respiratory Therapy · 2020
Certifications
RRT (NBRC)
Colorado respiratory therapist license
ACLS
BLS
Skills
Mechanical ventilation, Ventilator weaning, ABG analysis, Airway management, Noninvasive ventilation, BiPAP, CPAP, High-flow nasal cannula, Oxygen therapy, Aerosol therapy, Airway clearance, Patient education, Epic
Why it works
The RRT credential and state license are named, the bullets give ICU census and floor load, and each one ties a skill — vents, weaning, codes, protocols — to how it helps patients and the care team.
Use this as your starting point
Opens in the editor with every section filled in. Swap in your own details and download a PDF or Word file free.
Start from this exampleSample resume. Names, companies and figures are illustrative.
/ Summary examples
Three summary examples. Pick the one closest to you.
Two or three lines: your level, your field and one result.
- New graduate
New graduate of a CoARC-accredited respiratory therapy program with clinical rotations in adult ICU, NICU and the ED. CRT (NBRC), working toward RRT, with BLS and ACLS.
- Experienced
Registered respiratory therapist with 6 years in adult critical care. I manage up to 8 ventilated patients a shift and run daily breathing trials with nursing under our weaning protocol.
- Senior
Lead respiratory therapist with 14 years in a Level I trauma center. I schedule a team of 20, train new graduates and helped write our ventilator weaning and high-flow protocols.
More for other jobs and situations (no experience, career change, senior): resume summary examples.
/ Bullet points
Bullet point examples. From duty to result.
Turn duties into results: what you did, how, and what changed.
Ventilators
Instead of: Took care of vents
Write: Managed mechanical ventilation for up to 8 ICU patients a shift, adjusting settings from ABG results
Weaning
Instead of: Helped wean patients
Write: Ran daily spontaneous breathing trials with nursing under the ventilator weaning protocol
Codes
Instead of: Went to codes
Write: Responded to code blues and rapid responses, managed the airway and assisted with intubation
Noninvasive
Instead of: Set up BiPAP
Write: Set up and titrated BiPAP, CPAP and high-flow nasal cannula and trained 12 nurses on its alarms
Protocols
Instead of: Followed protocols
Write: Used the RT-driven protocol to stop unneeded treatments, cutting scheduled nebulizers on my units by about 20%
Education
Instead of: Taught patients
Write: Taught inhaler technique and home oxygen safety to COPD and asthma patients before discharge
/ Keywords
Keywords and skills for respiratory therapists.
These come up often in respiratory therapist job posts. Include only the ones you can back up in an interview, and use the exact wording from the post you're applying to.
- Mechanical ventilation
- Ventilator weaning
- ABG analysis
- Airway management
- Noninvasive ventilation
- BiPAP
- CPAP
- High-flow nasal cannula
- Oxygen therapy
- Aerosol therapy
- Airway clearance
- Code blue
- Rapid response
- Patient education
- RRT (NBRC)
- Respiratory therapist license
- ACLS
- BLS
/ ATS tips
ATS tips for respiratory therapists.
Write the NBRC credential you hold
CRT and RRT are both NBRC credentials, and RRT is the advanced one. Put yours in the headline, and add specialty credentials such as ACCS or NPS only if you've earned them.
Name your state license
Respiratory therapists need a state license in nearly every state. List the state and license by name next to your NBRC credential.
Give your unit and census
"Up to 8 ventilated ICU patients a shift" or "25–30 floor patients" tells a manager your workload in one line.
List devices and modes
Ventilators, BiPAP, CPAP and high-flow nasal cannula are common screening terms. Name the ones you set up and manage.
Show protocol and team work
Weaning trials with nursing, RT-driven protocols and code response show you work as part of the care team, not just from an order sheet.
How does your respiratory therapist resume compare?
Free ATS score, missing keywords and fixes in about 10 seconds.
/ Questions
Respiratory Therapist resume FAQ.
Writing the cover letter too? See Marcus's cover letter, annotated
What's the difference between CRT and RRT?
Both are credentials from the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC). Passing the Therapist Multiple-Choice exam at the lower cut score earns the CRT; the RRT is the advanced credential. The NBRC has announced exam changes starting in 2027, so check nbrc.org for the current path.
Should I list ACLS, PALS and NRP?
Yes, list the life support certifications you hold and keep current. Adult ICU roles usually ask for ACLS; neonatal and pediatric roles often ask for NRP and PALS.
How should a new graduate respiratory therapist write a resume?
Lead with your CoARC-accredited program, NBRC credential or exam date and license status. List clinical rotations by unit, with the skills you performed such as ventilator checks, ABGs and aerosol therapy.
Should I mention pulmonary function testing?
Yes, if you run PFTs. It's a separate skill set that outpatient and pulmonary lab jobs look for. Name the tests you perform.
How long should a respiratory therapist resume be?
One page for most therapists. Put your credential and license at the top, then units, patient load and two or three bullets on ventilators, codes and protocols.