Respiratory therapist resumes are credential-dense documents where the CRT vs. RRT distinction matters to every hiring manager who reads them, and specialty certifications including NPS, CPFT, RPFT, NRP, and CCEMTP must surface clearly to pass ATS screening. Hospital systems running Workday and iCIMS treat "RRT" and "ACCS" as exact-match keywords; a resume that buries those designations or lists them only in a credentials section risks being filtered before a human sees it. The clinical stakes mirror the employment outlook: BLS data projects RT employment growth of 13% through 2032, with ICU and neonatal specialties commanding salary premiums of 15 to 20% above the generalist median. This guide gives you the credential differentiation framework, four fully written RT resume examples, a resume sections reference, an ATS keyword grid, and a before-and-after bullet formula you can apply to your own experience today.
CRT vs. RRT: What Each Credential Signals
The Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT) and the Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) are not interchangeable on a resume. Hiring managers at Level I trauma centers, academic medical centers, and neonatal intensive care units use credential level as an initial filter before reading a single bullet point. The table below maps each credential and its specialty extensions to the settings that prefer them and the salary impact each carries.
| Credential | Exam Required | Scope | Settings That Prefer It | Salary Delta vs. CRT Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CRT | NBRC Therapist Multiple-Choice (TMC) at CRT cut score | Entry-level clinical practice; general floor, rehab, LTACHs | Community hospitals, SNFs, home health, LTACHs | Baseline |
| RRT | TMC at RRT cut score + Clinical Simulation Exam (CSE) | Advanced clinical practice; ICU, emergency, neonatal | Level I/II trauma centers, academic medical centers, ICUs | +8 to 12% |
| RRT-ACCS | RRT + Adult Critical Care Specialty (ACCS) exam | Adult ICU, ventilator management, critical care protocol development | MICU, SICU, CVICU, neuro ICU, trauma centers | +15 to 20% |
| RRT-NPS | RRT + Neonatal/Pediatric Specialty (NPS) exam | NICU, PICU, neonatal transport, pediatric ventilator management | Level III/IV NICUs, children's hospitals, neonatal transport teams | +15 to 18% |
| CPFT | NBRC Certified Pulmonary Function Technologist exam | Entry-level pulmonary diagnostics: spirometry, DLCO, oximetry | Pulmonary function labs, outpatient pulmonology, physician offices | +2 to 5% |
| RPFT | NBRC Registered Pulmonary Function Technologist exam | Advanced pulmonary diagnostics: plethysmography, methacholine challenge, exercise testing | Academic medical center PFT labs, pulmonary research programs | +8 to 12% |
| NRP | AAP/AHA Neonatal Resuscitation Program | Neonatal resuscitation at delivery, stabilization of distressed newborns | Required for Level II+ NICUs and delivery room RT coverage | Prerequisite, not additive |
| CCEMTP | UMBC Critical Care Emergency Medical Transport Program | Critical care ground and air transport; vent management en route | Transport teams, air medical programs, mobile ICU units | +10 to 18% for transport-specific roles |
Place your highest credential immediately after your name in the resume header (e.g., Jordan Kim, RRT-ACCS). List all active NBRC credentials and specialty designations in a dedicated Credentials section near the top of the document, before Work Experience, so ATS parsers index them immediately.
4 Filled Respiratory Therapist Resume Examples
The four examples below cover the most common RT career paths: adult ICU, neonatal and pediatric, pulmonary function lab, and travel RT. Each is written as a complete, ready-to-adapt resume with realistic metrics. Replace names, institution details, and numbers with your own.
JORDAN KIM, RRT-ACCS City, State | (555) 000-1111 | jordan.kim@email.com | LinkedIn CREDENTIALS & CERTIFICATIONS RRT-ACCS (NBRC) | BLS (AHA) | ACLS (AHA) | Epic Proficient PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY RRT-ACCS with 6 years of adult critical care experience in a 28-bed Medical ICU. Manages 18+ ventilated patients per shift, leads ARDSnet protocol implementation, and serves on the prone positioning rapid-response team. Achieved a 22% reduction in ventilator-associated events over 18 months through protocol standardization and bedside staff education. WORK EXPERIENCE Respiratory Therapist II, RRT-ACCS Metro Academic Medical Center, City, State | 2020 to Present - Manage ventilator care for 18 to 22 mechanically ventilated adult patients per 12-hour shift in a 28-bed MICU covering medical, surgical, and neuro critical care populations - Led ARDSnet protocol adoption across the MICU, reducing plateau pressure exceedances by 34% and contributing to a 22% reduction in ventilator-associated events (VAEs) over an 18-month period - Core member of the prone positioning team; participated in 140+ prone sessions with zero patient-safety events attributed to positioning procedure - Perform daily spontaneous awakening trials (SATs) and spontaneous breathing trials (SBTs) in coordination with intensivists and nursing, achieving a 31% reduction in mean ventilator days for MICU patients eligible for weaning - Respond to rapid response and code blue activations as primary airway manager; averages 4 to 6 activations per week - Document all vent assessments, ABG interpretations, and protocol deviations in Epic with <4-hour completion rate of 99% Respiratory Therapist I, RRT Regional Community Hospital, City, State | 2019 to 2020 - Covered general floor, step-down, and 8-bed ICU on night shift; caseload of 20 to 30 patients per shift - Administered aerosolized medications, performed chest physiotherapy, and conducted ABG sampling - Completed RRT-ACCS exam preparation; transitioned to Level I trauma center role within 12 months EDUCATION Associate of Applied Science, Respiratory Therapy Community College of [City], City, State | 2019 TECHNICAL SKILLS Ventilators: Puritan Bennett 980, Maquet SERVO-i, Dräger Evita Infinity Monitoring: Masimo pulse oximetry, Philips IntelliVue, GE Datex-Ohmeda EMR: Epic (ICU module), Cerner
SARAH NAIR, RRT-NPS City, State | (555) 000-2222 | sarah.nair@email.com | LinkedIn CREDENTIALS & CERTIFICATIONS RRT-NPS (NBRC) | NRP (AAP/AHA) | BLS (AHA) | ACLS (AHA) | Epic Proficient PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY RRT-NPS with 7 years of neonatal and pediatric critical care experience in a Level III NICU. Specialist in high-frequency oscillatory ventilation, surfactant administration, and neonatal transport. Achieved a 94% successful wean-to-extubation rate across 210+ extubation events. Active member of the NICU transport team covering a 120-mile regional service area. WORK EXPERIENCE Neonatal/Pediatric Respiratory Therapist, RRT-NPS Children's Regional Medical Center, City, State | 2018 to Present - Provide respiratory care for 48-bed Level III NICU population including extremely premature infants (23 to 28 weeks GA), congenital heart patients, and term infants requiring surfactant rescue therapy - Administer surfactant replacement therapy (calfactant, poractant alfa) using INSURE technique; participated in 180+ surfactant administrations with zero adverse procedural events - Manage high-frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV) and high-frequency jet ventilation (HFJV) for infants with air leak syndromes and refractory hypoxemia - Initiate and titrate nCPAP and nIPPV for stabilization of spontaneously breathing premature infants; contributed to a 17% increase in NICU non-invasive respiratory support rate over 3 years - Achieved a 94% successful wean-to-extubation rate across 210+ planned extubation events; NICU unit average is 87% - Serve on the neonatal transport team, managing ventilated neonates during ground and rotor-wing transports averaging 3 to 4 transports per month - Precept new graduate RTs rotating through NICU; developed a 4-week neonatal orientation module adopted by the department Respiratory Therapist, RRT St. Mark's Hospital, City, State | 2017 to 2018 - Covered pediatric step-down and general floor respiratory assignments; gained initial NICU exposure on 12-bed Level II unit - Completed NPS examination within 18 months of hire EDUCATION Bachelor of Science, Respiratory Therapy State University, City, State | 2017 TECHNICAL SKILLS Neonatal Ventilators: Babylog VN500, Dräger Babylog 8000 Plus, Bunnell Life Pulse HFJV Conventional Ventilators: Servo-i (neonatal/pediatric mode), Puritan Bennett 840 Monitoring: Masimo SET, Invos NIRS, GE Datex-Ohmeda EMR: Epic (NICU module), Cerner Neonatology
MARCUS WEBB, RRT, RPFT City, State | (555) 000-3333 | marcus.webb@email.com | LinkedIn CREDENTIALS & CERTIFICATIONS RRT (NBRC) | RPFT (NBRC) | BLS (AHA) | Meditech Proficient PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY RRT with RPFT designation and 5 years of dedicated pulmonary function laboratory experience. Performs 40+ PFT studies weekly including spirometry, DLCO, body plethysmography, and methacholine challenge. Maintains a 98% quality-acceptable study rate against ATS/ERS standards. Designed and leads a pulmonary rehabilitation and asthma education program serving 60 patients quarterly. WORK EXPERIENCE Pulmonary Function Technologist, RRT, RPFT University Pulmonary Medicine Center, City, State | 2021 to Present - Perform 40 to 45 pulmonary function studies per week including spirometry, DLCO (single-breath), whole-body plethysmography, nitrogen washout FRC, and 6-minute walk testing - Maintain a 98% quality-acceptable study rate per ATS/ERS acceptability and repeatability criteria; lab average prior to role was 91% - Conduct methacholine bronchoprovocation challenges under attending pulmonologist supervision; performed 120+ challenges with zero adverse events requiring emergency intervention - Deliver final interpreted reports within 4 hours of study completion; reduced average report turnaround from 11 hours to 4 hours by standardizing interpretation workflow with attending team - Designed and co-leads the department's asthma education program: 8-session group curriculum covering inhaler technique, peak flow monitoring, and action plan adherence; serves 60 patients quarterly with a 78% completion rate - Calibrate and perform preventive maintenance on CareFusion Vmax, ndd EasyOne Pro, and MedGraphics BodyBox equipment in accordance with manufacturer and ATS standards - Precept students from the affiliated respiratory therapy program during 6-week PFT lab rotations Respiratory Therapist, RRT General Hospital, City, State | 2019 to 2021 - Covered floor, ICU, and emergency department respiratory assignments - Identified interest in diagnostics; self-studied for RPFT examination and passed on first attempt in 2021 EDUCATION Associate of Applied Science, Respiratory Therapy Technical College of [City], City, State | 2019 TECHNICAL SKILLS PFT Equipment: CareFusion Vmax Encore, ndd EasyOne Pro+, MedGraphics BodyBox, Cosmed K5 Procedures: Spirometry, DLCO, body plethysmography, FRC (N2 washout), methacholine challenge, 6MWT, CPET EMR: Meditech Expanse, Epic (ambulatory)
PRIYA LEE, RRT City, State | (555) 000-4444 | priya.lee@email.com | LinkedIn CREDENTIALS & CERTIFICATIONS RRT (NBRC) | BLS (AHA) | ACLS (AHA) | Licensed in CA, TX, FL, NY, WA, AZ PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY RRT with 6 years of experience including 2 years of contract travel assignments across 8 facilities in 6 states. Adaptable across Level I trauma centers, LTACHs, and critical access hospitals. Experienced in vent weaning protocol leadership on night shift charge assignments. Rapid onboarding track record: cleared to work independently within 2 shifts at every contract facility. WORK EXPERIENCE Travel Respiratory Therapist, RRT Multiple Facilities via ABC Travel Staffing | 2024 to Present Contract 8: Critical Access Hospital, Rural, WA | Jan 2026 to Present - Sole RT covering 12-bed ICU and 40-bed general floor on night shift; manages 4 to 8 mechanically ventilated patients independently with on-call intensivist backup - Implemented a vent weaning checklist adopted by the permanent RT staff after departure Contract 7: Level I Trauma Center, TX | Sep 2025 to Dec 2025 - Covered trauma bay, TICU, and neuro ICU assignments; managed 16 to 20 ventilated patients per shift - Adapted to Epic-based documentation within first shift; zero documentation discrepancies during 13-week contract Contract 6: LTACH, FL | May 2025 to Aug 2025 - Managed complex chronic ventilator-dependent patients; participated in 22 successful vent liberation cases during contract term - Delivered trach care, suctioning, and passy-muir valve trials in collaboration with speech-language pathology [Contracts 1 to 5: Level I trauma center CA, community hospital NY, LTACH AZ, academic medical center CA, and critical access hospital OR; full contract history available on request] Staff Respiratory Therapist, RRT Metro General Hospital, City, CA | 2020 to 2024 - Covered MICU, CVICU, and emergency department respiratory assignments on night shift - Promoted to night shift charge RT within 18 months; supervised 4 to 5 RTs and 2 students per shift - Initiated multistate licensure process through Enhanced Nurse Licensure Compact (eNLC) equivalent programs to enable travel career EDUCATION Associate of Applied Science, Respiratory Therapy California Community College, City, CA | 2020 TECHNICAL SKILLS Ventilators: Puritan Bennett 980/840, Servo-i, Dräger Evita XL, LTV 1200 (transport/home) EMR: Epic, Cerner, Meditech (all independent) States Licensed: CA, TX, FL, NY, WA, AZ
RT Resume Sections Guide
A respiratory therapist resume has a different section architecture than most clinical roles because credentials, equipment proficiency, and EMR systems each serve a separate ATS indexing function. The sections below are listed in the order they should appear on the document.
| Section | What to Include | ATS Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Header | Full name with highest credential appended (Jordan Kim, RRT-ACCS), city/state, phone, email, LinkedIn | Use "RRT-ACCS" not "ACCS" alone; Workday and iCIMS match the full credential string |
| Credentials & Certifications | State RT license with license number and expiration; NBRC credentials (CRT or RRT) with specialty designations (ACCS, NPS, CPFT, RPFT); BLS issuing organization and expiration; ACLS, NRP, PALS as applicable | List each credential on its own line. Workday parses credentials from structured sections more reliably than from inline header text |
| Professional Summary | 2 to 3 sentences: credential level, years of experience, primary care setting, one headline metric (VAE reduction, wean rate, PFT volume) | Mirror the job posting's exact language for setting and credential level; iCIMS ranks keyword density in summary sections |
| Work Experience | Reverse-chronological; 4 to 6 bullets per role with patient volume, procedure counts, and outcome metrics | Lead each bullet with a strong action verb (Managed, Led, Administered, Reduced, Achieved); avoid passive constructions |
| Equipment Proficiency | Ventilators by brand and model (Puritan Bennett 980, Maquet SERVO-i, Dräger Evita Infinity, Babylog VN500 for NICU); monitoring systems; PFT equipment if applicable | List full brand + model names; "Servo-i" and "SERVO-i" may be treated as distinct strings by some parsers; use both forms or the capitalization that appears in the JD |
| EMR Systems | Epic (specify module: ICU, NICU, ambulatory), Cerner, Meditech, and any RT-specific platforms (Dräger SmartLog, Nuvectra) | Spell out "Epic" not "EPIC"; Workday keyword matching is case-sensitive in some configurations |
| Education | Degree, program name, institution, graduation year. COARC accreditation is implied; no need to state it explicitly | Place education after experience for experienced clinicians (3+ years); move above experience only for new graduates |
State License Listing for Travel RTs
Travel respiratory therapists holding multiple state licenses should create a "Licensure" subsection or a clearly labeled row within the Credentials section. Format: "CA RT License #XXXXX (exp. MM/YYYY), TX RT License #XXXXX (exp. MM/YYYY)..." listing all active licenses. This allows ATS systems to parse state-specific license requirements for multi-state postings. Do not consolidate licenses into a single line without state identifiers: Workday license-requirement matching requires the state abbreviation to appear adjacent to the credential.
RT ATS Keyword Grid
The following keywords appear most frequently in respiratory therapist job postings across Workday, iCIMS, Greenhouse, and Taleo. Distribute them through your Summary, Experience bullets, and Equipment sections rather than clustering them in a single skills list.
| Ventilator Management | Neonatal & Pediatric | Diagnostics & Pulmonary |
|---|---|---|
| mechanical ventilation | neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) | pulmonary function testing (PFT) |
| ventilator management | neonatal resuscitation (NRP) | spirometry |
| ARDSnet protocol | high-frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV) | DLCO (diffusing capacity) |
| spontaneous breathing trial (SBT) | high-frequency jet ventilation (HFJV) | body plethysmography |
| spontaneous awakening trial (SAT) | surfactant administration | methacholine challenge |
| ventilator-associated event (VAE) | nCPAP / nIPPV | 6-minute walk test (6MWT) |
| prone positioning | surfactant rescue therapy | cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) |
| Puritan Bennett 980 | Babylog VN500 | CareFusion Vmax / ndd EasyOne Pro |
| Maquet SERVO-i | Dräger Babylog 8000 Plus | ATS/ERS acceptability criteria |
| arterial blood gas (ABG) | Bunnell Life Pulse HFJV | pulmonary rehabilitation |
| weaning protocol | NICU transport | asthma education |
| tracheostomy management | Level III NICU / Level IV NICU | RPFT / CPFT |
| critical care (ACCS) | RRT-NPS | peak flow monitoring |
| chest physiotherapy (CPT) | extremely premature infant care | bronchoprovocation testing |
RT Resume Bullet Formula: Before and After
Most RT resumes describe what the therapist did rather than what changed as a result. The three rewrites below show how to convert duty-based statements into outcome-driven bullets that give hiring managers a quantified basis for comparison.
Rewrite 1: Ventilator Weaning
Before (duty-based):
"Performed daily spontaneous breathing trials on mechanically ventilated patients and communicated results to the medical team."
After (outcome-driven):
"Conducted daily SATs and SBTs on 18 to 22 ventilated MICU patients per shift in coordination with attending intensivists and nursing; protocol adherence rate reached 96%, contributing to a 31% reduction in mean vent days for extubation-eligible patients over 12 months."
Rewrite 2: NICU Extubation
Before (duty-based):
"Assisted with extubation of NICU patients and provided post-extubation respiratory support."
After (outcome-driven):
"Managed 210+ planned neonatal extubation events with a 94% successful wean-to-extubation rate (unit average: 87%); post-extubation nCPAP transitions managed independently, with escalation required in fewer than 6% of cases."
Rewrite 3: Pulmonary Function Lab Quality
Before (duty-based):
"Performed spirometry and DLCO studies and documented results in the EMR for physician review."
After (outcome-driven):
"Completed 40 to 45 PFT studies weekly including spirometry, DLCO, and body plethysmography, maintaining a 98% quality-acceptable rate per ATS/ERS criteria; reduced average report turnaround from 11 hours to 4 hours by standardizing interpretation workflow with the attending pulmonology team."
Every strong RT bullet follows the same pattern: patient volume or procedure count, the specific action taken, and the measurable outcome. When all three elements appear, the hiring manager can compare your contribution against other candidates without asking follow-up questions.
Frequently Asked Questions
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