By Debbie Bunch
December 2025
If you’ve worked in respiratory care for more than a minute, you know one thing is sure: nothing stays the same. Technology delivers new and better ways to care for patients, regulations shift, hospitals reengineer their operations, and patients expect more and more.
How can you keep up with all this change? These days, it’s either evolve with the times or be left behind, and one key way to do so is to upskill whenever and wherever possible.
More than just continuing ed
What do health care recruiters mean by “upskilling”? It goes beyond taking continuing education courses to maintain your license to practice.
They want to see clinicians who are willing to branch out and learn new skills in demand in the workplace.
For respiratory therapists, particularly those interested in management or education, earning an advanced degree should be high on the list, as the profession is steadily moving toward a workforce in which the majority of RTs hold at least a bachelor’s degree. Luckily, the educational community has risen to the occasion by developing a plethora of RRT-to-BS programs across the country, the vast majority of which are available online.
You can search for accredited programs on the CoARC website.
Earning certificates such as advanced cardiac life support, pediatric advanced life support, and others can help you level up your career.
But as an AARC member, you have a multitude of other opportunities to upskill right at your fingertips, some of which can even prepare you to earn specialty credentials from the NBRC. Here are five great examples:
- Adult Critical Care Specialist Prep Course: Respiratory therapists in the ICU work closely with critical care nurses who often have specialty credentials. The NBRC offers a similar credential for RTs called the ACCS, and our preparation course provides a solid overview of the material covered on the test. It can also serve as a great way to reinforce key critical care principles and practices for anyone new to the ICU environment. The course has been approved for 13.5 CRCE hours.
- Neonatal-Pediatric Specialist Prep Course: If you work with infants and children — or aspire to a career in pediatrics — the NBRC’s NPS credential is almost a must. This AARC course, approved for 20.00 CRCE hours, aligns with the most recent NBRC NPS content outline and has helped thousands of RTs document their expertise in caring for our youngest patients. It has also helped open the door to a job in pediatrics for RTs new to the area.
- Asthma Educator Certification Prep Course: This course has been approved for 11.00 CRCE hours and covers everything you need to know to sit for the Asthma Educator Certification (AE-C) examination. With the AE-C credential behind your name, you will add value to your RT department and be better qualified to take on roles in asthma disease management or patient navigation.
- Pulmonary Rehabilitation Certificate Course: Designed to prepare RTs to work in pulmonary rehabilitation programs, this course covers everything from currently available pulmonary medications and their indications to exercise assessment, prescription, and training, and those who complete the program are issued a certificate they can present to their organizations to demonstrate their competency in this area of care. The course has been approved for 12.00 CRCE hours.
- Pulmonary Disease Educator Course: Chronic respiratory conditions require ongoing care, and this course offers a comprehensive overview of their education and management, along with strategies for monitoring them over time to better ensure they remain under control. Approved for 14.50 CRCE hours, the course delves into all the key components, including pathophysiology, pulmonary function, pulmonary medications, supplemental oxygen, malnutrition, lung transplantation, discharge planning, and more. RTs who see themselves as disease managers or patient navigators will benefit from this course.
Build your own future
Upskilling isn’t a new idea — RTs have been adding to their skill set for decades now — but its importance to your career has grown markedly from the days when therapists mainly relied on their departments to offer training in new skills when needed.
Today, upskilling can mean the difference between moving ahead in your career or maintaining the status quo. So, take the initiative and begin thinking about how upskilling can build your future in the profession.
You could even take a self-help approach by doing a deep dive on the AARC’s Your RT Career web page. You’ll find a wealth of information aimed at helping you make career decisions and navigate the job search process.
