Respiratory therapy?

Question

Hey, I have just completed a 4 year degree in Ireland. This course allows you to work in one of 3 area, as a cardiac technician, respiratory technician and neuro technician. I now work as a respiratory and sleep tech. I was just wondering if there is anyway that I can become a respiratory therapist in either the US or Canada without having to do another degree?

Thanks but the respiratory therapist job involves more than the technician (in regard to ventilators and intubation). Is there anyway to gain these qualifications with doing another degree

Answer 1

Our regulation board www.nbrc.org says that you have to have a college degree at least an associate degree to be able to take the 1st level test the CRTT. The college must be CoARC accredited or its useless. If you had credentials prior to 2002 (I think) you wouldn't lose them. You used to be able to take a 1 year technical course and be a Respiratory Tech and only get the CRTT but now everyone entering the field must be RRT eliglble. It sucks because you have to take the CRTT test to be able to take the RRT test and these tests aren't cheap and they aren't exactly easy. As for Canada, I used it work with some Canadians and they said it was much easier to get credentialed there but I don't know the specifics.

Answer 2

I have been looking into doing respiratory therapy in Ireland for years, and you are the first person I have read to have a degree which seems comparable to Respiratory Therapy here in the U.S. Do you know of anyone who has come from the U.S. and have gotten a job in respiratory in Ireland? Any information would be greatly appreciated.

Answer 3

I would advise you to get in contact with the NBRC (National Board for Respiratory Care). They are in charge of credentials nationally in the U.S. for being a Respiratory Therapist. Their website is www.nbrc.org and you should be able to get any question answered from there as far as transferring from Ireland to the states. Hope this helps. Good luck.

Answer 4

In the US they will probably have you take a test to get certified, but would not require you to go through getting another degree.

Answer 5

I would suggest you write to the state department of professional licensure for the state you wish to live in, they can tell you what the requirements would be for licensure by a foreign national.