Respiratory Therapist Resume Tips

What recruiters look for, keywords that get past ATS, and what skills to highlight in 2026.

A Day in the Life

A Respiratory Therapist begins their shift reviewing patient charts in the ICU and pulmonary unit, assessing ventilator settings and ABG results before conducting morning rounds with the medical team. Throughout the day, they administer bronchodilator treatments, perform pulmonary function tests, manage mechanical ventilation for critically ill patients, and respond to rapid response and code blue calls requiring emergency airway management. As the shift winds down, they document all interventions in the EHR, wean stable patients from oxygen support, and collaborate with nurses and attending physicians on discharge education for COPD or asthma patients transitioning to home nebulizer therapy.

ATS Keywords to Include

Recruiters and hiring software scan for these — make sure they appear naturally in your resume.

Example Resume Bullets

Strong bullet points use action verbs, specific context, and measurable outcomes. Adapt these for your own experience.

• • Managed mechanical ventilation for an average of 20 critically ill ICU patients per shift, achieving a 94% successful extubation rate by implementing evidence-based ARDSnet weaning protocols.
• • Reduced ventilator-associated event (VAE) incidence by 31% over 12 months through consistent oral care bundle compliance and proactive ventilator circuit audits across a 24-bed MICU.
• • Performed and interpreted over 1,200 pulmonary function tests (spirometry, DLCO, lung volumes) annually, generating diagnostic reports that directly informed pulmonologist treatment decisions for COPD, asthma, and interstitial lung disease patients.
• • Delivered respiratory disease self-management education to 85+ COPD patients per quarter, contributing to a 22% reduction in 30-day hospital readmissions within the pulmonary care program.
• • Responded to 150+ rapid response and code blue events per year as primary airway specialist, performing emergency bag-valve-mask ventilation and assisting with emergent intubation with a first-attempt success rate exceeding 89%.

Tools & Technologies

Industry-standard tools hiring managers expect to see for this role.

Emerging Skills Worth Adding

Skills becoming highly valued in the next 2–3 years — early adoption signals forward-thinking candidates.

• → High-Flow Nasal Cannula (HFNC) titration protocols for post-COVID respiratory failure
• → Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) specialist support and circuit management
• → Telehealth respiratory monitoring and remote ventilator management for home care patients
• → AI-driven ventilator weaning protocol interpretation and closed-loop ventilation systems
• → Neonatal and pediatric advanced airway management including surfactant administration

Common Questions