In the United States, a Respiratory Therapist is a clinician who has at a minimum completed an Associate of Science in Respiratory Care degree along with a certification process.
 After satisfactorily completing required examinations either administered by the National Board for Respiratory Care or directly by the individual state licensing board (either the medical examiner's board or a special state respiratory care board), the practitioner is then eligible to apply for a license to practice in the region governed by their respective licensing body..
There are two recognized governing bodies in the United States: the State Board of Respiratory Care in the state in which a Respiratory Therapist is licensed to practice and the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC), a non-profit organization which regulates two levels of certification along with some additional specialist certifications.

The Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT) is the certification given after successfully passing the Therapist Multiple Choice NBRC-TMC exam; the Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) certification is given after first making the RRT cut-off score on the TMC exam, and passing the Clinical Simulation Exam NBRC-CSE.

Most state boards of respiratory care require proof of the appropriate NBRC credential and award various license titles, including (but not limited to) Respiratory Care Practitioner, Licensed Registered Respiratory Therapist, and Licensed Certified Respiratory Therapist.

There has been a substantial push to standardize the state licensure by the American Association for Respiratory Care.
 The NBRC credential is renewed every 5 years for a fee in addition to fees assessed by the state boards of respiratory care.
In the United States, a Respiratory Therapist is a clinician who has at a minimum completed an Associate of Science in Respiratory Care degree along with a certification process.  After satisfactorily completing required examinations either administered by the National Board for Respiratory Care or directly by the individual state licensing board (either the medical examiner's board or a special state respiratory care board), the practitioner is then eligible to apply for a license to practice in the region governed by their respective licensing body..
There are two recognized governing bodies in the United States: the State Board of Respiratory Care in the state in which a Respiratory Therapist is licensed to practice and the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC), a non-profit organization which regulates two levels of certification along with some additional specialist certifications.
The Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT) is the certification given after successfully passing the Therapist Multiple Choice NBRC-TMC exam; the Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) certification is given after first making the RRT cut-off score on the TMC exam, and passing the Clinical Simulation Exam NBRC-CSE.
Most state boards of respiratory care require proof of the appropriate NBRC credential and award various license titles, including (but not limited to) Respiratory Care Practitioner, Licensed Registered Respiratory Therapist, and Licensed Certified Respiratory Therapist.
There has been a substantial push to standardize the state licensure by the American Association for Respiratory Care.  The NBRC credential is renewed every 5 years for a fee in addition to fees assessed by the state boards of respiratory care.
Respiratory therapist