Transport Respiratory Therapist

Who these therapists care for

Ventilated and unstable patients during inter-facility and intra-facility transport.

What the shift actually looks like

Ventilated and unstable patients moved between facilities or to imaging, in confined space with limited resources. Independent judgement with no immediate backup.

Credentials and certifications

Typically required

RRT; ACLS, PALS, NRP; transport certification valued

Typical assignment

Case-based

What to specify when you send the req

Ground vs air, patient population, and transport vent platform.

Why this role is hard to fill

Air transport requires additional clearance and training and is not interchangeable with ground transport experience.

What candidates ask before accepting

Answering these in the req itself shortens the process considerably, because they are the questions that otherwise surface at offer stage and cause declines: Ground versus air, patient population, transport vent platform and additional clearance requirements.

Contract or permanent?

Contract works well for seasonal respiratory volume, which is predictable enough to book ahead at a lower rate. Permanent is the right call for structural gaps — given the growth projections and pipeline constraints, this market is not going to loosen.

Licensure

Respiratory therapists are licensed in 49 states and there is no interstate compact, nor one in progress. Alaska becomes the fiftieth when its licensing provisions take effect in January 2027. Every cross-state hire therefore begins with a fresh application, which is why respiratory fill timelines vary far more by state than nursing timelines do.

How we work this req

Every candidate is spoken to before you see them, with licensure for your state, certifications and unit-specific competency confirmed before submittal. We screen to the credential the unit actually needs rather than the title on the posting. Rates sit inside the ranges on our published cost breakdown.