PICU Respiratory Therapist

Who these therapists care for

Critically ill infants through adolescents — ventilation, airway clearance and post-operative support.

What the shift actually looks like

Ventilation and airway clearance across a wide pediatric age range, with post-operative cardiac patients in units that have a cardiac program.

Credentials and certifications

Typically required

RRT with NPS; PALS

Typical assignment

Typically 1:6 to 1:10

What to specify when you send the req

Age range, cardiac surgical population, and ECMO capability.

Why this role is hard to fill

Pediatric cardiac experience is a distinct sub-specialty and worth naming if the unit has a cardiac program.

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: Age range, whether there is a cardiac surgical population, ECMO capability, and NPS requirement.

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.