Nurse vs Respiratory Therapist - Which is Better? (RN vs RRT)

Nurse vs Respiratory Therapist? RN vs RRT? Nursing vs Respiratory Therapy? Which career is better? Watch the video to find out!

➡️ What is the Difference Between a Nurse and a Respiratory Therapist?
There are several differences because they are two totally different fields of study and practice. The main similarity is the fact that both are respected professions that emphasize providing the best care possible for their patients.

Nurses do have a broader scope of practice. They must consider the whole patient, and thus, multiple body systems. Respiratory Therapists, on the other hand, concentrate on the cardiopulmonary system. This means that they focus specifically on patients with conditions of the heart and lungs. Nurses are provided with a general education of the entire human body.

➡️ What Tasks Do Respiratory Therapists and Nurses Perform?
In the field of Nursing and Respiratory Therapy, they both have job duties that are independent of one another. With that said, there are also many tasks that overlap as well.

▪Patient Assessment
▪General Patient Care
▪Administering Medications
▪Patient Diagnosis
▪Discharge Planning
▪Mechanical Ventilation
▪Needle Sticks
▪Electrocardiogram (EKG)

Again, both Nurses and Respiratory Therapists perform many other types of tasks that weren’t mentioned. These are just a few of the common ones that overlap in both fields.

➡️ How do Nurses and Respiratory Therapists Work Together?
RN's and RT's work together in many different ways when caring for patients. I could list out every single task but that would make this video way too long.

➡️ What are the Requirements for Respiratory Therapy and Nursing School?
Both professions, in general, require at least a one or two-year degree in order to practice. For both careers, after graduating from an accredited program, you must pass the licensure board exams in order to obtain the appropriate credentials which will allow you to apply for a license to practice in your state.

➡️ Which School Program is Harder?
When talking about the difficulty of Nursing and Respiratory Therapy School, it’s really hard to quantify because there are a lot of variables at play. Either program could be more difficult for some than for others. Not to mention, some schools simply have more strict requirements than others.

➡️ What is the Cost of Nursing and Respiratory Therapy School?
Which one is more expensive? According to my research, the average cost of tuition for both programs is about the same, ranging from: $4,000-$12,000 per year

➡️ What is the Job Outlook for Respiratory Therapists and Nurses?
Respiratory Therapy is a newer field compared to Nursing, which is why it’s not as widely known.

➡️ Who Earns a Higher Salary?
Does a Respiratory Therapist make more than a Nurse? Or do Nurses earn a higher salary? To answer these questions, it really just depends on the state and institution where you work. Generally speaking, both Nurses and Respiratory Therapists do quite well when it comes to salary.

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🚑MEDICAL DISCLAIMER
Medicine and Respiratory Therapy are continuously changing practices. The information in this video is for educational and entertainment purposes only. For medical advice, please consult with a physician or qualified medical professional.

💡AFFILIATE DISCLAIMER
This description contains affiliate links. If you decide to purchase a product through one of them, we receive a small commission at no cost to you.

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0:00 - Intro
1:45 - Difference Between a Nurse and a Respiratory Therapist?
2:56 - Tasks Do Respiratory Therapists and Nurses Perform?
4:01 - How do Nurses and Respiratory Therapists Work Together?
8:54 - Requirements for Respiratory Therapy and Nursing School?
12:23 - Which School Program is Harder?
14:45 - Cost of Nursing and Respiratory Therapy School?
16:21 - Job Outlook for Respiratory Therapists and Nurses?
17:33 - Who Earns a Higher Salary?

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🖼CREDIT FOR MUSIC AND GRAPHICS:
▪ Music provided by NoCopyrightSounds.

#RespiratoryTherapy #Nurse #RespiratoryTherapist #RespiratoryTherapySchool

[lorrenwood]

They both are equally important! I'm an RRT at COVID hospital and both RN and RRT work together as a team to make sure these patients live another day. Not one is superior to the other.

[emelyo]

New RT here, it’s very obvious with this pandemic that the RT dept should be more invested in and RTs should be more recognized! :) Proud to be part of the RT dept and glad I chose this path.

[kaystewart]

I have friends in both fields and there's constantly debate about it. Its really dependent on what an individual feels passion for. I'm currently an RT student with two semesters left. I was drawn to respiratory because of my own asthma difficulties and seeing how my grandfather was so kindly taken care of in his final years of ALS by RT's. Respiratory is an amazing field and I can't wait to get out into the world as an RT!!

[markedwards]

I have been a registered respiratory therapist for 28 years and a registered nurse for 16 years my wife, daughter, and son are Registered Respiratory Therapist both of them saw me in the capacity of Respiratory Therapist and Registered Nurse and still chose to be Respiratory Therapist I worked for a private hospital for 17 years first as a Registered Respiratory Therapist then a Registered Nurse. I worked for both state and county hospitals as a Nurse Educator and I currently work in the federal health care system as a Clinical Nurse Educator. Both fields have been rewarding, both programs we’re equally as tough. As a Registered Respiratory Therapist and Registered Nurse I worked at a 500 bed hospital, there was only one respiratory department, as a Registered Nurse in that same hospital there are 15 nursing departments so for me being a Registered Nurse has given me more opportunity to expand my known base, skill set, and education. I did obtain my MSN and currently work as a Clinical Nurse Educator. I love being a respiratory therapist, as a matter fact I work 10 hour shifts as a Clinical Nurse Educator which allows me to work one day a week as a Respiratory Therapist in an on call capacity. So for me it has been better working as a registered nurse over these last 16 years with all the educational opportunities, the expansion of my knowledge base, skill set, and being able to work in different departments. Not working in the same department with other Respiratory Therapist who hold the same Credentials. During morning and night shift report I would hear the therapist who had those credentials arguing back-and-forth about who’s turn it was to be in the PFT lab that day or who should be in the sleep study clinic that night, As a Registered Nurse working on the unit we never had those discussions we had nurses who were hired as charge nurses and house supervisors so there was no question of who was going to be charge nurse or house supervisor.

I Would like to thank all healthcare professionals for what you do on the front lines

[jaimecarter]

At my hospitals we have young new rns who think they’re on top of the world. They treat RTs like crap but I’ll always love RT over any other profession. ❤️

[BillLingad]

BSRT, RRT for 7 years and I'm loving it! I make $65 per hour so I'm pretty sure I'm making good money as well.

[carriecooper]

There shouldn’t even be a Vs. between these two! We are both part of a Team to treat and care for our patients. We work together to serve up the best options and bounce ideas off of each other to help think outside of the box to help each patient with their individualized needs.

Pros and cons are everywhere, it is personal preference, can you handle blood more than sputum? Are you more interested in working in a specialized field, or can you work in multiple anatomy systems?

((I started this comment before the ads were done))

Thank you for your disclaimer!

[KayoticCutie]

I am a current RT student, and so far I love it! I like to think of a nurse being a jack of all trades while RTs are specialkzed in cardiopulmonary health and rehabilitation 🥰🥰🥰 both are essential in caring for the patient though

[justinem]

The first whiff of that colostomy bag will have RRT's saying thank the LAWD I'm not the RN. Chest up baby! LOL

[tonyajones]

Just started my second year in respiratory. This is great information for someone who is undecided or looking for more information.

[highvalue]

I guess it’s personal choice and both jobs are important but every nurse I talk to hates their job. Pretty much every respiratory therapist I have talk to you or come in contact with say they pretty much enjoy their job.

[Rasheens-Story]

Definitely getting my masters 100% physicians assistant sounds great for me. I ended up choosing RT because it was way more appealing to me 😍

[robertbeeler]

I am a Registered Nurse who also happens to be a professor in a nursing program. I thought this video was fantastic. I have many friends who are RRTs that I have worked with through the years. This video gave me a whole new understanding and appreciation for them as clinicians. I hope it is OK to share this video with my students when I teach them about the interdisciplinary healthcare team.

[jacobday]

I’ve been a RT for almost 20 years, I still love it. My department is very respected in my hospital. I enjoy educating families, students and other coworkers. Nursing does not get the same education on the cardiopulmonary system as we RTs do. At my facility the nursing staff leans on us a lot for help and support. The pay range is a difference where nursing does have a higher pay scale then RT. I do not fault any nurse for that. They have a wider range of responsibilities compared to RT. My significant other is a nurse and my mother is a nurse. I respect nursing but I know nursing is not for me. But honestly to each their own on this topic. I’m a proud RT!!

[DabidRobinson]

My friend was a RRT and was in nursing school with me. His starting pay was high due to his experience

[Yasuked]

My perspective about Rt and RN.

Respiratory Therapy is a specialty. We specialize in pulmonary where as, nurses must know everything about the human body. Therefore, nurses are the primary care givers with total responsibility. With malpractice suits, nurses licenses are usually referred to State and are also in federal court. RT is rarely referred due to lesser responsibilities. Being a nurse is a very big responsibility. However, RTs are under the radar. We have very minimal overhead. Nursing overhead is ridiculous. They have nurse managers, CNO, nursing supervisors, team leaders, and the Doctors. etc. The money for both disciplines are great. Nurses make more but RT does great as well. As RT, my 15 year salar range was $60, 000 to 106, 000 with great retirement and benefits. Both careers are great. It's just all about what you're looking for as a healthcare professional.

[maayannurilov]

I would like to start by saying that I honestly think that both careers are amazing and SO IMPORTANT! But personally I prefer the RRT career. When applying for university I thought about applying for both Nursing and Respiratory Therapy, but after reading more about each career, I got a lot more interested in Respiratory Therapy, and that’s what I chose. I especially loved the fact that Respiratory Therapy profession focuses on one area of expertise! At this point I didn’t really know the differences in the salaries and more facts such as what was mentioned in the video. This video actually helped me understand more about the differences and similarities between the two careers, and also helped me learn many new things that I did not know before about this topic. Was very interesting :)

[melindapalotai]

I’ve heard from several RN’s that they think respiratory school would be harder. I chose to go to school for respiratory because I can handle all the goo, but not poop! I start my clinicals in the fall!

[ehiggins]

We are both essential to the health care system. We are both saving lives and giving patients compassionate care in a time when RTs and RNs are probably one of the most important professions in the world. To all my fellow RTs and RNs stay strong and healthy and be humble.

[MsMichaelEllyn]

Also, it is important to mention that nurses can also specialize a specific body system, including pulmonology.