Is Being a Respiratory Nurse Right for You?
Interested in gaining a specialty skill set that’s useful in med-surg, intensive care, oncology, and other areas? If you’d like to become confident managing patients on ventilators, analyzing arterial blood gasses, and giving education about the pulmonary system, you may want to explore becoming a respiratory nurse.
Respiratory conditions are a leading cause of death worldwide. Seasonally, infectious diseases like COVID-19 and the flu cause an influx in hospital admissions. And in the last several years, rates of hospitalization for chronic pulmonary problems like COPD have been on the rise.
Respiratory nurses — also known as pulmonary nurses — work to help patients who are admitted for pulmonary issues, and they also see patients who are having lung problems secondary to other diagnoses. Pulmonary RNs use their deep understanding of lung assessments and respiratory treatments to help patients with a variety of lung and breathing problems, including:
- Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)
- Asthma
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- Cystic fibrosis
- Dyspnea (shortness of breath)
- Heart failure
- Lung cancer
- Pneumonia
- Pulmonary embolism
- Respiratory failure
- Respiratory infections
- Sleep apnea
What Do Respiratory Nurses Do?
The respiratory nurse skills you’ll use in this role depend on where you choose to work. For example, a nurse in an outpatient clinic likely won’t need to do much arterial blood gas interpretation, because those tests are typically for patients who are acutely sick. A respiratory RN’s tasks might include:
- Performing respiratory assessments, including listening to lung sounds, reading pulse oximetry, and monitoring respiratory rate.
- Gathering and interpreting arterial and venous lab results, and collaborating on the patient care plan based on findings.
- Administering inhaled medications via metered-dose inhalers, nebulizers, and other delivery devices.
- Monitoring patients on mechanical ventilation, including ventilator settings, oxygenation status, and ventilator-associated complications.
- Managing patients on breathing devices and machines, including C-PAP, BiPAP, nasal cannulas, mask oxygen, and more.
- Airway management interventions, such as suctioning, chest physiotherapy, and incentive spirometry.
- Educating patients and families on respiratory conditions, treatment plans, and self-management techniques.
- Collaborating with interdisciplinary teams, including pulmonologists, respiratory therapists, and physical therapists, to plan care and carry out treatments.
- Accurately documenting patient assessments, interventions, and outcomes in medical records.
While clinical skills are essential in this role, you’ll also need soft skills, like maintaining composure when patients deteriorate quickly. Since breathing is an essential function of life, many chronic pulmonary patients have little reserve for when they get sick. You’ll need to think quickly on your feet, and as you gain experience, you’ll also learn to anticipate patient problems before they occur or get worse.
Where Can Respiratory Nurses Work?
Respiratory nurses can work in outpatient clinics, intermediate pulmonary units, and pulmonary critical care (PCCU). They may also float to other units, working with respiratory therapists (RTs), pulmonologists, intensivists, advanced practice providers, and other members of the healthcare team.
Respiratory Nurse Salary
The average salary for RNs, including respiratory nurses, is $94,480 per year. What you make will depend on the setting you work in. Typically, nurses in post-acute and acute care earn more than those who work in clinics or office settings. Certifications, education, and experience also influence what you make as a nurse.
Interested in increasing your nursing income? Depending on where you live, you could make more money by moving to a new state. Check out these states with the highest income for RNs:
How to Become a Respiratory Nurse: 4 Steps
How long does it take to become a respiratory nurse? If you’re not a nurse yet, entering this specialty could take as little as two to four years. In many areas, you can start working in a pulmonary med-surg or critical care unit right after graduating. If you’re already a nurse, further specialization in pulmonary nursing could be just a few job applications away.
Step 1: Nursing School
Respiratory nurse requirements start with nursing school. A two-year associate degree (ADN) is the fastest way to become a registered nurse if you don’t have another degree. On the other hand, a bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) is preferred by many employers and will give you more job opportunities over the long term. Both degrees qualify you to become an RN and work in a variety of settings and specialties. Learn more about comparing ADN and BSN programs.
Step 2: Pass the NCLEX-RN
Congratulations on getting through nursing school! Graduating from an accredited program qualifies you to take the National Council Licensure Exam for RNs — the NCLEX-RN. This standardized test is designed to assess your readiness to practice nursing at the beginner level. When you pass the exam, you are eligible to apply for your RN license with your state board of nursing.
Step 3: Gain Nursing Experience
Once you’re licensed, you’re qualified to work on intermediate pulmonary care units, rehabilitation centers, outpatient clinics, and more. Many new graduate nurses get started in nurse residency programs in inpatient units. During this time, you’ll orient with preceptors and take classes with other new nurses. Working with sicker patients can help you practice your clinical and critical thinking skills as you transition from student to professional nurse.
Step 4: Continuing Education and Certification
If you’re interested in advancing your career and becoming more specialized in pulmonary medicine, you might consider getting additional education through courses and certification. While there isn’t currently a respiratory nurse certification, these are some continuing education options for nurses who work with pulmonary patients:
- Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) from the American Heart Association
- Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) from the American Heart Association
- Pulmonary Disease Educator Course from the American Association for Respiratory Care
- COPD Educator Course from the American Lung Association
- Critical Care Nursing Certification (CCRN) from the American Association of Critical Care Nurses
Respiratory Nursing: FAQs
Is respiratory nursing hard?
It depends on where you work, and what you’d classify as “hard.” One of the great things about nursing is that you can work in a variety of settings.
For example, if you want the challenge of working with unstable patients, you could work in a medical intensive care unit (MICU), or another critical care setting. On the other hand, if you’re looking for a less intense workplace, you could practice in a clinic instead.
Most nursing roles have unique challenges, but with time and experience, you’ll become more confident. And you should also know that respiratory nursing ranks among the happiest nursing jobs.
Are respiratory nurses the same as respiratory therapists?
No, these two roles have different scopes of practice and responsibilities. Respiratory nurses focus on providing nursing care to patients with respiratory issues. RTs have more specialized knowledge of ventilator and breathing machine settings and respiratory treatments.
Nurses work more closely with each patient, while RTs see patients across units and hospitals. You’ll likely work alongside RTs as an RN, and if you have questions about treatment regimens, they’re a great resource.
Find Respiratory Nurse Jobs With IntelyCare
Need to breathe new life into your nursing career? When you sign up for job notifications with IntelyCare, fresh opportunities come to you. Sign up today.