Respiratory therapists test, treat and provide care to patients experiencing pulmonary difficulties.  Respiratory therapists take primary responsibility for all pulmonary care, but practice under a physician. 

A career in respiratory therapy will not only fill a growing demand in the healthcare field, but provide flexible scheduling and great compensation.

Training options to become a respiratory therapist are limited to formal education, though two and four year degrees are available.  An associate's degree is required to become a respiratory therapist.  There are only 59 accredited entry level respiratory therapist programs in the United States. 

Registered nurses have more opportunities and responsibilities than ever before. As medical care has improved over the years, nursing responsibilities have increased.

As the baby boomers in America continue to age and retire out of the workforce, there have been a lot of hiring demands placed on the medical field. Coupled with U.S. life expectancies increasing and promising breakthroughs in medicine, employment opportunities in the field of nursing are at an all time high.

While there are a lot of career choices within nursing and more advanced degrees available for nurse managers, administration and research, this article will discuss the opportunities for a Registered Nurse ( RN ) with an associate's degree.

Because of the high level of patient responsibility, nursing is highly regulated, requiring both education and a license.