AARC: Take Action.

Respiratory therapists keep patients breathing. We manage life support, respond to emergencies, care for fragile newborns, and help patients through their most critical moments.

But the people doing this work are exhausted.

Too many of us are working short-staffed, carrying workloads that leave little room for emergencies, and receiving compensation that does not reflect our expertise or responsibility. When we raise concerns about unsafe assignments, we need a protected process that takes those concerns seriously.

We call on the American Association for Respiratory Care to start action on seven priorities, publish a timeline for when that work will begin, and provide frequent updates that show members what is being accomplished. This is brief, but we have a lot of work to do.

1. Safe-harbor and anti-retaliation protections
Respiratory therapists need a formal, protected way to raise good-faith concerns about assignments that exceed their ability to provide safe care.

We ask AARC to work with state societies and legislators to advance safe-harbor protections, timely assignment review, clear procedures for maintaining patient care, and protection against retaliation. Therapists must have a meaningful voice when assignments put patients and professional licenses at risk.

2. Safe staffing that reflects our actual work
Our responsibilities extend beyond scheduled treatments and ventilator checks. Emergency response, transports, airway management, assessment, documentation, and unexpected deterioration require time and clinical attention.

We ask AARC to pursue enforceable staffing protections based on patient acuity and the full scope of respiratory care. Staffing plans must include capacity for emergencies, breaks, and safe coverage. AARC’s staffing guidance should support concrete legislative proposals and employer accountability.

3. Recognition and reimbursement for critical care contributions
Respiratory therapists provide skilled, time-intensive care to critically ill patients. That contribution must be recognized in payment policy, workload measurement, and staffing decisions.

We ask AARC to identify specific reimbursement reforms and bring proposals to lawmakers and relevant federal agencies. Work that is not separately reimbursed must still count when employers determine staffing and resources.

4. Fair compensation and retention
Recruiting new therapists will not sustain our profession if experienced therapists cannot afford—or endure—staying at the bedside.

We ask AARC to make fair compensation and retention explicit advocacy priorities, publish accessible compensation and workforce data, and press employers and policymakers to address the pay and working conditions driving therapists away.

5. Interstate compact licensure
Eligible respiratory therapists need a simpler path to practice across state lines.

We ask AARC to advance respiratory care compact legislation with state partners and publish a roadmap for adoption and implementation. Therapists need clear information about eligibility, costs, remaining barriers, and opportunities to help move legislation forward.

6. Accountability and bedside representation
Practicing bedside therapists must help shape this work. Representation should include therapists from different regions, clinical settings, and shifts.

We ask AARC to identify who is responsible for each priority, explain how membership resources support these efforts, and report measurable progress.

7. Consistent professional titles and credentials
Respiratory therapists deserve clear, consistent professional identification. The use of different terms for our credentials, licenses, and workplace titles can make our qualifications and responsibilities harder for patients, employers, and policymakers to understand.

We ask AARC to work with the NBRC, state licensing boards, state societies, and bedside practitioners toward consistent terminology across credentialing, licensure, and employment.

Where we are licensed as Respiratory Care Practitioners, explore aligning credential titles with that designation—including proposed titles such as Registered Respiratory Care Practitioner (RRCP) and Certified Respiratory Care Practitioner (CRCP).

Publish a recommendation explaining the benefits, legal and administrative requirements, potential costs, and steps toward implementation. Any transition should preserve existing credentials and licensure rights without imposing unnecessary expenses on practitioners.

Our credentials, licenses, and professional titles should communicate our qualifications clearly and consistently.

A timeline for action—and updates we can count on
We request that AARC:

Within 30 days of receiving this petition: Publicly acknowledge these requests and identify the leaders responsible for coordinating a response.
Within 90 days: Publish an action plan for all six priorities, including specific start dates, initial steps, measurable milestones, and opportunities for bedside therapists to participate. Where work is already underway, identify its status and next milestone.
Every month after the plan is published: Provide a public progress update covering actions taken, legislative and regulatory engagement, barriers encountered, and next steps—even when progress is delayed.
Every quarter: Hold an open forum where bedside therapists can ask questions and receive direct answers from leadership.
These deadlines concern work AARC can initiate and report on. We understand that passing legislation and changing payment policy take longer.

We recognize that AARC cannot independently set wages, pass laws, or change reimbursement rules. AARC can bring these concerns directly to state and federal legislators, advocate for specific legislation, engage regulatory agencies, and equip state societies and members to organize. We expect AARC to use that influence to pursue concrete action on these priorities.

AARC asks respiratory therapists to invest in membership. It is reasonable for therapists to ask what that investment delivers for their safety, livelihoods, and future.

Show us why we should pay for membership. Show us when the work starts, how our dues support it, and what progress it produces.

We care deeply about our patients and our profession. We need that commitment met with visible action, sustained advocacy, and accountability.

Our nursing colleagues see us. Our physician colleagues see us. Our allied health colleagues see us. Do you see us?

Sign this petition to call on AARC to start action on these initial priorities—and keep respiratory therapists informed every step of the way. Let your voice be heard!