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Respiratory Therapists utilize scientific principles to address real-world clinical challenges in respiratory care. These professionals are trained to take full responsibility for administering all forms of respiratory treatments. Working under physician supervision, they often need to make significant independent clinical decisions when treating patients with breathing disorders. Their scope of practice includes specialized procedures such as complex airway management, intensive care for infants and children, hemodynamic assessments, metabolic studies, cardiopulmonary stress tests, and other advanced techniques. After completing their Respiratory Therapy degree, graduates qualify to take three certification exams offered by the National Board for Respiratory Care. Passing the Certified Respiratory Therapist entry-level test is mandatory before attempting the two advanced practitioner examinations.