Respiratory Care Week is an annual celebration dedicated to recognizing respiratory therapists and the important role they play in caring for patients with breathing and cardiopulmonary disorders. It also provides an opportunity to educate the public about lung health, respiratory disease, and the many treatments used to help people breathe.
Respiratory therapists work throughout the healthcare system, from emergency departments and intensive care units to neonatal units, pulmonary rehabilitation programs, sleep centers, and home care. Respiratory Care Week gives hospitals, schools, patients, families, and communities a chance to recognize these professionals while increasing awareness of respiratory health.
This article explains when Respiratory Care Week takes place in 2026, its history and purpose, the role of respiratory therapists, and some of the best ways to celebrate and raise awareness.
What is Respiratory Care Week?
Respiratory Care Week is an annual observance that recognizes respiratory therapists and promotes awareness of respiratory health and the respiratory care profession.
Respiratory therapists are healthcare professionals who specialize in evaluating and treating patients with breathing problems and cardiopulmonary disorders. They care for patients across the lifespan, including premature infants, children, adults, and older adults.
The responsibilities of a respiratory therapist vary depending on the clinical setting. Some work primarily with critically ill patients who require mechanical ventilation, while others specialize in pulmonary function testing, neonatal and pediatric care, sleep medicine, rehabilitation, emergency care, or home respiratory equipment.
Respiratory Care Week provides an opportunity to recognize this broad scope of practice while helping the public better understand what respiratory therapists actually do.
Hospitals, respiratory therapy departments, colleges, professional organizations, and healthcare companies often participate by organizing employee recognition events, educational activities, community outreach programs, social media campaigns, and lung health initiatives.
The American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC) plays a major role in promoting Respiratory Care Week and providing resources that respiratory care departments can use when planning their celebrations.
Note: Respiratory Care Week is sometimes shortened to RC Week or written as Respiratory Care Week (RC Week).
When is Respiratory Care Week 2026?
Respiratory Care Week 2026 will be celebrated from October 25 through October 31, 2026.
The observance traditionally takes place during the last full week of October, running from Sunday through Saturday. For 2026, that means Respiratory Care Week begins on Sunday, October 25 and ends on Saturday, October 31. The AARC lists these dates as the official 2026 celebration period.
This gives respiratory care departments seven days to recognize staff members, educate patients, promote respiratory health, and introduce others to the profession.
Because the dates change from year to year, healthcare organizations should verify the current year’s schedule before planning events, ordering merchandise, or creating promotional materials.
What is the Respiratory Care Week Theme for 2026?
The official AARC theme for Respiratory Care Week 2026 is “Every Breath, Every Moment.”
The theme reflects the continuous role respiratory therapists play throughout patient care. Respiratory problems can occur at virtually any stage of life and in almost any healthcare setting, which means respiratory therapists may be involved during routine treatments, diagnostic testing, emergencies, critical illness, rehabilitation, and long-term disease management.
A respiratory therapist may help stabilize a premature infant shortly after birth, administer breathing treatments to a child with asthma, manage a ventilator for an adult in respiratory failure, perform pulmonary function testing, assist with airway emergencies, or teach a patient how to use oxygen equipment at home.
The phrase “Every Breath, Every Moment” recognizes that respiratory care often extends well beyond a single treatment or procedure. Respiratory therapists continually assess patients, adjust therapies, monitor responses, troubleshoot equipment, and collaborate with other members of the healthcare team.
History of Respiratory Care Week
National recognition of the respiratory care profession dates back to 1982.
On November 10, 1982, President Ronald Reagan issued Proclamation 4997, officially recognizing November 7 through November 13, 1982, as National Respiratory Therapy Week. The proclamation recognized the role respiratory therapists played in treating patients with serious and chronic lung diseases.
The observance was connected to Senate Joint Resolution 193, which became Public Law 97-279 and designated the week of November 7 through November 13, 1982, as National Respiratory Therapy Week.
Respiratory care has changed considerably since then. Advances in mechanical ventilation, noninvasive ventilation, neonatal care, pulmonary diagnostics, aerosol therapy, airway management, extracorporeal support, sleep medicine, and home respiratory equipment have expanded the profession.
The terminology surrounding the profession also evolved. In 1986, the American Association for Respiratory Therapy became the American Association for Respiratory Care, or AARC. The National Board for Respiratory Therapy similarly became the National Board for Respiratory Care.
Today, Respiratory Care Week is celebrated during the last full week of October and is recognized throughout hospitals, educational programs, respiratory care departments, and professional organizations.
Why is Respiratory Care Week Important?
Respiratory Care Week is important because respiratory therapists perform many essential healthcare services that are not always visible to the general public.
Most people are familiar with physicians and nurses, but patients may not understand the role of the respiratory therapist until they or someone they love develops a serious breathing problem.
Respiratory therapists frequently care for some of the sickest patients in a hospital. They may respond when a patient suddenly cannot breathe, assist during intubation, manage life-supporting mechanical ventilation, administer medications, draw and analyze arterial blood gases, assess oxygenation, suction artificial airways, and participate in cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
The profession also extends well beyond critical care.
Respiratory therapists can be involved in:
- Mechanical ventilation
- Noninvasive ventilation
- Oxygen therapy
- Aerosol medication delivery
- Airway management
- Tracheostomy care
- Pulmonary function testing
- Bronchoscopy assistance
- Cardiopulmonary resuscitation
- Neonatal and pediatric respiratory care
- Pulmonary rehabilitation
- Sleep medicine
- Patient education
- Home oxygen and respiratory equipment
- Transport of critically ill patients
Respiratory Care Week helps explain these responsibilities to patients, hospital administrators, students, and the public.
It can also help respiratory therapists receive recognition from coworkers who may interact with them every day without fully understanding the knowledge and clinical judgment required in respiratory care.
The Role of Respiratory Therapists
Respiratory therapists specialize in disorders affecting breathing, ventilation, oxygenation, and cardiopulmonary function.
Their patients may have relatively mild respiratory problems or life-threatening conditions requiring immediate intervention.
Emergency and Critical Care
Respiratory therapists are commonly involved when patients develop acute respiratory distress or respiratory failure.
They may assist with airway management, prepare equipment for intubation, establish mechanical ventilation, monitor ventilator parameters, obtain arterial blood gases, administer oxygen, deliver aerosolized medications, and evaluate how patients respond to treatment.
They are also frequently members of rapid response and code teams.
Mechanical Ventilation
One of the most recognizable responsibilities of respiratory therapists is managing patients who require mechanical ventilation.
The respiratory therapist evaluates ventilator settings, pressures, volumes, waveforms, oxygen requirements, patient-ventilator interaction, airway patency, and other clinical findings.
They also participate in determining when ventilatory support can be reduced and whether the patient is ready for spontaneous breathing trials and eventual extubation.
Neonatal and Pediatric Care
Respiratory therapists may care for premature infants whose lungs are not fully developed, newborns experiencing respiratory distress, and children with conditions such as asthma, bronchiolitis, pneumonia, croup, cystic fibrosis, and congenital disorders.
Some therapists specialize specifically in neonatal and pediatric respiratory care and work in neonatal intensive care units, pediatric intensive care units, emergency departments, and transport teams.
Pulmonary Diagnostics
Respiratory therapists can also perform diagnostic procedures that help healthcare providers evaluate lung function.
Pulmonary function tests measure different aspects of breathing and may help identify obstructive or restrictive abnormalities, assess disease severity, evaluate responses to bronchodilators, and monitor changes over time.
Chronic Respiratory Disease Management
Not every patient seen by a respiratory therapist is critically ill.
Respiratory therapists also help patients manage chronic diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), pulmonary fibrosis, bronchiectasis, cystic fibrosis, and other cardiopulmonary conditions.
Education may include proper inhaler technique, oxygen safety, medication use, airway clearance, breathing techniques, disease management, smoking cessation, and recognition of worsening symptoms.
Respiratory Care Week and Lung Health Awareness
Respiratory Care Week is not only about recognizing healthcare professionals. It also provides an opportunity to educate people about protecting their lungs.
Many respiratory conditions are influenced by factors that can be prevented, controlled, or identified earlier.
Educational activities during Respiratory Care Week may focus on topics such as:
- Smoking cessation
- Vaping and lung health
- Asthma control
- COPD awareness
- Lung cancer screening
- Indoor and outdoor air pollution
- Respiratory infection prevention
- Vaccinations
- Proper inhaler technique
- Home oxygen safety
- Sleep-disordered breathing
- Pulmonary rehabilitation
Respiratory therapists are particularly well suited to provide this education because they regularly see the effects respiratory disease can have on patients and their families.
What is Lung Health Day?
Lung Health Day is an observance focused specifically on educating the public about respiratory health.
The AARC launched Lung Health Day in 2003 as a way to promote better lung health among consumers. According to the organization’s historical timeline, Lung Health Day is held each year on the Wednesday of Respiratory Care Week.
Because Respiratory Care Week runs from October 25 through October 31 in 2026, the Wednesday of that week falls on October 28, 2026.
Lung Health Day provides an excellent opportunity for respiratory departments to shift some attention from professional recognition toward public education.
Hospitals or schools might offer lung health screenings, teach proper inhaler techniques, distribute educational materials, discuss smoking cessation, demonstrate pulmonary function testing, or provide information about common respiratory diseases.
The overall goal is simple: encourage people to understand how their lungs work, recognize potential respiratory problems, and take reasonable steps to protect their respiratory health.
How to Celebrate Respiratory Care Week
Respiratory Care Week can be celebrated in many different ways. The best activities generally combine employee recognition, education, teamwork, and public awareness.
Provide a Department Meal
A catered breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snack table is one of the easiest ways to recognize respiratory therapists.
This can be especially helpful in hospital departments that operate around the clock. If possible, make sure night-shift employees receive the same recognition as those working during the day.
Departments can also organize potluck meals or arrange for local restaurants to provide food.
Recognize Individual Accomplishments
Respiratory Care Week is an excellent time to recognize professional accomplishments from the previous year.
These might include:
- Earning a new credential
- Completing a degree
- Obtaining specialty certification
- Serving on hospital committees
- Participating in research
- Training new employees
- Mentoring respiratory therapy students
- Receiving positive patient feedback
- Reaching an employment anniversary
Recognition does not need to be elaborate. A certificate, department announcement, appreciation board, or personal thank-you from leadership can be meaningful.
Host Respiratory Care Trivia
Trivia competitions can make Respiratory Care Week more interactive.
Questions can cover respiratory anatomy, mechanical ventilation, pharmacology, oxygen therapy, arterial blood gases, respiratory history, or interesting facts about the profession.
Some respiratory therapy programs and departments also organize a Sputum Bowl, a respiratory care knowledge competition traditionally associated with the profession.
Offer Continuing Education
Respiratory Care Week can also be used for professional development.
A department might invite physicians, respiratory therapists, nurses, educators, equipment manufacturers, or other specialists to give presentations about new treatments, equipment, research, or clinical practices.
Educational sessions provide value beyond the celebration itself and can encourage employees to continue developing their clinical knowledge.
Decorate the Respiratory Department
Posters, banners, balloons, bulletin boards, photos, and respiratory-themed decorations can make the department feel more festive during the week.
A recognition board featuring team members can be particularly effective. Departments might include staff photos, credentials, years of experience, specialty areas, or short statements explaining why each person chose respiratory therapy.
Organize Friendly Competitions
Friendly competitions can provide a break from routine work and encourage interaction among team members.
Ideas include:
- Respiratory trivia
- Step-count challenges
- Department scavenger hunts
- Photo contests
- Airway equipment identification games
- Ventilator waveform challenges
- Respiratory terminology games
The goal should be participation and team building rather than making the competition overly serious.
Thank a Respiratory Therapist
One of the simplest ways to participate is to thank a respiratory therapist.
Patients, nurses, physicians, administrators, students, family members, and coworkers can use the week as an opportunity to recognize someone who has made a difference.
A handwritten card or sincere conversation may be more meaningful than an expensive gift.
Respiratory Care Week Ideas for Hospitals
Hospitals have a unique opportunity to make Respiratory Care Week visible beyond the respiratory therapy department.
One option is to set up an informational table in a high-traffic area of the hospital. Respiratory therapists can answer questions about lung health, demonstrate respiratory equipment, or distribute educational materials.
Hospitals can also use internal communication systems to recognize the department. Announcements may appear on employee newsletters, hospital television screens, intranet pages, social media accounts, or digital signage.
Another useful approach is to involve other departments.
Respiratory therapists work closely with physicians, nurses, pharmacists, physical therapists, speech-language pathologists, emergency personnel, and many other professionals. Collaborative activities can strengthen those relationships while helping coworkers better understand respiratory care.
Leadership can also highlight respiratory therapists who participate in rapid response teams, intensive care rounds, quality improvement projects, patient education programs, or hospital committees.
Respiratory Care Week Ideas for RT Students
Respiratory therapy students can participate even if they have not yet entered professional practice.
Schools can organize educational events, competitions, appreciation lunches, guest lectures, or community outreach projects.
Students might also create presentations explaining respiratory therapy to other students on campus. This can be especially useful because many people have never heard of respiratory therapy before encountering an RT in a hospital.
Program faculty might invite graduates back to speak about their careers in areas such as adult critical care, neonatal and pediatric care, flight transport, pulmonary function testing, sleep medicine, education, management, or home care.
Respiratory Care Week can therefore serve as both a celebration and a career-development opportunity.
How to Raise Awareness During Respiratory Care Week
Increasing awareness of respiratory therapy does not necessarily require a large budget. Consistent educational outreach can often have a greater impact than elaborate events.
- Use Social Media: Share photos, educational facts, employee spotlights, respiratory health tips, and explanations of what respiratory therapists do.
- Feature Respiratory Therapists: Introduce members of the department and highlight their credentials, specialties, experience, or career stories.
- Visit Schools: Respiratory therapists can participate in high school or college career events to introduce students to the profession.
- Create Educational Displays: Set up displays explaining mechanical ventilation, oxygen therapy, airway management, pulmonary function testing, or common lung diseases.
- Offer Lung Health Education: Provide information about asthma, COPD, smoking cessation, respiratory infections, and other important topics.
- Contact Local Media: Hospitals and schools can submit information about Respiratory Care Week to local newspapers, television stations, radio programs, or community websites.
- Share Career Information: Explain the education, credentialing, clinical responsibilities, and career opportunities associated with becoming a respiratory therapist.
- Recognize the Department Publicly: Hospital leadership can feature respiratory therapists in employee communications or official social media posts.
The AARC also provides planning materials, promotional graphics, activity ideas, and media resources for organizations participating in Respiratory Care Week.
Respiratory Care Week Social Media Ideas
Social media gives respiratory departments and individual therapists a simple way to introduce the profession to people who may know very little about respiratory care.
Instead of posting only a generic “Happy Respiratory Care Week” graphic, consider sharing educational content throughout the week.
For example, a department could dedicate each day to a different part of respiratory care:
- Sunday: Meet the respiratory therapy team
- Monday: Mechanical ventilation and critical care
- Tuesday: Asthma and COPD education
- Wednesday: Lung Health Day
- Thursday: Neonatal and pediatric respiratory care
- Friday: Respiratory therapy career information
- Saturday: Staff appreciation and highlights from the week
Photos should always follow facility policies regarding patient privacy and social media.
Common hashtags may include:
- #RespiratoryCareWeek
- #RCWeek
- #RCWEEK26
- #RespiratoryCare
- #RespiratoryTherapy
- #RespiratoryTherapist
- #LungHealth
Respiratory Care Week Memes
Respiratory Care Week does not have to be entirely serious. Respiratory therapists have developed their own culture and sense of humor around the unusual situations they encounter at work.
Memes about ventilators, breathing treatments, sputum, blood gases, pulse oximeters, frequent pages, difficult shifts, and interactions with other healthcare professionals are common within the respiratory therapy community.
Sharing appropriate respiratory therapy memes can add some humor to the week and give coworkers something relatable to enjoy.
Note: Follow Respiratory Therapy Zone on Instagram at @respiratorytherapyzone for respiratory therapy content, educational posts, and memes.
Respiratory Care Week Gift Ideas
Gifts are not required to celebrate Respiratory Care Week, but they can be a thoughtful way to recognize respiratory therapists.
The best gifts are usually practical items employees can use during a shift or small items that show appreciation without becoming overly complicated.
Popular gifts for respiratory therapists may include:
- Insulated water bottles or tumblers
- Coffee mugs
- Gift cards
- Badge reels
- Quality pens
- Lunch bags
- Personalized jackets
- Scrub caps
- Compression socks
- Stethoscope accessories
- Respiratory therapy shirts
- Department-themed gifts
A stethoscope case may be useful for therapists who carry their own equipment, while compression socks can be practical for professionals who spend much of a 12-hour shift on their feet.
Departments can also provide group gifts such as a catered meal, coffee station, snack cart, custom department shirts, or recognition plaques.
The value of the gift is less important than making sure respiratory therapists know their contributions are recognized.
Respiratory Care Week FAQs
When is Respiratory Care Week in 2026?
Respiratory Care Week 2026 takes place from October 25 through October 31, 2026. The observance runs from Sunday through Saturday during the last full week of October.
What is the 2026 Respiratory Care Week Theme?
The 2026 Respiratory Care Week theme is “Every Breath, Every Moment.” The theme emphasizes the important role respiratory therapists play in caring for patients throughout many different stages of illness and recovery.
Who Started Respiratory Care Week?
The first nationally recognized Respiratory Therapy Week was established in 1982 following congressional action and a presidential proclamation. President Ronald Reagan issued Proclamation 4997 recognizing November 7 through November 13, 1982, as National Respiratory Therapy Week.
What is the Purpose of Respiratory Care Week?
The purpose of Respiratory Care Week is to recognize respiratory therapists, increase awareness of the respiratory care profession, and educate people about lung health and respiratory disease.
It is also an opportunity for respiratory departments to promote professional development, teamwork, patient education, and community outreach.
What Does a Respiratory Therapist Do?
A respiratory therapist evaluates and treats patients with breathing and cardiopulmonary disorders. Depending on the setting, responsibilities may include oxygen therapy, mechanical ventilation, airway management, aerosol therapy, arterial blood gas analysis, pulmonary function testing, patient education, neonatal care, emergency care, and cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
Where Do Respiratory Therapists Work?
Respiratory therapists work in hospitals, intensive care units, emergency departments, neonatal units, pediatric units, pulmonary function laboratories, sleep centers, rehabilitation facilities, outpatient clinics, skilled nursing facilities, home care companies, and other healthcare settings.
What is Lung Health Day?
Lung Health Day is an awareness event launched by the AARC in 2003 to promote respiratory health among the public. It is observed on the Wednesday of Respiratory Care Week.
When is Lung Health Day 2026?
Because Respiratory Care Week takes place October 25 through October 31 in 2026, Lung Health Day falls on Wednesday, October 28, 2026.
How Can Hospitals Celebrate Respiratory Care Week?
Hospitals can celebrate by providing meals, recognizing staff achievements, hosting educational sessions, organizing contests, featuring respiratory therapists on hospital social media pages, providing continuing education opportunities, and holding lung health awareness events.
How Can Respiratory Therapy Students Celebrate?
Students can participate in trivia competitions, Sputum Bowl events, community education programs, career fairs, classroom celebrations, guest lectures, social media campaigns, and appreciation activities for instructors and clinical preceptors.
What Are Good Respiratory Care Week Gifts?
Useful gifts include water bottles, tumblers, badge reels, pens, coffee mugs, gift cards, department shirts, compression socks, lunch bags, stethoscope accessories, and personalized respiratory therapy items.
What Are the Best Respiratory Care Week Hashtags?
Common hashtags include #RespiratoryCareWeek, #RCWeek, #RCWEEK26, #RespiratoryCare, #RespiratoryTherapy, #RespiratoryTherapist, and #LungHealth.
Is Respiratory Care Week the Same Dates Every Year?
No. Respiratory Care Week is generally celebrated during the last full week of October, so the exact calendar dates change each year. In 2026, it runs from October 25 through October 31.
Final Thoughts
Respiratory Care Week provides an opportunity to recognize the respiratory therapists who care for patients with everything from chronic breathing problems to life-threatening respiratory failure. In 2026, the celebration takes place from October 25 through October 31 under the theme “Every Breath, Every Moment.”
Whether you celebrate with staff recognition, education, community outreach, social media posts, gifts, or a simple thank-you, the purpose remains the same: increase awareness of respiratory care and recognize the professionals who dedicate their careers to helping patients breathe, recover, and maintain better respiratory health.
Written by:
John Landry is a registered respiratory therapist from Memphis, TN, and has a bachelor's degree in kinesiology. He enjoys using evidence-based research to help others breathe easier and live a healthier life.
References
- Respiratory Care Week – AARC. (n.d.). AARC. Retrieved October 19, 2025, from aarc.org.