Respiratory Therapist, Mary and Elizabeth Hospital, 6p-6a

Respiratory Therapist, Registered

The Respiratory Therapist, Registered is a Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) that possesses working knowledge of respiratory care and has displayed age-specific competence for all age groups serviced by the facility. The RRT conducts themselves in a professional manner and is courteous to patients, physicians, visitors, members of the department and all other healthcare personnel. The RRT supports and contributes to departmental productivity and organizational objectives by functioning as an integrated member of the respiratory care team and performs services consistent with the scope of licensure. The RRT supports and exhibits behaviors consistent with the organization's mission and values.

Essential Functions:

• Plans and administers non-medicated aerosol and humidity therapy
• Plans and administers oxygen therapy (including implementation of oxygen therapy protocol where appropriate)
• Plans and administers aerosolized medication and specialty gas therapy
• Performs airway management
• Plans and administers incentive spirometry
• Cleans and reprocesses respiratory therapy equipment
• Plans and administers bronchial hygiene and performs chest physiotherapy (including implementation of bronchial hygiene protocol where appropriate)
• Performs cardiopulmonary resuscitation and manual ventilation during resuscitation attempts and aides in rapid response calls when appropriate
• Provides patient, family, staff and physician education.
• Collects arterial blood samples for blood gas analysis
• Operates mechanical ventilators and manages ventilator settings and weaning per protocols and provider orders
• Assists in cardiopulmonary procedures

Other Functions:

• Serves as a preceptor to newly hired employees and/or respiratory therapy students
• Serves in the charge respiratory therapist role
• Assists in research projects (as directed by departmental and facility leadership)
• Performs electrocardiography studies and places Holter and event monitors as assigned by facility leadership
• Provides patient, family, hospital staff and physician education as appropriate
• Complies with HIPAA privacy and security requirements to maintain confidentiality at all times
• Maintains compliance with all company policies, procedures and standards of conduct
• Performs other duties as assigned

Job Requirements (Education, Experience, Licensure and Certification)

Education:

• Associate degree in Cardiopulmonary Services or Respiratory Care from an accredited respiratory therapy educational program (required)
• Bachelor's Degree Cardiopulmonary Services or Respiratory Care from an accredited respiratory therapy educational program (preferred)

Experience:

• One year of experience in respiratory therapy critical care (preferred)
• New graduates accepted

Licensure:

• Active license as a Respiratory Care Practitioner from the Kentucky Board of Respiratory Care (KBRC) (required)

Certification:

• Registered Respiratory Therapist by the National Board of Respiratory Care (NBRC) and must be kept current, if applicable (required). Note: New graduates have 6 months to obtain the RRT credential.
• American Heart Association Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers (required)
• American Heart Association Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) (required)

Note: New graduates have 6 months to obtain ACLS