RESPIRATORY THERAPIST I

Where You'll Work

Founded in 1946, Dignity Health - French Hospital Medical Center is a 112-bed, acute care, nonprofit hospital located in San Luis Obispo, California. Serving over 150,000 patients annually, the hospital offers a full complement of services including heart care, orthopedics, and a family birthing center. Additionally, French Hospital Medical Center has been recognized as an LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation. It is a Joint Commission-certified Primary Stroke Center, and has achieved an "A" Hospital Safety Grade from The Leapfrog Group for every reporting period since 2012.

One Community. One Mission. One California


Job Summary and Responsibilities

As a Respiratory Therapist, you will join an established team of RTs who share your passion for delivering highly specialized cardiopulmonary care to patients experiencing breathing issues. You'll be instrumental in providing a range of treatments from breathing techniques and nebulizer treatments to ventilator management, oxygen therapies, and external ventilation support.

Every day you will apply your keen assessment skills and critical thinking to manage diverse patient needs, develop and execute effective care plans, and ensure calm, focused intervention in both routine and emergent situations.

To be successful in this role, you will demonstrate a strong sense of urgency, unwavering calm under pressure, and the ability to anticipate outcomes. Your dedication to patient well-being and exceptional problem-solving abilities will drive success in this vital role.

• General Safety
  
  
  • Participates in hospital emergency, fire and disaster drills; knows personal role in case of internal or external disaster; understands role in FAN out situation.
  • Recognizes unsafe acts or conditions and takes action immediately.
  • Operates equipment and performs work-related duties in a safe manner.
  • Reports, labels, and removes any malfunctioning equipment from service, to unit manager, house supervisor and Engineering.
  • Applies good body mechanics when lifting or transferring patients or equipment.
  • Knows where fire extinguishers are located in work area and how to use them.
• Attendance and Reliability
  • Accepts reassignment to other units when necessary.
  • Does not abuse or take advantage of sick time or personal days off per hospital policy.
  • Always provides proper notification and advance notice for absence or tardiness per hospital policy.
  • When requested, is willing to adjust personal schedule in order to complete workload in view of patient activity.
  • Does not allow school or outside classes to interfere with the work schedule. Schedules outside commitments on off- time.
  • Always reports off before leaving the unit.
  • Consistently is on time and ready for work at the start of the shift; requires no start-up time.
  • Accrues only authorized overtime.
• Administers all Respiratory Therapy Modalities per Physician's order
  • Technical/Theoretical knowledge appropriate to the delivery of all respiratory therapy modalities.
  • Adequate assessment skills to apply specific modalities to achieve desired outcome. Ability to perform comprehensive assessment.
  • Ability to document in the medical record pertinent information.
• Therapeutic use of all medical equipment including: Gas cylinders Ventilators Monitors All therapeutic medication delivery devices CPAP/BIPAP
  
  
  • Knowledge to effectively and safely use all therapeutic devices designed to support ventilation, administer medications, including oxygen, and monitor response of patient.
• Chest physiotherapy and breathing exercises, along with patient education
  
  
  • The ability to safely and effectively administer chest physiotherapy to facilitate airway clearance.
  • The ability to clearly and effectively educate patients.
• Perform Cardiopulmonary resuscitation maintenance of natural and artificial airways and tracheostomy care
  • Skill at providing resuscitation and management of airways.

Job Requirements

Required

• Associates Other and Individuals with lessthan one-year experience will beconsidered on an individual basis., upon hire and
• Experience managing trauma and emergency situations. and
• Respiratory Care Practitioner: CA, upon hire and
• Basic Life Support - CPR, within 6 - months and
• Advanced Cardiac Life Support, within 6 - months and
• Pediatric Advanced Life Support, within 6 - months and
• Neonatal Resuscitation Program, within 6 - months

Preferred

• One-year experience in an acute carehospital