Respiratory Therapist - Local Travel Opportunity (12-Week | Full-Time Hours | Tiger Flex)

Respiratory Therapist

Shift: Three 12-hour shifts per week, days or evenings Department: Respiratory Therapy

Compensation:

In exchange for meeting special scheduling commitments to work a 12-week based program the following premium rates apply:

· Base Pay Range: $41.16/hour

· Special Pay: Additional $20.00 per hour (Tiger Flex Differential)

· Shift Differentials:

o Additional $2.75 per hour for evening shifts

o Additional $4.00 per hour for night shifts

o Additional $3.00 per hour for weekend shifts

o Additional $5.75 per hour for weekend evening shifts

o Additional $7.00 per hour for weekend night shifts

ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT

MU Health Care is seeking a compassionate and dedicated Respiratory Therapist for a local 12-week Tiger Flex assignment. This opportunity is designed for candidates in or near the Columbia, MO area who are looking to stay local while gaining travel-style experience. As a Respiratory Therapist at MU Health Care, you'll be at the forefront of our mission to provide top-notch patient care, bringing empathy, quick thinking, and a commitment to excellence to every interaction.

We support multiple specialty Intensive Care Units—including Medical, Cardiac, Neuroscience, Surgical, Neonatal, and Pediatric ICUs—within a designated Level I Trauma Center. With 188 intensive care beds and 572 acute care beds, therapists have the opportunity to care for high-acuity, complex patient populations. In addition, our Level III Nursery provides specialized respiratory support for premature and medically fragile newborns.

Therapists work with a wide array of invasive and non-invasive ventilator platforms, including Servo, Hamilton, Drager, Bella Vista, and the Nihon Kohden 330, ensuring experience with modern and advanced respiratory technologies. Our department also utilizes several Respiratory Therapist–driven protocols—Bronchodilator, Ventilator, ED Assess & Treat, and Airway Clearance—to support therapist autonomy and optimize patient outcomes.

Respiratory therapists are actively engaged in advanced respiratory care, including invasive and non-invasive ventilation management, airway management, aerosol therapy, airway clearance techniques, emergency response, and neonatal/pediatric respiratory support. Therapists also have opportunities to grow into expanded roles—such as serving on the Children's Transport Team as a Transport RT.

Professional development is supported through a structured RT Career Ladder, encouraging skill advancement, leadership development, and ongoing clinical education. Our department recently completed a renovation that includes updated workspaces, dedicated meeting rooms, and a large staff break room designed to support collaboration, comfort, and team cohesion.

At University of Missouri Health Care, our Respiratory Therapy Department offers a dynamic, supportive environment where therapists can develop a broad clinical skill set, engage in high-acuity patient care, and advance their careers within a progressive and collaborative practice setting.

ABOUT THE JOB

MU Healthcare is looking for a compassionate and dedicated Respiratory Therapist to join our dynamic team. As a Respiratory Therapist at MU Healthcare, you'll be at the forefront of our mission to provide top-notch healthcare services. We are seeking an individual who embodies empathy, quick thinking, and a commitment to excellence. If you are ready to be part of a team that values your expertise and compassion, and if you're excited about playing a crucial role in patient well-being, we encourage you to apply. Join us in shaping the future of healthcare, one breath at a time.

ABOUT MU HEALTH CARE

MU Health Care is proud to be named one of Forbes' Best-in-State Employers seven years in a row, and that's largely a result of the incredible culture and team we've built. At MU Health Care, we have an inspired, hard-working and collaborative environment driven by our mission to save and improve lives. Here, we believe anything is possible and rally around solutions. We celebrate innovation and offer opportunities to be a part of something bigger — to have a voice and role in the work that is serving our community and changing the field of medicine.

Our academic health system — the only in mid-Missouri — is home to seven hospitals, including the region's only Level 1 Trauma Center and region's only Children's Hospital, as well as over 90 specialty clinics. Here you can define your career among our many clinical and nonclinical positions — with growth, opportunity and support every step of the way.

DETAILED JOB DESCRIPTION

• Work independently to administer services via approved protocols and guidelines. Provide Respiratory Therapy Activities including the following collection and analysis of blood gas samples, oxygen therapy and specialty medical gas administration, invasive and non-invasive ventilation, inhaled medication administration, airway clearance techniques and airway maintenance, and pulmonary diagnostic testing and clinical monitoring.
• Act as member of the Code Blue, Rapid Response Team, and Trauma Response Team.
• Provide patient documentation through the electronic medical record.
• Follow infection control and safety standards.
• Educate and advise patients' families on respiratory therapy procedures. Provide education to students and other health care providers.
• Participate in Department Performance Improvement Project.
• Pulmonary Function Lab (with additional training) Perform advanced pulmonary function testing procedures. Assist with basic and advanced bronchoscopy procedures.
• May complete unit/department specific duties as outlined in department documents.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Respiratory Care Practitioner (RCP) licensure by the Missouri Respiratory Care board.
• Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) certification by the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC).

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

Additional license/certification requirements as determined by hiring department.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met with or without reasonable accommodation. The performance of these physical demands is an essential function of the job. This position is very active and requires ambulating, reaching, and moving objects weighing up to and over 20 lbs.

Equal Employment Opportunity

The University of Missouri is an Equal Opportunity Employer.