Registered Respiratory Therapist

Job Title

Respiratory Therapist

Duties

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• Identify and distinguish the indications, contraindications, and general hazards, complications in preparation, performance, and post care of bronchoscopic procedures.
• Role of a respiratory therapist in diagnostic bronchoscopy procedures.
• Monitor and evaluate the patient's clinical condition with pulse oximetry, electrocardiogram, exhaled gas analysis, and other related diagnostic devices.
• Develop, administer, evaluate, and modify respiratory care plans in the acute-care setting, using evidence-based medicine, protocols, and clinical practice guidelines.
• Communicate and educate to empower and engage patients.
• Understand the etiology, anatomy, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment of cardiopulmonary diseases (e.g., asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) and comorbidities.
• Use of evidence-based medicine in the development and application of hospital-based respiratory care protocols.
• Evaluate and treat patients in a variety of settings, using the appropriate respiratory care protocols.
• Patient Assessment: Complete the assessment through direct contact, chart review, and other means as appropriate and share the information with healthcare team members.
• Review and interpret pulmonary function studies (spirometry) and pulse oximetry.
• Inspect the chest and extremities to detect deformation, cyanosis, edema, clubbing, and other anomalies.
• Measure and document oxygen saturation with oximetry under all appropriate conditions (with or without oxygen at rest and during sleep, ambulation, and exercise).
• Essential functions may change from time to time to reflect the current trends within the field of respiratory therapy, and to meet the cardio-pulmonary needs of the patients served.
• Maintain interdepartmental relations with other services to accomplish medical center goals.
• Perform basic life support (BLS), advanced cardiovascular life support (ACLS) according to American Heart Association (AHA) guidelines.
• Participate in mass-casualty staffing to provide airway management, manual and mechanical ventilatory life support, medical gas administration, aerosol delivery of bronchodilators and other agents in the resuscitation of respiratory and cardiovascular failure.
• Make treatment recommendations based on waveform graphics, pulmonary mechanics, and imaging studies.
• Other duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: There is no set schedule or guaranteed amount of hours.

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