Certified Respiratory Therapist - Department of Medicine

Certified Respiratory Therapist

Join Decypher and make a direct impact on the health and readiness of America's service members, veterans, and their families. Since 2008 Decypher has offered healthcare industry professionals careers where their expertise is valued, and their work makes a meaningful impact. Decypher partners with the Defense Health Agency to deliver professional services, technology, and management solutions. Our mission is to provide and support quality care for our veterans, servicemembers and their families, across the United States.

Job Summary: The Certified Respiratory Therapist provides advanced respiratory care services to critically ill adult, pediatric, neonatal, trauma, and burn patients by performing comprehensive assessments, managing airways and mechanical ventilation, administering specialized therapies, and responding to emergent respiratory situations. This role collaborates with multidisciplinary healthcare teams to deliver high-quality patient care, maintain specialized respiratory equipment, educate patients and staff, and ensure accurate clinical documentation in accordance with established standards and protocols.

Required Qualifications:

• Education:
  • Associates Degree. Graduate from a program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC) or
  • Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP).
  • Can also, be a graduate of a military Pulmonary Respiratory Therapist program. Must have completed an approved Respiratory Therapy educational program accredited by the National Board of Respiratory Care (NBRC), another approved organization or its predecessors.
• Certifications:
  • Possess certification as Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT) by the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC).
  • Advance Life Support (ALS)
  • Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS)
  • Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS)
  • Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP)
  • Basic Life Support (BLS)
• Experience: Must have a minimum of one (1) year of experience within the last two (2) years providing services as a Pulmonary Respiratory Therapist familiar with adult, pediatric and Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) neonatal practices working with premature infants.

U.S. Citizenship is required

Key Responsibilities:

• Perform comprehensive respiratory patient assessments, including review of medical history, physical examination findings, diagnostic studies, and arterial blood gas (ABG) analysis.
• Initiate, monitor, troubleshoot, and discontinue mechanical ventilation and other advanced respiratory life-support systems for adult, pediatric, neonatal, trauma, and burn patients.
• Administer respiratory therapies, including oxygen therapy, aerosolized medications, inhaled nitric oxide, Heliox, CPAP/BiPAP, high-flow oxygen, and lung expansion treatments.
• Collect, process, and interpret arterial blood samples and ABG results, recommending appropriate interventions and ventilator adjustments within established protocols.
• Manage artificial airways, including endotracheal tubes and tracheostomies, and perform suctioning, extubations, tracheostomy tube changes, and airway emergency response.
• Operate, calibrate, maintain, and troubleshoot specialized respiratory therapy equipment, monitoring systems, ventilators, and laboratory devices.
• Respond to emergency situations as a member of rapid response and resuscitation teams, providing airway management and manual ventilation support.
• Collaborate with physicians, nurses, and multidisciplinary healthcare teams to develop, implement, and evaluate patient treatment plans and discharge planning activities.
• Provide education and training to patients, families, respiratory therapy students, military personnel, and healthcare staff on respiratory care procedures, equipment, and best practices.
• Accurately document patient assessments, treatments, outcomes, quality improvement activities, and compliance requirements in electronic medical record systems and departmental reporting processes.

Work Environment & Schedule: On site.

• Day Shift: 0645-1515
• Evening Shift 1445-2315
• Night Shift 2245-0715 7A-7P 0645-1915 7P-7A 1845-071

Physical requirements: Ability to stand and walk for extended periods, lift and move respiratory equipment and patients (up to 50 pounds with assistance as needed), perform repetitive hand movements, and respond quickly in fast-paced clinical and emergency care environments.

Decypher is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer committed to a diverse and inclusive workforce (M/F/D/V)