Respiratory Therapist - PRN

Respiratory Therapist

Provides critical and emergent care, airway stabilization and management, non-invasive ventilation, and is responsible for acute care ventilators used for continuous short and long term ventilation.

Schedule: PRN

Shift: Variable, as needed

Essential Duties And Responsibilities:

• Performs routine therapies that aid in the treatment, diagnosis, and evaluation of their cardiopulmonary status.
• Initiates, monitors, evaluates, and weans invasive and non-invasive ventilation.
• Makes parameter recommendations based on clinical assessment, technical assessment, patient compliance, patient response, laboratory values, and patient status.
• Initiates and provides on-going evaluation of treatment regime including medication delivery and oxygen administration through therapist driven protocols by performing patient assessments to determine the needs related to treatment therapies, frequencies, and duration of treatment regime ordered by physician.
• Assesses patients clinically before and after the administration or application of any medication, procedure, or device; recommends appropriate therapy including initial therapy, changes in therapy, and discontinuation.
• Monitors, assesses, educates, and documents the patient and/or family on therapies, medications, goals of therapies, and equipment during treatment.
• Documents work timely, completely, and accurately including documentation in the patient electronic medical record and departmental records.
• Demonstrates competence in the set-up, calibration, and troubleshooting of mechanical ventilators, noninvasive ventilation devices, therapeutic bronchoscopies and pulmonary function screens.
• Cleans using high level disinfection, assembles, and maintains equipment and the stocking of departmental supplies.
• Performs and documents emergency rounds, oxygen saturation checks, and titrates oxygen per protocol during oxygen and aerosol rounds.
• Performs therapies in strict compliance to universal precautions and proper body mechanics, using sound judgment in evaluating situations, and taking appropriate action when necessary.
• Responds to emergent care situations in the hospital and assists with resuscitation by providing chest compressions, airway management, airway stabilization, and ventilatory support in accordance with the American Heart association guidelines and as directed by the Code Team Leader.
• Transports adult patients on mechanical ventilators, non-invasive ventilation devices, and critically ill to intrahospital procedures and testing.
• Provides developmentally appropriate care to support the various patient populations during their hospitalization. Demonstrates competence in the care of pediatric and adult patients (when/if assigned to these patients) relative to determining each patient's age related and other physical, psycho-social, and cultural needs.
• Assists with the orientation process for new employees and employees orienting to adult specialty care units. Mentors students on clinical rotation as needed.
• Acts as the charge therapist in the absence of the Lead Respiratory Therapist on a rotational basis as assigned, performing the duties and responsibilities described in that job description to the best of your ability.
• Engage in a project related to the department, community, or respiratory care profession:
• Obtains or maintains an additional certification or specialty credential (manager approval required)
• Participates in community education events relating to procedures performed, disease processes, medications, and treatments relating to respiratory care.
• Perform QA & PI
• Assist with The Joint Commission accreditation and maintaining survey readiness
• Participates in facility committees on behalf of Respiratory Therapy
• Maintains proficiency in the processing and interpreting of point of care (POC) blood gases, glucose, and electrolytes; and collaborates on quality control with the POC Coordinator (at applicable locations only)
• May require on call coverage as needed.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Education And Experience:

• Graduate of an accredited Respiratory Care Program
• Minimum 1 year respiratory experience required, 6 months critical care

Certification And Licensure:

• RRT- CRT will be accepted for RTs that are not eligible for RRT. All other CRTs must earn RRT within 1 year of hire.
• CPR
• NRP within 90 days of orientation, for those departments requiring delivery attendance
• IL and/ or WI Respiratory Care Practitioner license

Additional Requirements:

• Passing the WI Caregiver Background Check and/or IL Health Care Workers Background Check.
• Must be able to follow written/oral instructions.

Skills And Abilities:

Good mathematical and interpersonal skills

Information Access:

Partner may access patient care information needed to perform their job duties. OR Partner may access patient care information, financial data, human resource data and strategic and planning data needed to perform their job duties as directed by the director.

Work Contact Group:

Partners, physicians, patients/family, visitors, vendors, community

Special Physical Demands:

The Special Physical Demands are considered Essential Job Functions of the position with or without reasonable accommodations.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand; walk; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; climb, balance, talk, and hear. The employee is occasionally required to sit, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl, taste, and smell. Specific vision abilities required by this job include frequent ability to adjust focus and occasionally distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, and depth perception. The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 50 pounds and occasionally exert up to 100 pounds of force.

Level Of Supervision:

Work requires a moderate level of independent judgment along with good interpretative and interpersonal skills with justification and accountability to Lead, Supervisor, Manager, and Director.

Pay Range:

$32.47 - $50.33

Mercyhealth is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status.

Mercyhealth offers competitive pay and benefits, including retirement, time off, on-demand pay, access to the Employee Assistance Program (EAP), and more.

At Mercyhealth, we don't simply hire people, we empower employee-partners who are passionate about making lives better. As an integrated health system, we deliver exceptional, coordinated care across seven hospitals, 85 primary and specialty clinics, and a team of over 7,500 professionals serving northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin.

Mercyhealth has been nationally recognized for our commitment to our people and culture, including:

• Number one in the nation on AARP's Best Employers for Workers Over 50
• One of Working Mother magazine's 100 Best Companies for Working Mothers
• A Top 50 Company and Top 10 Nonprofit for Executive Women