Registered Respiratory Therapist

Job Title

Respiratory Therapist

Duties

RRTs at this grade level will be responsible for the following assignments with minimal clinical supervision from an RRT at the full performance level in both inpatient and/or outpatient settings.

• Completes patient assessment through direct contact, chart review and other means as appropriate and share the information with health care team members.
• Uses accepted measuring/monitoring tools for determining plan of care.
• Performs duties in the critical area with close supervision to include in- line suctioning, re-positioning and securing endotracheal tube, bag valve mask ventilation, assisting in patient transport and performing patient ventilator assessment.
• Provides outpatient services, such as positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy, oxygen therapy and COPD care.
• Routinely administers prescribed treatments and therapy.
• Fully demonstrates competencies in initiating, monitoring, and documenting all modes of mechanical ventilation including NIPPV.
• Provides airway care for all patients throughout the medical center including assisting with emergency intubation, nasal and endotracheal tube suctioning, and securing endotracheal tubes.
• Maintains competencies in out of operating room airway management and follows most current out of operating room airway management facility memorandum.
• Immediately responds to meet the need of patients requiring cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
• Maintains basic life support credentials.
• Completes barcode medication administration in accordance with department policies and procedures.
• Routinely measures plateau pressure, cuff pressures, response to therapies, pulmonary mechanics, auto- PEEP, weaning parameters, RSBI, peak expiratory flow rate, and pulse oximetry, on mechanically ventilated patients.
• Actively collaborates with physicians, nurses, and other staff, to develop plans of care.
• Is knowledgeable of universal precautions and sterilization techniques and ability to follow CDC guidelines in cleaning equipment as appropriate.
• Interprets request from physician for appropriateness of requested procedure.
• Carries out the appropriate request made by practitioners or seeks assistance of respiratory therapy supervision, when an uncommon, unique or new procedure is requested.
• Is knowledgeable of electronic medical record (EMR) and can use the record to access pertinent patient information as needed.
• Consult discrepancies are noted and acted upon as they are received. Corrective action is taken as per policies and procedures.
• Completes all procedure requests in a timely manner.
• Keeps current with changes in policies and procedures and utilizes reference material and other resources to resolve problems.
• Notifies supervisor, in accordance with policies and procedures, of any problems that cannot be resolved by conventional means.
• Operates and maintains diagnostic medical equipment to perform standard and routine highly specialized procedures related to respiratory therapy.
• Associates clinical status with normal and abnormal values in accordance with basic standards.
• Recommends modifications to correct abnormal results, if applicable.
• Immediately calls and properly documents all critical results to appropriate personnel in accordance with policies and procedures enabling clinical intervention as soon as possible.
• Follows established policies and procedures when assembling, identifying, calibrating and troubleshooting equipment.
• Uses supplies and equipment according to manufacturer's specifications, and as per departmental policies and procedures.
• Maintains all administrative and clinical competencies.
• Completes all required hospital mandatory training within established time frames to meet organizational and departmental mission and goals.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Monday through Friday 6:00am - 4:30pm and every other weekend, and 130p-12a Monday through Friday and every other weekend

Functional Statement #: 21N23-A

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized