Respiratory Therapist

CRT or RRT

12 hour shifts

Day Shift

Night shift

Accepting New Graduates!

The Registered Respiratory Therapist will monitor patient progress and administer breathing treatments based on the instructions provided by a physician or Director of Respiratory Services. The RRT will assist in the diagnosis, treatment, and management of patients with pulmonary disorders. They will collect and analyze sputum, blood, and breath specimens to determine levels of oxygen, carbon dioxide, and other gases. The RRT will perform necessary procedures with non-invasive methods such as CPAP and BIPAP therapies, educate and counsel staff members on basic respiratory therapy procedures, and engage in diagnostic evaluation, treatment and control of deficiencies and abnormal functions found in the resident's cardiopulmonary system.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities:

• Check orders - making sure all match and are present.
• Ventilator checks every 4 hours.
• Oxygen therapy with all modalities.
• Equipment changes as scheduled.
• Suctioning - RCP's responsibility, licensed nursing to assist.
• Trach care - to be done BID.
• Breathing treatments as ordered - Nebs, MDI's, and DPI's.
• Chart in a timely manner
• New respiratory modality set ups and physical assessments.
• Report to next shift and nursing.
• Communication with nurses and other team members for the best continuity of care for the patient.
• Any other duties assigned per Administrator, Director of Nursing, Respiratory Director, parc Unit Manager, Charge Nurse, or designee within the scope of practice.
• Patient care conferences - suggest therapies, report progress made, and future scheduling.
• Communication/call physician and explain briefly what is needed by the patient and why. Discuss what is needed with the Respiratory Director or Charge Nurse first and receive input.
• Specimen retrievals.
• ABG's and Allen's testing.
• Cleaning and assembling equipment and its proper storage.
• Proper use of respiratory equipment and the ability to adapt equipment to meet the needs of the patient.
• On-site patient evaluations (as assigned by Admissions Coordinator, Director of Respiratory Care or designee) for probable admissions.
• Order appropriate respiratory supplies and equipment for patients.
• Maintain all respiratory care supplies.
• Maintain proper operation of respiratory equipment per manufacturer's standards.
• Stock and maintain the proper emergency equipment in patient's room.
• Apply respiratory equipment to patient and evaluate its effectiveness.
• Review transfer orders on admission patients and have appropriate respiratory equipment available.
• Review respiratory therapy orders.
• Maintain ventilators. Clean per policy.
• Ventilator tubing changes per policy.
• Disposable equipment changes per policy.
• Disposable equipment changes per policy.
• Ventilator management per physician's orders.
• Provide respiratory therapy treatments and procedures.
• Educate residents, families, and staff as to what pertains to the respiratory treatment and safety of the residents.
• Emergent and routine trach changes.
• Perform trach care and disposable inner cannula changes.
• Routine and emergency trach changes on established trach patients. Decannulation of tracheotomies per physician order. Documentation to be charted in respiratory care section of the chart.
• Inflating/deflating trach cuffs. Performing inflating and deflating techniques using the minimal occluding technique.
• Provide monitoring of Ventilator/Trach patients with meals monitoring swallowing, cuff inflation/deflation, and perform suctioning if needed. Information will be charted in respiratory care section of the chart.
• Assist residents with the use of the speaking valve.
• Set up oxygen concentrators, E-tanks, and portable devices upon doctor's orders.
• Label and tag all equipment according to policy.
• Room air pulse oximetry will be obtained prior to setup.
• Report findings to charge nurse or designee and chart in the appropriate area in the chart.
• Maintain oxygen equipment, tubing changes per policy, and chart in the appropriate area in the chart.
• Setup and delivery of nebulizer treatment, label and tag all equipment.
• Chart in respiratory care section of the chart.
• Maintain nebulizer equipment, medicine cup changes per policy, and chart in respiratory care section of the chart.
• Setup, deliver, label, and tag all suction equipment.
• Chart in respiratory care section of the chart.
• Perform suctioning of vent patients with Ballard suctioning equipment, sterile suction catheters, and Yankauer.
• Perform suctioning via sterile suction catheters for deep suction of non-vented residents upon physician order.
• Suctioning of all residents may be performed independently after orientation competencies have been completed.
• Setup, deliver, label, and tag all BIPAP and CPAP equipment.
• Chart in respiratory care section of the chart.
• Maintain CPAP/BIPAP equipment, tubing, and masks per policy, and chart in respiratory care section of the chart.
• Initial ventilator setup and admission, respiratory evaluation (heart rate, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, and lung sounds) will be performed and confirmed as accurate by an RRT/CRT.
• Perform ventilator checks every 4 hours.
• Setting changes will be performed according to the ventilator plan set forth by the Physician and Respiratory Director and may be completed by the Respiratory Therapy Technician.
• Maintain ventilator equipment, tubing, and associated equipment per policy, and chart in the appropriate area of chart.
• Perform tracheostomy care and disposable inner cannula changes. Chart in respiratory care section of the chart.
• Assist RRT/CRT in performing routine tracheostomy changes.

• Perform other tasks as required.

Required/Desired Qualifications:

Education, Training, and Experience:

• high school diploma or equivalent
• Certification from the National Board Respiratory Care
• Current BLS card
• Two years previous experience working with Ventilator/Respiratory care patients in acute care or long-term care facility preferred

Specific skills, knowledge, and abilities:

• Thorough knowledge of general respiratory principles and procedures and understanding of the concepts of aging and the needs and concerns of the elderly population and those with terminal illness.
• Ability to communicate effectively, verbally and in writing, with all levels of health care professionals and support staff.
• Must be able to work under varying degrees of supervision.
• Display positive professional image and enhance positive public relations for the Facility.

Other Special Requirements:

• Tolerate frequent exposure to blood, body tissues, and fluids with occasional exposure to hazardous materials and infectious diseases. As well as frequent exposure to chemicals and latex, and plastic materials used for personal protective equipment.
• Manual dexterity required to operate modern office equipment.

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