Respiratory Care Practitioner

Respiratory Therapist

This will be a 12-hour day shift position with hours from 7:00am to 7:00pm, including a weekend and holiday rotation. This position is eligible for a sign on bonus of up to $10,000.

This position supports Mercy's philosophy of patient centered care by providing bedside respiratory care to patients as assigned by supervisors and given on the physician's written order for all respiratory therapy modalities in an inpatient setting. Responsibilities may also include outpatient pulmonary function testing.

Job duties include performing all forms of respiratory therapy according to prescribed physician orders and standing written policies and procedures. This includes ventilator set-up and airway maintenance and monitoring on critical care patients to include all age groups. The role also involves attending and assisting all code blues, high risk deliveries, c-sections, and Met calls house wide. Additionally, the therapist will perform CPAP/Bi-PAP set-up and monitoring, noninvasive cardiology procedures such as EKGs in the Emergency Department, and complete necessary paperwork. The therapist will assist physicians with bedside bronchoscopies, perform oximetry spot checks and oximetry sleep studies, and accurately process corresponding paperwork. They will also perform ABG sticks, utilize the I-Stat machine, and communicate ABG results to nursing staff or physicians. Equipment function checks and cleaning will be performed as necessary in accordance with Respiratory Therapy policies and procedures. The therapist will provide patient education on all modalities of respiratory care, participate in the charge role as applicable, and provide patient education on outpatient services. They will act as a primary preceptor and resource for new staff, follow Mercy's safety guidelines, and promptly report any unsafe conditions, situations, incidents, and injuries.

As applicable if trained in the Pulmonary Function lab, the therapist will perform pulmonary function studies as ordered by a physician in an accurate and responsible manner following manufacturers and departmental policies and procedures. They will ensure that the patient is performing the test to the best of his/her ability by observing the patient and comparing the test results as reproducible on at least three trials. They will perform quality control procedures and maintenance on equipment used in the testing area to ensure accuracy in test results, perform machine calibration each morning prior to testing and log results of calibration, and assist with Trach Clinic.

Knowledge, skills, and abilities include knowledge of anatomy and physiology as related to the respiratory system, use of calculator, verbal and written medical terminology, and excellent communication skills. Professional experience is preferred. Education sufficient to obtain required licensure is required. Licensure, certification, and registration include Registered Respiratory Therapist - National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC), State of Iowa Respiratory Care Practitioner License, Basic Life Support in accordance with the American Heart Association, Neonatal Resuscitation Program certification within 1 year of employment with the exception of PFT Staff, and Iowa Dependent Adult Abuse/Iowa Child Abuse Mandatory Reporter training.

Pay rate type is hourly. Mercy is an independent community-based organization supporting the Cedar Rapids area for over 120 years. Mercy is an equal-opportunity employer. We value diversity, equity, and inclusion and therefore evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, ethnicity, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, civil union status, parental status, religion, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, and other legally protected characteristics.