Respiratory Therapist

Respiratory Care Practitioner

Why work for Nebraska Methodist Health System? At Nebraska Methodist Health System, we focus on providing exceptional care to the communities we serve and people we employ. We call it The Meaning of Care – a culture that has and will continue to set us apart. It's helping families grow by making each delivery special, conveying a difficult diagnosis with a compassionate touch, going above and beyond for a patient's needs, or giving a high five when a patient beats a disease or conquers a personal health challenge. We offer competitive pay, excellent benefits and a great work environment where all employees are valued! Most importantly, our employees are part of a team that makes a real difference in the communities we live and work in.

Job Summary

Location: Methodist Physicians Clinic - 1 Edmundson Place Address: 1 Edmundson Place - Council Bluffs, IA Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8am - 4:30pm The Respiratory Care Practitioner is responsible for the assessment of respiratory patients with acute and chronic illnesses, to ensure delivery of clinically appropriate respiratory care diagnostic procedures as prescribed by the medical staff for pediatric, adolescent and adult patients.

Essential Job Functions

1. Performs routine and complex modalities of respiratory care independent of direct supervision.

• Demonstrates competency on all therapeutic modalities performed.
• Completes high-risk/low-volume skill checklist satisfactorily.
• Council Bluffs Pulmonology: Performs pulmonary functioning testing.

2. Documents procedures in patient record according to departmental procedure.

• Documents patient assessment, interventions and progress in the medical information system.
• Updates the patient care plans and goals to reflect appropriate patient care needs.

3. Develops/reviews/revises plan of care as needed to provide optimum patient care outcome.

• Receives and interprets physician orders according to professional field of knowledge.
• Evaluates patients in cooperation with attending physician.
• Recommends appropriate care based on American Association of Respiratory Care (AARC) clinical practice guidelines.
• Council Bluffs Pulmonology: Provide pre-treatment education on lung health, prescribed medications/therapies.

4. Regularly communicates with other patient care team members to exchange information regarding condition and progress of assigned patients.

• Communicates with provider, nurse and/or other caregivers on patient assessment & diagnostic testing results.
• Communicates to appropriate personnel regarding unresolved issues.

5. Maintains continuity of services to ensure optimum and timely patient care interventions.

• Provides diagnostic procedures and ABG's for lab within the Respiratory Care Practitioner's scope of practice.

6. Assists the department achieve a Patient Satisfaction rate >95%.

• Is viewed as informative and helpful by patient.
• Assists with patient needs when asked whenever possible.

7. Works toward improving interdepartmental relations.

• Helps educate nursing and ancillary staff regarding Respiratory Care procedures.

8. Council Bluffs Pulmonology: Responsible for training, technical oversight and evaluation of other staff members performing PFT testing.

This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive. The employee may be required to perform other related duties assigned to meet the ongoing needs of the organization.

Schedule:

Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8am - 4:30pm

Job Requirements

Education

• Associate of Science Degree with a certificate in Respiratory Care required.
• Bachelor of Science Degree with a certificate in Respiratory Care preferred.

Experience

• 3 to 6 months of on-the-job experience to gain knowledge of policies, procedures and routines required.

License/Certifications

• Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) with the National Board of Respiratory Care (NBRC) required within 12 months of accepting the Advanced Practitioner position.
• For MPC – RRT required within 18 months of accepting the Advanced Practitioner position.
• Respiratory Care Practitioner (RCP.NE or RCP.IA) license for work state required.
• Current American Heart Association or American Red Cross Basic Life Support (BLS) required at time of hire
• For MPC - BLS required within 3 months of hire.
• Current American Heart Association Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) required.

Skills/Knowledge/Abilities

• Requires a high degree of ability and skill in written and verbal communication to accurately relay appropriate and high-quality recommendations to other members of the patient care team.

Physical Requirements

Weight Demands

• Medium Work - Exerting up to 50 pounds of force.

Physical Activity

• Occasionally Performed (1%-33%):
• Climbing
• Crawling
• Kneeling
• Sitting
• Frequently Performed (34%-66%):
• Balancing
• Carrying
• Crouching
• Distinguish colors
• Keyboarding/typing
• Lifting
• Pulling/Pushing
• Repetitive Motions
• Standing
• Stooping/bending
• Twisting
• Walking
• Constantly Performed (67%-100%):
• Grasping
• Hearing
• Reaching
• Seeing/Visual
• Speaking/talking

Job Hazards

• Not Related:
• Explosives (pressurized gas)
• Electrical Shock/Static
• Radiation Alpha, Beta and Gamma (particles such as X-ray, Cat Scan, Gamma Knife, etc.)
• Radiation Non-Ionizing (Ultraviolet, visible light, infrared and microwaves that causes injuries to tissue or thermal or photochemical means)
• Rare (1-33%):
• Chemical agents (Toxic, Corrosive, Flammable, Latex)
• Mechanical moving parts/vibrations
• Occasionally (34%-66%):
• Biological agents (primary air born and blood born viruses) (Jobs with Patient contact) Blood or Body Fluid (BBF)
• Physical hazards (noise, temperature, lighting, wet floors, outdoors, sharps) (more than ordinary office environment)
• Equipment/Machinery/Tools

About Methodist:

Nebraska Methodist Health System is made up of four hospitals in Nebraska and southwest Iowa, more than 30 clinic locations, a nursing and allied health college, and a medical supply distributorship and central laundry facility. From the day Methodist Hospital was chartered in 1891, service to our communities has been a top priority. Financial assistance, health education, outreach to our diverse communities and populations, and other community benefit activities have always been central to our mission.

Nebraska Methodist Health System is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other classification protected by Federal, state or local law.