RRT

Respiratory Therapist

The Respiratory Therapist performs clinical respiratory care techniques in the adult and neonatal critical care areas. The Respiratory Therapist operates in all respiratory care modalities, making judgment decisions, and provides recommendations to licensed practitioners in regard to respiratory care modalities. The Respiratory Therapist evaluates these techniques and reports their findings to the licensed practitioner.

Primary Accountabilities:

1. Initiates and manages invasive and non-invasive ventilation per physicians' orders, including troubleshooting and discontinuation including BiPAP, CPAP, and all modes of mechanical ventilation.
2. Documents care according to Health First policies and procedures, via random check(s), completing shift duties and other assigned tasks in a timely manner, while maintaining confidentiality in all dealings with patients and Associates.
3. Provides exact procedure to correct patient by checking two patient identifiers, and charges appropriately for care provided.
4. Maintains equipment in good working order and troubleshoots when necessary; reports all malfunctioning equipment to appropriate area with detailed documentation of problem.
5. Completes documentation, including patient care, interdisciplinary Plan of Care, patient education, and charges appropriately for care provided.
6. Delivers report to oncoming shift on all patients regarding procedures, assuring completion of workload.
7. Removes only one patient's medication at a time from Pyxis system, and uses Pyxis med slip to appropriately identify two patient identifiers.
8. Reads back and verifies all verbal and telephone orders, reports patient information to the appropriate Associate in a timely manner, following established approach for reporting including an opportunity to ask and respond to questions.
9. Responds to STAT calls within appropriate time frame with proper equipment.
10. Follows proper infection control procedures for care provided, and proper hand washing technique.
11. Communicates effectively to educate patients, family and staff on Respiratory Care procedures, while participating in patient experience initiatives.
12. Participates in department education, committees, or skills fairs as required by leadership.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Education: Associates degree in Health Sciences relevant field.
• Work Experience: None
• Licensure: Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) licensure in the State of Florida.
• Certification:

1. American Heart Association Basic Life Support (AHA BLS) Healthcare Provider Completion Card prior to start date and maintained.
2. American Heart Association Advanced Cardiac Life Support (AHA ACLS) Healthcare Provider Completion Card within ninety (90) days of start date and maintained.
3. If in Hospital Environment: American Heart Association Pediatric Advanced Life Support (AHA PALS) Healthcare Provider Completion Card within ninety (90) days of start date and maintained.
4. Additional certifications to meet unit specific care requirements.

• Skills/Knowledge/Abilities:

1. Must have good communication and interpersonal skills.
2. Must have good organizational and prioritizing skills.
3. Must be able to prioritize and have excellent organizational ability.
4. Ability to make decisions concerning appropriate therapy and patient care.
5. Ability to rapidly respond to life-threatening situations.
6. Keeps abreast of issues regarding departmental changes, and new modalities in the field of Respiratory Care.
7. Ability to be self-motivated and self-disciplined and able to work independently.
8. Ability to perform acute and intensive care functions for the adult/pediatric patient.
9. Demonstrate ability to interpret CXR for ETT, Pulmonary Artery, and IABP catheter placement, as well as the ability to interpret basic cardiac/pulmonary complications.
10. Demonstrates ability to initiate Heliox therapy. Understands indications, contraindications, and complications.
11. Demonstrate knowledge and ability to perform emergent intubation, elective oral and nasal intubations.
12. Demonstrates knowledge and ability to perform arterial line insertions.
13. Ability to initiate, troubleshoot, and manage IABP modalities.
14. Proficiency in SVO2 monitoring and calibrations.
15. Ability to pull IABP catheters according to policy (if applicable).
16. Ability to perform bedside pulmonary function testing.
17. Ability to observe and interpret hemodynamic monitoring and cardiac arrhythmias.
18. Ability to auscultate and assess breath sounds.
19. Additional skill checks and competency may include ECG.
20. Must have ability to attend staff meetings and in-services as required; reads and signs off on all staff meeting minutes needed.
21. Demonstrates good stewardship of all hospital equipment and supplies.

Physical Requirements:

• Physically agile; requires walking, standing, running, bending, stooping, kneeling, climbing, or crouching majority of the shift.
• Heavy work that frequently includes lifting or moving objects up to 100 pounds or more with or without assistance.
• May require moving self in different positions to accomplish tasks in various environments including tight and confined spaces, including reaching out and above shoulders or overhead.
• May lift, turn, pull, push, or ambulate people and/or equipment with or without assistance up to 90% of the assigned shift.
• May be exposed to inside environments and outside environments with extreme temperatures, air contamination, dirt, grease, or water.
• May require working with biohazards such as blood/body fluids and airborne particles following OSHA and CDC guidelines.
• May operate various types of manual and motorized equipment used in the transportation of materials.
• May be exposed to intense noise or vibration and awkward or confined work position.
• Communicating with others to exchange information.
• Visual acuity and hand-eye coordination to perform tasks.
• Workspace may vary from open to confined.
• May require travel to various facilities within and beyond county perimeter; may require use of personal vehicle.

About Health First:

At Health First, diversity and inclusion are essential for our continued growth and evolution. Working together, we strive to build and nurture a culture that recognizes, encourages, and respects the diverse voices of our associates. We know through experience that different ideas, perspectives, and backgrounds create a stronger and more collaborative work environment that delivers better results. As an organization, it fuels our innovation and connects us closer to our associates, customers, and the communities we serve.