Registered Respiratory Therapist (Full Time, Nights)

Job Summary

Performs all respiratory therapy patient modalities prescribed under a physician's order. Assigned primarily to MedSurg. If assigned to ICU, will follow the lead of a Registered Respiratory Therapist II or greater.

Job Specific Duties

• Assesses patients in terms of clinical condition (heart rate, respiratory rate, etc.) and documents findings (Pre/Post therapy) in an accurate and timely manner. Provides feedback to physician(s).
  
• Ensures proper communication between physicians and families. Serves as a patient advocate/educator and provides family support and community resources.
  
• Provides patient information and effectively completes hand off process to peers using SBAR at shift change and patient reassignments.
  
• Provides education to patients/families on the continuing plan of care to include medications and side effects; updates patients/families daily on Plan of Care (POC).
  
• Participates in Lean initiative to assess and improve processes for opportunities to deliver higher quality, cost effective care, with greater customer service as measured by metrics.
  
• Participates in rounds with medical team and discusses initial (new) and follow up cases with MD and documents note.
  
• Serves as backup for all emergency codes (blue, rapid response, code orange).
  
• Performs and tests invasive and non-invasive modalities for home ventilators.
  
• Performs basic respiratory therapy for medical/surgical patients such as aerosol delivery, airway clearance, HFNC, Trach care, oral/Nasal suctioning and chest physiotherapy.
  
• Performs and tests invasive and non-invasive ventilators, such as Conventional, HFO, HFJ and Home ventilators. Initiates therapy, and monitors patient/ ventilator. Ensures ventilator is working and documents equipment settings. Manages and documents findings of ETT.
  
• Performs and test Special Gas equipment, such as Nitric Oxide, He-liox, Nitrogen. Initiates therapy and monitors patient. Ensures equipment is working properly and documents equipment settings.
  
• Performs Blood Gases.
  
• Performs all Quality Assurance on equipment and reports any malfunction. Removes equipment and documents if equipment failure impacted patient outcomes. Completes incident report and tags equipment.
  
• Follows all Infection Control standards and ensures proper use of Personal Protective Equipment per hospital policy and procedures to ensure safe patient care.