Respiratory Therapist (Full-time)

Respiratory Care Practitioner

Department: Cardiopulmonary
Status: Full-Time | 1.0 FTE (40 hours/week)
FLSA Status: Non-Exempt
Reports To: Manager: Emergency Department / Med Surg and Respiratory Services
Location: Pagosa Springs Medical Center – Pagosa Springs, Colorado
Schedule: 40 hours/week + On-Call (at least 14 days/month) with a 30-minute expected response time

Position Highlight

Bring your respiratory care expertise to a close-knit hospital where your skills truly matter. This role requires strong acute care, ventilator management, and Pulmonary Function Testing (PFT) experience and offers the opportunity to provide respiratory and cardiopulmonary care across inpatient, outpatient, and emergency settings.

Position Summary

Pagosa Springs Medical Center (PSMC) is seeking an experienced Respiratory Care Practitioner to join our Cardiopulmonary team.

In this role, you will provide assessment, treatment, education, and diagnostic respiratory services to patients and families. You'll use your clinical judgment to assess patients, make appropriate decisions, and modify care in accordance with established protocols. As an integral member of the multidisciplinary care team, you'll also serve as a respiratory care resource to providers and other healthcare professionals.

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced respiratory therapist who enjoys clinical variety, values autonomy, and is comfortable caring for adult and pediatric patients in emergency and acute care settings.

Why Join PSMC?

• Practice across a broad range of respiratory and cardiopulmonary services
• Work with adult, pediatric, adolescent, and geriatric patient populations
• Utilize advanced skills in airway and ventilator management
• Perform both inpatient and outpatient pulmonary diagnostic testing
• Work closely with physicians, nurses, and other members of the multidisciplinary care team
• Serve as a clinical resource and mentor to other staff
• Participate in patient education, care coordination, and clinical decision-making
• Maintain and grow specialized respiratory care knowledge through continuing education
• Make a meaningful impact in a Critical Access Hospital serving a rural mountain community

Key Responsibilities

Respiratory & Acute Care

• Perform respiratory care modalities as prescribed by physicians and licensed independent practitioners
• Assess patients and evaluate their response to respiratory care and treatment
• Recommend appropriate respiratory therapies and modifications based on changes in a patient's clinical condition
• Apply and manage mechanical ventilation and noninvasive ventilation
• Collaborate with providers to recommend adjustments that improve clinical condition and patient comfort
• Perform airway and ventilator management
• Interpret information from invasive and noninvasive monitors and ventilators
• Adapt procedures and treatments to meet the needs of pediatric, adolescent, adult, and geriatric patients

Pulmonary & Cardiopulmonary Diagnostics

• Perform pulmonary and cardiology diagnostic testing in accordance with established policies and procedures
• Perform spirometry and box pulmonary function testing
• Perform walk testing and methacholine challenge testing
• Perform arterial blood gas (ABG) draws and analysis
• Support diagnostic services such as Holter monitoring, stress testing, and pulmonary function testing
• Operate, maintain, troubleshoot, clean, and adjust respiratory and cardiopulmonary equipment and circuitry

Patient Assessment & Education

• Complete respiratory-specific patient assessments and required documentation
• Monitor patient response to therapy and recognize changes requiring intervention
• Provide patient and family education regarding disease processes, treatment plans, medications, and respiratory therapies
• Reinforce provider instructions and previous patient teaching
• Develop teaching plans based on individual patient learning needs
• Promote wellness and help patients and families understand their plan of care
• Participate in interdisciplinary care coordination and communicate concerns to providers and leadership

Medication & Patient Safety

• Safely administer respiratory medications and understand appropriate doses, indications, contraindications, and potential side effects
• Follow established medication administration rights and patient identification procedures
• Follow National Patient Safety Goals and infection prevention practices
• Utilize universal precautions and appropriate infection-control measures
• Promote an environment that optimizes patient safety and reduces the potential for healthcare errors

Clinical Operations & Documentation

• Communicate with ordering providers to ensure orders are accurate and complete
• Review and enter provider orders into the electronic health record as appropriate
• Complete required Cerner documentation
• Verify appropriate charges for respiratory treatments, oxygen, and diagnostic testing
• Manage Respiratory Therapy supply inventory
• Assist providers and other hospital departments as needed
• Participate in departmental goals and daily clinical operations

Team Support & Professional Development

• Serve as a respiratory care resource to providers and other healthcare professionals
• Mentor staff and provide continuous learning support
• Assist with training and competency development for new respiratory care practitioners and multidisciplinary team members
• Participate in the development, review, and implementation of cardiopulmonary policies and procedures as assigned
• Maintain specialized knowledge and skills through continuing education, in-service training, and professional development