Respiratory Therapist-RRT

Job Summary:

The Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) is ultimately accountable to the respiratory supervisor and department director and performs under the direct supervision of the Respiratory Therapy Supervisor and is delegated a shift assignment by the supervisor to achieve quality patient care and expected productivity during a routine workflow experience.

Registered Respiratory Therapist must demonstrate quality health care through patient safety interventions and strategies:

• The Registered Respiratory Therapist must demonstrate competency for knowledge/skill/ability for:
  • Provision of appropriate age/growth/cognitive development during care:
    • vital signs
      - Dysfunction signs and symptoms,
    • selection and application of appropriate therapy intervention and
    • size selection for supply/equipment and alarm parameter/alarm adjustments and
    • patient education, including family or significant other when needed to facilitate the understanding required for patient cooperation of procedure and assessments of patient.
• Sensitivity to cultural and religious beliefs of patients, visitors, and staff.
• Adherence to all policy for infection prevention, surveillance, and control and consistent use of proper hand hygiene/standard precaution practice and cleaning/storage of supplies/equipment compliant with guidelines, including, safe use of PPE/eyewash, cold disinfection process.
• Adherence to all safe work s practices such as use of environmental controls (door codes/negative flow treatment room/panic button), operation of hospital beds, and all respiratory medical equipment, office equipment and pneumatic tube system.
• Compliance in HIPPA/EPIC management of patient and your personal health information.
• Preceptorship of students and completion of their daily evaluations.
• Adherence to all work policy and demonstrate ability to work independently with minimal supervision in the completion of routine assigned tasks and department overall daily/shift objectives.
• Understanding of personal behavior effect on departmental PPI goals /outcomes.
• Intuitive practice of established guidelines for:
  • patient identification/ staff identification,
  • use of our EMR along with electronic work lists for the documentation/archival/retrieval/billing of services provided ,
  • inclusion of patients’ cautions, allergies, and co-morbidities for provision of safe patient care,
  • patient report using SBAR at receipt or hand off of patient.
• The indication/implementation/application/cautions and contraindications for respiratory scope of practice procedures (non-invasive and invasive in a systematic manner to include assessment and planning, intervention and monitoring/evaluation in collaboration with the dept. supervisor and multidisciplinary care team as evidenced by documentation in the EMR, direct observation by the supervisor/preceptor and patient evaluation of care. Services to include but not limited to:
  • Expansion Therapy
  • Inhaled medication administration / Sputum Induction and Specimen Collection
  • Airway Management:
    • pulmonary hygiene therapy: CPT (manual and device) and naso-tracheal suction,
    • artificial airway management/suction/extubation/tracheal decannulation,
    • physician requested assistance for crycothyrotomy and tube exchange.
• Invasive and Non-invasive Mechanical Ventilation:
  Initiation/Monitoring/Titration-Weaning and Transport (in house and external) of all ventilatory modes and all currently available brands of equipment and age specific platforms
• Medical Gas Administration
  - Delivery device/Monitoring for desired/adverse effects
• Oxygen and Oxygen/Helium mixture/Cylinder Use/Handling /MRI/Storage
• Air/ oxygen piping system use/shut-off
• Blood Gas/Co-Oximetry:
  Specimen Collection and Analysis/Results Reporting
• Pulse Oximetry /SpO2 Trend Study/ Home O2 Evaluation
• Other duties as assigned

Performance Expectations:

Registered Respiratory Therapist must:

• Demonstrate quality health care through cross training in all areas as their experience supports or as new graduate’s experiences develop the knowledge and skills for areas listed:
  • Neonatal Intensive Care (NICU) and NICU Transport Team
  • Emergency Department (ED)
  • Intensive Care/Coronary Care (ICU/CCU)
  • Pulmonary Function Lab (PF Lab)
  • Or…