Respiratory Therapist, ECMO

Job Description

Respiratory Therapist, ECMO Full-Time Nights

• $20,000 Sign-On Bonus***

We're hiring an Acute Mechanical Circulatory Support/ECMO Specialist (with a background in respiratory therapy) for the Clinical & Procedural department for a Full-Time, Nights shift at the University of Chicago Medicine in Hyde Park, Chicago, IL.

Join one of the nation’s most comprehensive academic medical centers, University of Chicago Medicine, in a patient-centric role as the Acute Mechanical Circulatory Support/ECMO Specialist with our Clinical & Procedural Services division. Our employees deliver world-class care in an environment where opinions are respected, decision-making is rewarded and teamwork is the order of the day. Our staff are encouraged to achieve their career goals, which in turn benefits all of our patients and the University of Chicago Medicine as a whole.

The primary responsibilities of the Acute Mechanical Circulatory Support (AMCS) /ECMO Specialist include providing direct patient care to neonatal, pediatric, and adult patients requiring extracorporeal life support;
Preparing life support systems according to case and age appropriateness;
Assisting the surgeons with initiation of AMCS/ECMO support in emergent situations;
Implementing, operating, managing, troubleshooting the life support system;
Acute Mechanical Circulatory Support/ECMO Specialist functions independently following standing AMCS/ECMO orders and parameters under the direction of a surgeon and the supervision of the AMCS/ECMO Manager;
Assessing patients and equipment continuously during support; providing patient support by continuous monitoring during surgical procedures;
Managing the extracorporeal circuit and diagnosing complications of extracorporeal physiology;
Maintaining communication with managing surgeons;
Troubleshooting equipment as necessary;
Documenting patient care related activities;
Ensuring pump supplies and emergency equipment are readily available at all times;
Discontinuing support as directed by surgery team;
Cleaning equipment;
Other duties as assigned. The AMCS/ECMO Specialist must be able to work in high stress situations and communicate effectively with a multidisciplinary team. They must be able to work collaboratively with physicians and nurses in determining the best management of AMCS/ECMO equipment usage. They manage and maintain all AMCS/ECMO equipment on flight and ground transports.

• Set up and prime ECMO circuits
• Proficient in assisting MD with set up and initiation of ECMO
• Monitors and manages patients that are receiving ECMO
• Evaluates interventions and collaborates with care team members to make changes as necessary
• Collaborates with the care team, and multi-disciplinary team to assure appropriate, safe, cost-effective, timely and efficient care
• Assures that comprehensive documentation of the patients ECMO course is done each shift
• Has knowledge of and utilizes appropriate patient care protocols relating to the physical needs of neonatal, and pediatric patients
• Demonstrates comprehensive knowledge base in area of clinical specialty
• When there are no ECMO needs during your scheduled shift, technician will be required to staff in the neonatal/pediatric respiratory department
• Demonstrates reliability and responsibility to the ECMO program
• Attends and participates in meetings as requested
• Provides support to peers by assisting as needed, being a resource person and working as a team member
• Demonstrates awareness and compliance with hospital policies…