Respiratory Therapist ECMO Specialist

Responsibilities

• Provides safe/effective management and monitoring of all forms of mechanical ventilation, ECMO management, and critical care.
  • Provides mechanical ventilatory support safely and effectively to meet objectives identified by the provider and/or protocols.
  • Demonstrates competency in operation and troubleshooting of ventilators.
  • Identifies best mode of ventilation and opportunities to optimize patient-ventilator interface, makes recommendations to provider as appropriate.
  • Assesses readiness to wean, recognizes failure to wean and documents findings.
  • Provides invasive and non-invasive ventilation, ventilation during transport, manual resuscitation by bag/valve device, weaning assessment, respiratory mechanics and waveforms analysis, non-traditional modes and techniques.
  • Manages airway appropriately to include positioning, security, humidification selection and suctioning.
  • Provides Mechanical Circulatory and Extracorporeal Life support to adult patients.
  • Assembles, monitors, and conducts assessment of all extracorporeal life support equipment, circuitry, and adjunct therapies used (i.e.: ultrafiltration, continues A-V hemodialysis, etc.).
  • Individualizes plan of care to meet patient needs.
  • Modifies clinical interventions based on population served.
  • Negotiates decisions within own scope of practice and in the best interest of the patient.
  • Collaborates with nurses and providers to assure respiratory goals are not in conflict with other aspects of patient care.
• Provides respiratory assessment and therapeutic intervention in acute care.
  • Identifies opportunities to improve outcomes by utilization/recommendation of appropriate therapies or interventions.
  • Applies knowledge of approved protocols and clinical indications for interventions and routinely applies protocols to progress patients appropriately.
  • Communicates with the care team to ensure exchange of essential information.
  • Demonstrates competency with operation and troubleshooting of equipment used for therapy.
• Conducts diagnostic testing and analysis.
  • Completes necessary tests to assist in the medical management of the patient.
  • Demonstrates competency in technique and technology to meet standards.
  • Possesses clinical knowledge of interpretation of results and acts accordingly.
  • Complies with policy and procedure as well as processing of report.
• Provides disease management education to patients and families.
  • Recognizes opportunity to increase patient knowledge of disease management and/or coping skills.
  • Reinforces positive patient behaviors and skills during treatment interactions.
  • Possesses and shares knowledge of asthma self-management and COPD education. Including inhaler techniques, peak flow monitoring asthma and COPD education to achieve patient compliance for self-administration, as well as diaphragmatic and pursed lip breathing techniques to alleviate dyspnea.
  • Educates patient and family on Mechanical Circulatory and Extracorporeal Life Support.
• Practices at the level of an expert practitioner in respiratory therapy.
  • Participates in the evaluation of new equipment and implementation of new technology.
  • Mentors and participates in the training of new Respiratory Therapists and Respiratory Therapist ECMO Specialists.
  • Posters a culture of improvement, efficiency, and innovative thinking.
• Other duties as assigned.

• Associates degree from a Commission on Accreditation Respiratory Care (CoARC) accredited Respiratory Care Program
• 3+ years experience in a critical care setting
• 3+ years experience as a Respiratory Therapist

• Bachelor’s degree or higher from a CoARC accredited Respiratory Care Program, Perfusion, or other health science related program
• 3+ years experience as an ECMO specialist

• Licensed Respiratory Therapist-MN Board of Medical Practice required
• Registered Respiratory Therapist-Credentialed by the National Board of Respiratory Care required
• ACLS/BLS Tier 2-Multi-source ACLS/BLS Tier 2-Advanced Cardiac Life Support required
• NRP – Neonatal Resuscitation-Multi-source NRP – Neonatal Resuscitation preferred
• PALS – Pediatric Advance Life Support-Multi-source PALS – Pediatric Advance Life Support within 180…