Position Summary:
Provides care to patients with respiratory insufficiency and related complications. Functions as part of the direct patient care team to provide overall quality care and serves as a resource and specialist to patients, all patient care givers and physicians.
May be required to exercise clinical judgment under the order of a licensed physician.
Responsibilities
- Demonstrates respiratory care competency of critical and clinical skills on an annual basis.
- Demonstrates the ability to be flexible, handle multiple assignments, balance priorities, and make decisions quickly and function under stressful situations.
- Demonstrates the ability to perform all aspects of respiratory therapy to include age specific and related patient care in a safe and competent manner.
- Demonstrates skill in emergency situations based up on department standards, policies, procedures and protocols, assumes a leadership role in emergency situations.
- Demonstrates the ability to assess, identify and treat patient health conditions as established by organizational and departmental policies and procedures.
- Demonstrates the ability to make safe, effective and competent decisions regarding individual patient care. Express sound judgment.
- Demonstrates the ability to provide appropriate communication to nursing personnel and/or physicians and other hospital staff as necessary. Must be able to demonstrate effective communication skills on all socioeconomic levels using tact, articulation and in a professional manner.
- Demonstrates competency/proficiency in mechanical ventilation, CPAP, and BiPAP skills to include current modes of ventilation, indications for use and calculations of necessary data
- Demonstrates competency/proficiency in the performance of arterial blood gases and analysis per department policy and procedure. Quality control, troubleshooting, and quality assurance per department policy and procedures.
- Performs assigned tasks and uses equipment with skill and accuracy.
- Participates in performance improvement activities by making suggestions for unit/organizational improvements, data collection activities, and date analysis as appropriate.
- Documentation and charges are complete, accurate, timely and legible. Consistently document patient assessments, reassessments, patient education, goals, response to therapy and any other requirements for the patient medical record.
- Completes Quality Control procedures and documentation required by regulatory agencies, medical center and department policy.
- Maintains all equipment in a clean and functioning order. Responsible for location and inventory of any RT equipment utilized on a routine basis.
- Attends meetings as required and participates on committees as directed.
- Assists with the orientation and training of newly hired respiratory employees and precepts the respiratory students.
- Perform other related duties as assigned or requested.
Qualifications
Minimum Education:
Must have an Associate Degree from an accredited school of respiratory therapy, or must have successfully completed the requirements of a Respiratory Care diploma program sufficient to have obtained a license as a Respiratory Therapist.
Minimum Experience:
Must have documented experience necessary to obtain state license. For staff involved in the care of age-specific groups, knowledge of the bio-psychosocial needs of adult, geriatric and pediatric patients is essential.
Special knowledge is required in growth and development needs of pediatric/geriatric patients where applicable. Two years experience preferred.
Licensure Requirement:
Valid RRT Credential by the National Board for Respiratory Care. Licensed as a Registered Respiratory Therapist by the State of Tennessee Health Related Boards with ABG endorsement. Current work-permit acceptable per state regulations. Current BLS.
Method of Application
Closing Date: Ongoing
