RESPIRATORY THERAPIST

Position Summary:
Under the general supervision of the Respiratory Department Supervisor, the respiratory therapist (RT) accomplishes the Respiratory Therapy Department’s strategic objectives by planning, organizing, and completing the assigned functions required to operate and maintain departmental activities and services. Maintains confidentiality of all privileged information. 

The RT is an individual who is trained in the technical aspects of respiratory care and will exhibit those skills by providing routine and critical care functions and diagnostic procedures to patients of all ages, as ordered by a Physician, in accord with hospital and departmental policies and procedures, while maintaining acceptable professional standards and practices.

This list of duties and responsibilities is illustrative only of the tasks performed by this position and is not all-inclusive.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:
•    Routine respiratory therapy modes. The RT will deliver routine respiratory modes per physician orders and department policy. The RT will implement any pertinent standing order per department policy and will communicate with the physician and other care providers about the indications, hazards, and alternatives for respiratory care. The RT will administer all therapy with a correct understanding of the following.       
•    Available equipment 
•    Objectives
•    Indications  
•    Contraindications/hazards
•    Treatment of information required                                    
•    Alternative therapies   
•    Medication actions, delivery modes, hazards, contraindications, and adverse side effects
•    Advanced Respiratory Therapy Modes: The RT will initiate, monitor, maintain, and discontinue, invasive and noninvasive mechanical life support, assist in establishing and maintaining artificial airways for patients of all age groups in partnership with physicians and other care providers. Performs weaning parameters, extubation, and evaluates need for further airway support.
•    Patient Monitoring: The RT will correctly implement, monitor, troubleshoot and interpret invasive and noninvasive physiological monitoring and testing systems for assessment of the patient cardiorespiratory system. This includes but is not limited to:
•    EKGS
•    Bedside Spirometry
•    Oximetry
•    End Tidal CO2 Monitoring
•    Mixed Venous Oximetry
•    Mechanical Ventilator Parameters
•    Oxygen rounds
•    Arterial Blood Gases/ Capillary Blood Gases: The RT will understand the hazards, indications, and procedures for drawing arterial samples for assessment of the patient cardiorespiratory system. The RT will be capable of interpreting ABG results, implementing and recommending the appropriate actions.
•    Documentation: The RT will follow department hospital policy for documentation. All                   required regulatory, financial, and assessment documentation will be completed in a    timely manner.
•    Equipment maintenance and supply: The RT will assist with maintaining, processing, and restocking of any, and all supplies required for the departments function.
•    Infection Control: The RT will adhere to department and hospital protocols for infection control. This includes but is not limited to:
•    Hand washing
•    Proper equipment assembly and reprocessing and change out
•    Use of personal protective equipment
•    Observation of Isolation Protocols
•    Communication: The RT is responsible for communicating all pertinent information for patient care and department operations to all the appropriate people. This includes but is not limited to:
•    The patient and family
•    Physicians and other care providers
•    Coworkers
•    Department leadership
•    Staff is expected to attend in-services and department meetings.
•    RT Protocol: The RT is responsible for initiating, assessing, implementing, and following   the departments Respiratory Care Protocols in collaboration with the physician and other care providers.
•    Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) /Rapid Response Team (RRT) / Code Blue: 
•    The RT is responsible for:
•    Management of Airway
•    Initiating CPR/Code Blue
•    Responds to all Code Blue