Respiratory Therapist

Number of Job Openings Available:

Date Posted:

Department:

Shift:

Shift Length:

Hours Per Week:

Union Contract:

Weekend Rotation:

Job Summary:

Key Position Details:

• 0.75 (60 hours per 2-week pay period)
• 10-hour day shifts
• No weekends

Required weekday overnight call: call shifts will vary weekly and is shared amongst Respiratory Therapist team. Weekday overnight call consists of Monday through Thursday nights.

Members of the Respiratory Therapist Team will be required to support in numerous areas of our facility. Areas include but are not limited to the Inpatient care departments consisting of the Mental Health Unit, Medical Surgical Unit, Specialty Care Unit and Birth Center - both maternal and neonate patients, in addition to the Emergency and Surgery Services.

Therapists will also be required to function in the clinical patient care areas including Pulmonary Function Testing, Outreach Pulmonology visits and leading our Pulmonary Rehabilitation sessions, in addition they will also help to configure and instruct Home Sleep Studies.

Job Description:

Assesses, diagnoses and treats patients suffering from cardiopulmonary respiratory disorders. Under the direction of a physician, educates patients and staff regarding chronic and acute pulmonary disorders, provides consultative services to area hospitals/agencies, and provides technical and educational support to nurses regarding respiratory procedures.

Principle Responsibilities

• Provides respiratory assessment and therapeutic intervention.
  • 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.
• Provides for safe/effective management and monitoring of all forms of mechanical ventilation.
  • 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.
  • Assess 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 waveform analysis, non-traditional modes and techniques.
  • Manages airway appropriately to include positioning, securing, humidification selection and suctioning.
  • 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 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.
  • Educates patient on inhaler techniques, peak flow monitoring asthma and COPD education to achieve patient compliance for self-administration.
  • Educates patient on diaphragmatic and pursed lip breathing techniques to alleviate dyspnea.
• 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.
• Other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• Associate's or Vocational degree from a Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC) accredited Respiratory Care Program
• 0 to 2 years in a critical care setting

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree from a CoARC accredited Respiratory Care Program or other health science related program
• 0 to 2 years as a Respiratory Therapist

Licenses/Certifications

• Licensed Respiratory Therapist - MN Board of Medical Practice required as required by location of employment and
• Licensed Respiratory Therapist - WI Dept of Safety & Professional Services required as required by location of employment and
• BLS Tier 1 - Basic Life Support - Multisource required and
• ACLS/BLS Tier 2-Advanced Cardiac Life Support - Multisource preferred within 180 days and
• PEARS - Pediatric Emergency Assessment, Recognition & Stabilization - Multisource required at sites providing pediatric care within 180 Days or
• PALS - Pediatric Advance Life Support - Multisource required at sites providing pediatric care within 180 Days and
• NRP - Neonatal Resuscitation - Multisource required at sites providing neonatal care within 180 Days
• Credentialed by the National Board of Respiratory Care preferred

Physical Demands

• Medium Work*:
• Lifting weight Up to 32 lbs. occasionally (*Allina Safe Patient Moving Policy), Up to 25 lbs. frequently