Respiratory Therapist

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Job Summary:

Key Position Details:

• Casual Role
• 12-hour evening/night

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