OVERVIEW:

The Respiratory Therapist (RT) treats patients with breathing and cardiopulmonary problems all ages.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

1. Provides instruction to patients and/or caregiver on the proper use of equipment and/or respiratory care procedures
2. Ensures patient and/or caregiver can effectively operate and maintain equipment. Performs clinical assessments and test such as pulse oximetry, ETCO2, spirometry, and vital signs
3. Responsible for routine patient follow-up contacts based on individual needs
4. Perform on-call duties
5. Prepares and maintains a record for each patient containing all pertinent information, care, plans, physician prescriptions and follow-up documentation

RESPONSIBILITIES/KNOWLEDGE/SKILLS:

1. Consults with physicians and other healthcare staff to help develop and modify individual patient care plans
2. Restores patient’s pulmonary function, alleviates pain, and supports life by planning and administering medically prescribed respiratory therapy
3. Provide complex therapy required by a great deal of independent judgement; meets patients’ goals and needs to provide quality care by conducting pulmonary function test, assessing, and interpreting evaluations and test results, determine respiratory therapy treatment plans
4. Administers respiratory therapy treatments by performing bronchopulmonary drainage, assisting with breathing exercises, and monitors physiological responses to therapy, such as vital signs, arterial blood gases, and blood chemistry changes
5. Evaluate patients by performing limited physical examinations and conducting diagnostic tests including those that measure lung capacity tests and acidity and alkalinity of the blood (arterial blood gas)
6. Documents patient care services by charting in the patient and departmental records
7. Maintains clean and safe work environment by complying with procedures, rules, and regulations
8. Confidentiality kept of the patient’s medical records
9. Treat patients by using oxygen, oxygen mixtures, chest physiotherapy, and aerosol medications
10. Advanced airway management through supraglottic airways like the Combitube, King Airway, Laryngeal mask airway (LMA), or esophageal-tracheal combination tube airway placed via preferred video laryngoscope or direct visual laryngoscope to create a patient airway to allow patient to be manually ventilated when apneic or compromised airway is present
11. Connect patients who cannot breathe on their own to ventilators that deliver pressurized oxygen into the lungs; and must also be able to interpret laboratory data that affects the care of settings of the mechanically ventilated patient and ventilator settings
12. Teach patients how to use medications and equipment
13. Performs regular checks on patients and equipment
14. Complies with federal, state, and local legal and certification requirement
15. Perform any other duties that may be necessary for the operation of the corporation and/or hospital

QUALIFICATIONS:

1. High school diploma
2. Associate degree with major Respiratory Therapy
3. License Respiratory Therapist in North Carolina
4. Six months of experience within the last two years
5. Current BLS
6. Current CPR Certification

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

1. Frequent mobility and/or sitting required for extended periods of time
2. Manual dexterity and use of a calculator or computer keyboard.
3. Varied activities including standing, walking, reaching, bending, lifting
4. Occasionally lifts to 50 pounds
5. Requires corrected vision and hearing to normal ranges
6. Requires working under stressful conditions or working irregular hours
7. Exposure to communicable diseases, toxic substances, ionization radiation, medicinal preparations, and other conditions common to a hospital and/or clinic environment