Advanced Respiratory Therapist - Respiratory Therapy

POSITION SUMMARY 

The Advanced Respiratory Therapist performs respiratory care techniques in the adult and the neonatal critical care areas, administering respiratory care appropriate to the age of the patient. The Advanced Respiratory Therapist operates in all respiratory care modalities, making judgment decisions and recommendations to licensed practitioners in regard to respiratory care modalities. The Advanced Respiratory Therapist evaluates these techniques and reports their findings to the licensed practitioner. The Advanced Respiratory Therapist functions as a resource for all Associates on respiratory care procedures, assisting with orientation and competency check off. 

PRIMARY ACCOUNTABILITIES  

1. Initiates and manages invasive and non-invasive ventilation per physicians' orders, including troubleshooting and discontinuation including BiPAP, CPAP, and all modes of mechanical   ventilation. 
2. Documents care according to Health First policies and procedures, via random check(s), completing shift duties and other assigned tasks in a timely manner, while Maintains confidentiality in all dealings with patients and Associates. 
3. Provides exact procedure to correct patient by checking two patient identifiers, and charges appropriately for care provided. 
4. Serves as a resource person for Respiratory Associates and for nursing regarding Respiratory Care therapeutics. 
5. Maintains equipment in good working order and troubleshoots when necessary; reports all malfunctioning equipment to appropriate area with detailed documentation of problem.  
6. Completes documentation, including patient care, interdisciplinary Plan of Care, patient education, and charges appropriately for care provided, ensure to delivering report to oncoming shift on all patients regarding procedures, assuring completion of workload. 
7. Removes only one patient's medication at a time from Pyxis system, and uses Pyxis med slip to appropriately identify two patient identifiers.        
8. Reads back and verifies all verbal and telephone orders, reports patient information to the appropriate Associate in a timely manner, following established approach for reporting including an opportunity to ask and respond to questions. 
9. Responds to ALL STAT, Code Blue, and Rapid Response calls within appropriate time frame with proper equipment, in the assigned building, and occasionally taking leadership role for Respiratory Therapy Associates. 
10. Follows proper infection control procedures for care provided, and proper hand washing  technique.     
11. Mentors new respiratory therapists with intubations, A-lines, ventilators, and all respiratory modalities, assists with department performance measures when needed. 
12. Participates in department education, committees, or skills fairs as required by leadership. 
13. Mentors new respiratory therapists with intubations, A-lines, ventilators, and all respiratory modalities, assists with department performance measures when needed. 

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS  

• Education: Associate’s degree in Health Sciences, or a relevant field. 
• Work Experience: Three (3) years’ progressive clinical experience in an intensive care setting, with one (1) of those years in current facility. 
• Licensure: Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) licensure in the State of Florida. 
• Certification:  

1. Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) credential from the National Board of Respiratory Care (NBRC) prior to start date and maintained. 
2. American Heart Association Basic Life Support (AHA BLS) Healthcare Provider Completion Card prior to start date and maintained. 
3. American Heart Association Advanced Cardiac Life Support (AHA ACLS) Healthcare Provider Completion Card within ninety (90) days of start date and maintained. 
4. American Heart Association Pediatric Advanced Life Support (AHA PALS) Healthcare Provider Completion Card within ninety (90) days of start date and maintained. 

• Skills/Knowledge/Abilities: 

1. Must meet all skill requirements of a Respiratory Therapist  
2. Must have good communication and interpersonal skills  
3. Must have good organizational skills and prioritizing skills  
4. Ability to perform acute and intensive care functions for the adult/pediatric patient.  
5. Demonstrate ability to interpret CXR for ETT, Pulmonary Artery, and IABP catheter placement, as well as the ability to interpret basic cardiac/pulmonary complications.  
6. Demonstrates ability to initiate Heliox therapy; Understands indications, contraindications, and complications.  
7. Demonstrates ability to perform all procedures required for NICU, Labor & delivery, and nursery (if applicable- NICU core group).  
8. Demonstrate ability to assemble all NICU equipment and enter settings as part of skills fair.   
9. Ability to perform bedside pulmonary function testing.  
10. 2Ability to initiate, troubleshoot, discontinue and manage IABP modalities. 
11. Ability to pull IABP catheters according to policy (if applicable). 
12. Required to help develop and teach annual skills fair.  
13. Demonstrate knowledge and proficiency of emergent intubation, elective oral and nasal intubations. 
14. Must perform minimum of two (2) intubations per year to maintain advanced status.  
15. Demonstrates knowledge and proficiency with arterial line insertions.  
16. Must perform minimum of (2) arterial line insertions per year to maintain advanced status.  
17. Demonstrate the ability to work in all adult ICUs and take part in a regular ICU rotation.  
18. Proficiency in SVO2 monitoring and calibrations.  
19. Ability to observe and interpret hemodynamic monitoring and cardiac arrhythmias.  
20. Ability to auscultate and assess breath sounds and cardiac sounds.  
21. Additional skill checks and competency may include ECG in Respiratory Care. 

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS 

• Physically agile; requires walking, standing, running, bending, stooping, kneeling, climbing, or crouching majority of the shift. 
• Heavy work that frequently includes lifting or moving objects up to 100 pounds or more with or without assistance.  
• May require moving self in different positions to accomplish tasks in various environments including tight and confined spaces, including reaching out and above shoulders or overhead. 
• May lift, turn, pull, push, or ambulate people and/or equipment with or without assistance up to 90% of the assigned shift. 
• May be exposed to inside environments and outside environments with extreme temperatures, air contamination, dirt, grease, or water. 
• May require working with biohazards such as blood/body fluids and airborne particles following OSHA and CDC guidelines. 
• May operate various types of manual and motorized equipment used in the transportation of materials. 
• May be exposed to intense noise or vibration and awkward or confined work position. 
• Communicating with others to exchange information. 
• Visual acuity and hand-eye coordination to perform tasks. 
• Workspace may vary from open to confined. 
• May require travel to various facilities within and beyond county perimeter; may require use of personal vehicle. 

ABOUT HEALTH FIRST

At Health First, diversity and inclusion are essential for our continued growth and evolution. Working together, we strive to build and nurture a culture that recognizes, encourages, and respects the diverse voices of our associates. We know through experience that different ideas, perspectives, and backgrounds create a stronger and more collaborative work environment that delivers better results. As an organization, it fuels our innovation and connects us closer to our associates, customers, and the communities we serve.