Respiratory Therapists

Job Description

Respiratory Therapist / Respiratory Care Practitioner 

Job Duties

• Meets patient's goals and needs and provides quality care by conducting pulmonary function tests; assessing and interpreting evaluations and test results; determining respiratory therapy treatment plans in consultation with physicians and by prescription.  • Helps patient accomplish treatment plan and supports life by administering inhalants; operating mechanical ventilators, therapeutic gas administration apparatus, environmental control systems, and aerosol generators.                                                 

 • Administers respiratory therapy treatments by performing bronchopulmonary drainage; assisting with breathing exercises; monitoring physiological responses to therapy, such as vital signs, arterial blood gases, and blood chemistry changes; directing treatments given by aides, technicians and assistants.                                                                                                                     

   • Evaluates effects of respiratory therapy treatment plan by observing, noting, and evaluating patient's progress; recommending adjustments and modifications.                                                                                                                                                         

   • Completes discharge planning by consulting with physicians, nurses, social workers, and other health care workers; contributing to patient care conferences.                                                                                                                                            

• Assures continuation of therapeutic plan following discharge by designing home exercise programs; instructing patients, families, and caregivers in home exercise  programs; recommending and/or providing assistive equipment; recommending outpatient or home health follow-up programs.                                                                                                                                 

   • Documents patient care services by charting in patient and department records.                                                                     

    • Maintains patient confidence and protects hospital operations by keeping information confidential.                                             

  • Maintains safe and clean working environment by complying with procedures, rules, and regulations.                                    

   • Protects patients and employees by adhering to infection-control policies and protocols.                                                               

 • Ensures operation of equipment by completing preventive maintenance requirements; following manufacturer's instructions; troubleshooting malfunctions; calling for repairs.                                                                                                                               

  • Maintains professional and technical knowledge by attending educational workshops; reviewing professional publications; establishing personal networks; participating in professional societies.                                                                                

  • Develops respiratory therapy staff by providing information; developing and conducting in-service training programs.                   

• Complies with federal, state, and local legal and certification requirements by studying existing and new legislation; anticipating future legislation; enforcing adherence to requirements; advising management on needed actions.                                                           

• Contributes to team effort by accomplishing related results as needed.

Skills and Qualifications

Bedside Manner, Physiological Knowledge, Infection Control, Health Promotion and Maintenance, Creating a Safe, Effective Environment, Informing Others, Verbal Communication, Medical Teamwork, Judgment, Procedural Skills, People Skills

Physical Demands

 The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

• Regularly required to use hands to write, use computer, use a hand held device, telephone and use a document imaging system and manipulate documents.
 • Regularly required to read documents and write neatly, legibility and transcribe accurate information and numbers/values.
 • Employee continually engages in activities that require talking and hearing.
 • This position requires frequent variations including sitting, walking, standing, kneeling, reaching or stooping.
 • Specific vision abilities required to perform this job safely include close vision, distant vision, night (low to limited light) vision and the ability to adjust focus to work on a computer and read documents.

• Strength Aspects: 
 - Frequently required to stand and lift objects from 1” to 36” high with weights ranging from 5 lbs. - 30 lbs., and carry objects for distances ranging from 1 ft. -350 ft. 
 - Frequently required to grip objects with hands, up to 15 lbs. of force.
 - Frequently required to grip objects with fingers, up to 10 lbs. of force. 

• Body Position and Flexibility Elements
 - Frequently required to bend down at the waist to a torso level of 24” above the floor.
 - Frequently required to reach, on average, 20” away from the body.
 - Occasionally required to kneel on one or both knees and squat to perform many of the above tasks.