Lead Registered Respiratory Therapist

Veterans Health Administration • Las Vegas, NV

5d • Onsite

About The Position

The Lead Registered Respiratory Therapist provides basic and advanced respiratory services to adult and geriatric patients at the Southern Nevada Healthcare System VA Medical Center and must be knowledgeable about basic treatment for all age groups. The therapist plans, implements, and evaluates respiratory care procedures and may serve as therapist-in-charge when assigned or when the Chief of Respiratory Care is absent.

The role provides clinical leadership and staff support, including assigning and evaluating work, managing schedules, approving leave requests, assessing staff competency, training new staff, and recommending improvements to work organization and assignments. The therapist helps ensure respiratory care services are available around the clock when applicable and coordinates with other departments to address operational and patient-care issues.

The position oversees respiratory equipment and inventory, equipment safety and maintenance, procurement, infection-control practices, and collaboration with Biomedical Engineering. The therapist performs fundamental and advanced diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, emergency and acute care procedures, patient assessment and care planning, education, quality assurance, and performance-improvement activities. The work is primarily in inpatient and outpatient patient-care areas and involves extensive interaction with patients, staff, physicians, families, and visitors.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship, subject to the stated VA exception for non-citizens when qualified citizens cannot be recruited.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• Full, current, unrestricted state, territory, commonwealth, or District of Columbia license to practice as a Registered Respiratory Therapist.
• Current, unrestricted Registered Respiratory Therapist credential from the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC).
• Successful completion of a respiratory care program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC) or its successor, subject to the stated grandfathering provision for qualifying current VHA employees.
• At least one year of creditable experience equivalent to GS-11 demonstrating the required clinical competencies.
• Advanced practice skills and clinical judgment across inpatient and outpatient respiratory care.
• Knowledge of complex pulmonary function testing and stress/exercise testing; ability to maintain related quality control and treat acute complications of pulmonary function testing.
• Skill performing polysomnographic studies and obtaining physiologic and diagnostic data; skill calibrating and troubleshooting polysomnographic equipment and physiologic and diagnostic monitoring.
• Ability to assign personnel and tasks to complete workload and oversee and direct clinical guidance.
• Ability to communicate with people from varying backgrounds to solve problems and resolve conflicts.
• Ability to recommend uncommon or atypical interventions and improvements to patient care and operations based on independent research and evaluation of equipment and therapies.
• Maintain BCLS and ACLS certifications.
• Meet VA pre-employment conditions, including background/security investigation, pre-employment physical examination, required identification and onboarding, and seasonal influenza vaccination; applicants selected for testing-designated positions are subject to pre-appointment drug testing.
• Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must meet Selective Service registration requirements.
• Serve a two-year trial period, subject to the stated evaluation and written certification requirements.
• Meet applicable physical demands, including moving equipment and supplies, lifting, bending, and stooping, with possible exposure to body fluids and bloodborne pathogens.

Nice To Haves

• One year of experience as a GS-11.
• Critical care experience.
• Ability to provide respiratory therapy training.

Responsibilities

• Assign and evaluate staff work, manage schedules, approve leave requests, and help construct monthly schedules.
• Recommend and implement organizational or work-assignment changes to improve services and job satisfaction.
• Help ensure respiratory care services are delivered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, when applicable.
• Assess staff qualifications and competency upon employment and on an ongoing basis; provide instruction and training to new staff.
• Manage respiratory therapy equipment care, maintenance, inventory, procurement, safety, and quality control; collaborate with Biomedical Engineering on equipment-control procedures.
• Implement infection-control measures in respiratory care and pulmonary function testing areas.
• Maintain interdepartmental relations, coordinate with other services, and help resolve issues that interfere with patient examination or treatment.
• Review and recommend new or emerging equipment and procedures.
• Review, collect, and evaluate clinical data; assess patients and formulate respiratory therapy plans.
• Communicate changes, adjustments, and recommendations to healthcare team members and provide education to patients, students, and coworkers.
• Perform fundamental and advanced diagnostic and therapeutic procedures for adult and geriatric patients, including arterial puncture, blood gas analysis, pulmonary function testing, bronchoscopy assistance, pulmonary rehabilitation, endotracheal intubation, and oxygen administration.
• Perform emergency and acute respiratory therapy procedures in accordance with hospital and department guidelines.
• Participate in departmental quality assurance, hospital-wide performance improvement, research, and collection of quality-management/performance-improvement data.
• Maintain clinical and professional competency, BCLS and ACLS certifications, and knowledge and skills relevant to the program area; formulate annual professional-development goals and attend required training and meetings.
• Assemble, check, troubleshoot, and correct malfunctions in respiratory therapy and technology-based equipment, and perform equipment quality controls.
• Promote a customer-centered environment and communicate courteously and effectively with patients, families, medical staff, students, coworkers, and visitors.
• Provide care appropriate to patients' cultural, cognitive, emotional, and chronological maturation needs.
• Use computer-based technologies, software, and programs.
• Work as assigned by the Team Leader or supervisor, remain competent in respiratory care procedures, assist coworkers when available, flex assignments as workload changes, and communicate changes in assignments or patient condition to the appropriate leader or supervisor.
• Work collaboratively with the healthcare team to provide appropriate and timely patient care.

Benefits

• Federal employee benefits package for employees and their families; specific benefits depend on position type and eligibility.
• Annual leave accrual may be credited for qualifying prior federal work or military service, subject to request and approval.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: No Education Listed