Pulmonary Function Lab Respiratory Therapist

Mass General Brigham•Boston, MA

4d•$42 - $50•Onsite

About The Position

The Brigham and Women's Hospital is recruiting a 20-hour-per-week Respiratory Therapist/Pulmonary Function Technologist to help ensure quality patient care. The role performs simple and complex pulmonary testing, including spirometry, lung volume, diffusion capacity, and body plethysmography studies, as well as arterial blood gas testing, six-minute walk testing, exhaled nitric oxide analysis, metabolic measurement studies, and hypoxia altitude simulation testing. The therapist may also support sputum induction and other respiratory care services as directed, participate in research, and provide coverage in the main PFT labs and satellite clinics. The position is considered a fully functional respiratory therapist role. The therapist explains procedures, addresses patient concerns, performs ordered tests, documents and reports results, and provides educational materials about device use. The role also contributes to lab policies and procedures, scheduling, quality improvement, staff and student education, and Epic-related processes. It works closely with vendor representatives, system analysts, and IT representatives on software upgrades and troubleshooting. The position may supervise respiratory therapy students. The role is primarily in non-patient-care areas, with exposure to cleaning agents, communicable diseases, secretions and excretions, unpleasant odors, and scenes. PFT lab hours are 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; the position is onsite at 15 Francis Street and has a day shift.

Requirements

Current Massachusetts license as a Respiratory Therapist.
Registered Respiratory Therapist.
Associate of Science in Respiratory Therapy at minimum.
BLS certification.
Excellent interpersonal skills for interacting with physicians, nurses, and other allied health care members.
Strong patient assessment skills.
Professional and technical skills to act as a staff therapist.
Strong organizational skills to assist staff therapists in prioritizing work.
Ability to motivate and direct professional and technical staff.
Up to six months may be needed to develop rapport with physicians and the allied health care team.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor's degree in Respiratory Therapy.
1–3 years of experience; recent graduates will also be considered.
ACLS certification.
CPFT/RPFT certification.
Previous PFT experience.

Responsibilities

Comply with department, TJC, and DPH standards.
Perform pulmonary function tests and arterial blood gas punctures.
Assist with developing, reviewing, and revising PFT Lab policies and procedures.
Assist with scheduling for PFT-related areas, including the main labs and satellite clinics.
Perform diagnostic testing to obtain optimal patient effort and results.
Explain procedures to patients and address their concerns and anxieties, including desired actions and possible adverse effects.
Perform ordered tests and document and report results.
Provide educational materials demonstrating device use.
Participate in clinical research projects and the Quality Improvement program as indicated.
Perform staff Respiratory Therapist duties as assigned and other duties assigned by the clinical coordinator and/or department director.
Assist in coordinating educational programs, including new-staff orientation, clinical student education, and in-service education.
Maintain continuing education related to age-specific care and assess patient data and provide care appropriate to age-specific needs.
Work with vendor representatives, system analysts, and IT representatives on software upgrades, troubleshooting, and problem-solving.
Monitor systems for potential billing and documentation errors.
Function as an integral part of the Epic process.
May supervise respiratory therapy students.