Registered Respiratory Therapist - St. Francis Downtown

Bon Secours Mercy Health • Fort Wayne, IN

1d • Onsite

About The Position

The Respiratory Care Practitioner III is responsible for providing comprehensive respiratory care through patient assessment, planning, intervention, education, and evaluation. This role encompasses all respiratory care procedures, including oxygen and aerosolized medication delivery, ventilator care, bronchial hygiene therapy, diagnostic services, and patient and staff education. The practitioner monitors patient responses to therapies and makes recommendations for modifications. Key responsibilities include providing clinical instruction and mentorship, offering clinical leadership for professional respiratory practice advancement, identifying quality improvement initiatives, and leading clinical research. The position also involves serving as a shift “Charge Therapist” to ensure adequate staffing, assisting physicians with procedures such as bronchoscopy and intubation (where applicable), performing CPR, managing patient airways, and operating mechanical ventilators. Additional duties include conducting pulmonary function tests, assessing patient status, administering various therapies, instructing patients and families, procuring sputum, performing arterial punctures and analysis, and maintaining respiratory therapy equipment and supplies. The practitioner is also expected to respond to cardio-pulmonary resuscitations.

Requirements

• Current Respiratory Care License in the state they are working.
• National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC) credentialed.
• BLS Basic Life Support - American Heart Association.
• ACLS Advanced Cardiac Life Support - American Heart Association or Red Cross.
• PALS Pediatric Advanced Life Support - American Heart Association.
• Two years of experience as a Registered Respiratory Therapist or five years CRT.
• Demonstrated Clinical Competency in at least two of the following environments: Nursery/NICU, PICU, ICU/CCU, ED, and general care areas.
• Strong interpersonal skills and able to effectively interact with patients, their families, physicians, and other staff members.
• Good communication skills.
• Able to effectively work with diverse people.
• Good customer service skills.
• Good organizational skills and time management skills.
• Good oral and written communication.
• Able to receive feedback.
• Able to gather and interpret data.
• Accountability.
• Knowledge of non-invasive respiratory therapy equipment such as oximeters or end-tidal CO2 analyzers.
• Knowledge of Therapeutic Procedures to include CPAP/BiPap, jet aerosol, oxygen therapy, incentive spirometry, chest physiotherapy, pulse oximetry, high flow oxygen, continuous aerosols, ventilator management, diagnostic testing.
• Understanding of EKGs, electronic monitoring, lead placement, and basic arrhythmias.
• Arterial blood gas punctures and testing.
• Airway maneuvers.
• Bedside pulmonary function.
• Patient assessment.
• Patient education.
• Knowledge of chest suction equipment.
• Knowledge of chest X-ray interpretation.

Nice To Haves

• Bachelor's Degree, Related to Respiratory Therapy/Health care/Healthcare Admin/Business Admin.
• Master's Degree, Related to Health care/Healthcare Admin/Business Admin.
• Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT).
• NRP (Neonatal Resuscitation Program) - AAP/AWHONN.
• Certified Pulmonary Function Technologist (CPFT).
• Registered Pulmonary Function Technologist (RPFT).
• ACCS (Adult Critical Care Specialist) - NBRC.
• EPIC Electronic Health Record (EHR) training.

Responsibilities

• Provide respiratory care through patient assessment, planning, intervention, education and evaluation.
• Perform all respiratory care procedures including oxygen and aerosolized medication delivery, ventilator care, bronchial hygiene therapy, diagnostic services and patient and staff education.
• Monitor the patient's response to such therapies and make recommendations to change or modify based on the assessment.
• Provide clinical instruction and/or in-service training to department staff, other healthcare team members, and students.
• Provide support to clinical learning through mentorship, clinical rounds and practice evaluation.
• Provide clinical leadership for the advancement of professional respiratory practice to staff in the intensive care, general care, and outpatient services.
• Provide feedback for coaching and performance evaluations of team members.
• Assist with identifying quality improvement initiatives and design programs that provide measurable outcomes.
• Lead clinical research initiatives ensuring education, training, and implementation of the study design.
• Be responsible for data collection and accurate record keeping as well as product evaluation and assessment.
• Actively participate in facility councils and committees.
• Serve as the shift “Charge Therapist” with responsibility of ensuring adequate number of respiratory care staff to cover patient care areas and needs.
• Assign respiratory care staff to work areas and/or work assignments, modify work assignments, assist with meal coverage, field call offs and provide adequate staffing levels for the next shift.
• Assist physician performing procedures such as bronchoscopy, transtracheal catheter insertion, tracheotomy in intubation (if intubation is performed by respiratory therapy in the facility), and invasive monitoring.
• Perform CPR including closed chest compressions and airway management techniques in accordance with the AHA ACLS protocol.
• Conduct prescribed therapeutic procedures to achieve maintenance of a patient airway, including use of appropriate airways including endotracheal tubes, nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal airways, maintenance of airway humidification, aspiration of secretions, extubation, maintenance of correct ETT cuff pressures and documents procedures in patient and department records.
• Select, assemble, monitor and evaluate mechanical ventilators for proper function and operation, including correction of malfunctions, cleanliness and determines appropriateness use for patient condition.
• Perform pulmonary function tests (PFT).
• Serve as a preceptor to new team members and/or students.
• Assess patient's physical status by inspection, palpation, auscultation, percussion, patient behavior and reviewing existing data in patient's record.
• Perform treatments according to physician orders, explain therapy and therapeutic goals to patient; modify treatment procedures based on patient response.
• Determine appropriateness of prescribed therapy and recommend methods to physician to achieve therapeutic goals including IPPB, Aerosol therapy, Postural drainage and percussion, ultrasonic nebulizer, incentive spirometry, metered dose inhalers and spacers, etc.
• Set up and maintain different modes of oxygen therapy, to maintain adequate PaO2’s with accurate inspired levels of oxygen.
• Administer intermittent positive pressure breathing (IPPB) or Aerosol Therapy by first preparing the prescribed medication ordered by the physician and adjusting the machine or device to accomplish patient’s individual clinical needs; document and observe patient’s vital signs, productivity of cough, relief of Dyspnea, improved breath sounds and any adverse reactions to therapy; and use judgement and technical skill to determine possible adverse reactions and suggestions for appropriateness of therapy.
• Give postural drainage, vibration, percussion to ensure proper drainage of bronchial secretions by use of manual or mechanical percussion; check orders and X-rays for segments to be treated prior to initiating treatment; auscultation prior to and after procedure to note presence of clearance of secretions and response to therapy.
• Instruct patients and families in incentive spirometer, metered dose inhaler (MDI) administration, postural drainage and clapping, oxygen therapy, ventilator care and home aerosol therapy.
• Procure sputum for culture and sensitivity or airway clearance either by patient coaching, administration of mucolytics, aerosol therapy or endotracheal / nasopharyngeal suctioning.
• Evaluate normal and pathologic blood and urine laboratory value ranges.
• Perform arterial punctures and analysis; has an in-depth knowledge of analysis and arterial blood gas (ABG) interpretation.
• Perform arterial line procedures, takes safety precautions, sterile procedure, flushing, and ABG aspirations.
• Perform EKG’s; understands electronic monitoring, lead placement, and basic arrhythmias.
• Maintain all Respiratory Therapy equipment and supplies.
• Respond to cardio-pulmonary resuscitations and actively participate as indicated by clinical circumstances.

Benefits

• Competitive pay, incentives, referral bonuses and 403(b) with employer contributions (when eligible).
• Medical, dental, vision, prescription coverage, HSA/FSA options, life insurances, mental health resources and discounts.
• Paid time off, parental and FMLA leave, short- and long-term disability, backup care for children and elders.
• Tuition assistance, professional development and continuing education support.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Part-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: No Education Listed
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees