Respiratory Therapist - Registered 3 (U) - Full Time

University of Miami•Miami, FL

About The Position

The Respiratory Therapist 3- registered respiratory therapist - works as part of a team of physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals to manage patient care by using a variety of testing techniques, be thoroughly acquainted with the various modalities used to diagnose disorders of the pulmonary system inclusive of pulmonary function testing, flexible fiberoptic bronchoscopies and arterial blood gas sampling. Additionally, the incumbent assists doctors in cardiac and pulmonary research and facilitates the diagnosis of respiratory disorders.

Responsibilities

Conducts tests, such as electrocardiograms, stress testing, and lung capacity tests to evaluate patients' cardiopulmonary functions.
Performs bronchopulmonary drainage and assists or instructs patients in the performance of breathing exercises.
Sets up and operates devices, such as mechanical ventilators, therapeutic gas administration apparatus, environmental control systems, and aerosol generators, following specified parameters of treatment.
Reads prescription, measures arterial blood gases, and reviews patient information to assess patient’s condition.
Determines requirements for treatment, such as type, method, and duration of therapy, precautions to be taken, and medication and dosages.
Explains treatment procedures to patients to gain cooperation and allay fears.
Educates patients and their families about their conditions and teaches them appropriate disease management techniques, such as breathing exercises and the use of medications and respiratory equipment.
Monitors patient's physiological responses to therapy such as vital signs and blood chemistry changes, and consults with physician if adverse reactions occur.
Maintains charts that contain patients' pertinent identification and therapy information.
Inspects, cleans, tests, and maintains respiratory therapy equipment to ensure equipment is functioning safely and efficiently.
Performs quality control on all blood gas instruments within 2 hours of beginning of shift, verifying its accuracy, properly documenting results and initiating any trouble shooting measures necessary to return instruments to an acceptable operating condition in order to ensure validity of results.
Competently assists the physician in the performance of flexible bronchoscopy in order to ensure minimal risk to patients.
Performs pulmonary function testing and effectively communicates with patients in order to obtain best effort from the patient during the procedure.
Performs daily quality control on all testing equipment and initiates any measures necessary to return equipment to an acceptable operating condition so that results reported are valid.
Supervises, teaches, and trains students, respiratory therapy technicians, and assistants.
Adheres to University and unit-level policies and procedures and safeguards University assets