Respiratory Therapist (RRT)

St. Josephs Medical Center•Houston, TX

4d•Onsite

About The Position

Under the general supervision of the Director/Manager, this role renders professional Respiratory Therapy in accordance with a physician's therapeutic plan, hospital and departmental guidelines, policies, and protocols for standards of care. The therapist assesses the patient's respiratory condition, plans for therapy, sets up and cares for appropriate respiratory equipment, administers prescribed inhalant medications, provides appropriate patient/family education, and documents patient assessments and response to therapies.

Requirements

Licensed as a Respiratory Care Practitioner, accepted by Texas Medical Board, and Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) National Board of Respiratory Care.
Technical, clerical, critical thinking and interpersonal skills relevant to patient care/area.
Graduate of American Medical Association approved school of respiratory therapy or equivalent.
Current American Heart Association Basic Life Support (BLS).
Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP) certification must be held by all respiratory therapists who attend and assist with infants in Labor & Delivery.
Other certification requirements as defined by the certification policy.
Able to communicate effectively in English, both verbally and in writing.

Nice To Haves

Bi or Multilingual.

Responsibilities

Performs arterial blood gas, electrocardiogram, pulmonary function test, electroencephalogram procedures as indicated.
Operates and monitors equipment, such as ventilator, BIPAP, CPAP and inhalant medication delivery systems.
Administers inhalant medication according to physician orders, prescribed departmental and hospital guidelines.
Performs other duties as assigned, i.e. performing echocardiograms, pulmonary function tests and electroencephalograms.
Collaborates with inter and intra-professional colleagues to ensure quality outcomes.
Assesses patient's respiratory condition, plans for therapy, sets up and cares for appropriate respiratory devices, performs and administers prescribed actions/medications, provides patient/family educations, evaluates patient's therapy, documents and communicates patient assessments and responses to therapies to nurse, physician and on patient medical record.
Makes regular rounds on assigned patients to ensure physician's orders are being followed, equipment is in good operational condition and assesses patient's response to therapy.
Communicates patient assessments to nurse and/or physician and documents observations/assessments on patient medical records.
Functions as a resource person sharing and providing clinical knowledge with other medical staff as appropriate.
Completes annual education requirements.
Maintains competency, as evidenced by completion of competency validation requirements.
Promotes of a culture of patient safety which results in the identification and reduction of unsafe practices.
Uses professional judgment and critical thinking to prepare, prioritize, and execute the patient's plan of care consistent with patient assessment data, physicians' treatment plans, and professional standards of care.
Implements measures to prevent exposure to infectious pathogens and communicable conditions.
Identifies risks and hazards to patients through various risk assessments, with actions taken to mitigate patient harm.
Problem-solves respiratory therapy equipment for malfunction, proactively reports equipment in need of repair as indicated and follows up on status of repair.
Maintains competency and knowledge of current standards of practice, trends, and developments.
Enhances the patient's experience by fostering a positive relationship with customers.
Contributes to improving patient satisfaction results.
Initiates and proactively participates in ongoing quality improvement activities.
Promotes stewardship of hospital resources while ensuring quality patient care.