Respiratory Therapist RT PRN Nights

Vibra Travels•Longview, TX

9d•Onsite

About The Position

Vibra Permanent Staffing is seeking an experienced Respiratory Therapist for a direct-hire PRN night opportunity with a Long-Term Acute Care partner in Longview, Texas. The therapist works with adult and geriatric patients, including critically ill and medically complex patients recovering from complex conditions. Under the supervision of the Respiratory Therapy Manager and/or Lead Respiratory Therapist, and at a physician’s request, the therapist sets up and operates respiratory care equipment used to diagnose and treat respiratory disease or illness. The role includes providing physician-prescribed respiratory treatments, managing ventilators and participating in ventilator weaning, performing tracheostomy care, conducting respiratory diagnostic studies such as blood gas analysis, and documenting treatment and patient responses. The therapist maintains and processes respiratory equipment, monitors equipment and patients according to hospital policy, communicates changes and orders to the care team, and follows hospital safety, compliance, and patient privacy requirements.

Requirements

Must be licensed to practice as a Respiratory Practitioner in the state of employment; the posting also specifies an active RT license in North Carolina or a compact state.
BLS certification is required upon hire.
Must obtain ACLS certification within 90 days of employment and maintain required licenses and certifications throughout employment.
One or more years of acute care, ICU, or LTAC experience is strongly preferred.
Strong clinical judgment and commitment to excellence in patient care.
Compassionate, team-oriented approach.

Nice To Haves

One or more years of acute care, ICU, or LTAC experience.

Responsibilities

Set up and operate respiratory care equipment for the diagnosis and treatment of respiratory disease or illness under appropriate supervision and physician direction.
Provide care to adult and geriatric patients ages 18 and over while respecting each patient’s rights, dignity, and individuality.
Explain treatments, tests, and equipment to patients and document education provided to patients and caregivers.
Conduct prescribed treatments, including hand-held nebulizer therapy, oxygen and humidity delivery, and chest physical therapy.
Set up, operate, and monitor ventilators; participate in ventilator weaning according to protocols and physician direction; and ensure adequate ventilation during cardiopulmonary resuscitation, including intubation as necessary.
Document treatments, patient responses, and relevant information in respiratory care records and patient charts; place MARs in the chart in proper order.
Perform tracheostomy care and change tracheostomy tubes, tubing, inline suction devices, and suction canisters according to hospital policy, documenting changes as required.
Communicate planned treatments and patient conditions to relief personnel, report changes and new orders, and keep the patient’s primary care nurse informed.
Clean, sterilize, package, and prepare respiratory therapy equipment, including ENT and bronchoscope equipment, for transport and processing; verify Cidex OPA functionality as specified.
Perform preventative maintenance and equipment repairs, conduct ventilator pre-use checks, and document maintenance in the cleaning log.
Make regular rounds; check ventilators at least every four hours and oxygen equipment at least once per shift; and maintain humidifiers and suction canisters according to policy.
Perform and evaluate arterial and venous blood gas analysis, demonstrate competency with blood gas devices, and maintain annual laboratory-related continuing education.
Assist with preparing respiratory care and ventilator patients for physical therapy, ambulation, and transport; store oxygen tanks according to OSHA and hospital guidelines.
Attend monthly Respiratory Care department meetings, general staff meetings, and in-services.
Follow hospital compliance, professional conduct, attendance, blood-borne pathogen, hazardous-material, safety, and patient-safety requirements; report suspected compliance violations.
Recognize potential patient abuse and follow referral and intervention policies; participate in Performance Improvement activities.
Limit access to protected health information to what is reasonably necessary for work and share it only on a need-to-know basis.
Perform other related duties as required or assigned.