Respiratory Therapy Supervisor - St. Francis Downtown

Bon Secours Mercy Health•Greenville, SC

About The Position

The Respiratory Therapy Supervisor supervises department staff and provides respiratory care through patient assessment, planning, intervention, education, and evaluation. The role performs respiratory care procedures, monitors patients’ responses to therapies, and recommends changes or modifications based on assessments. Care includes oxygen and aerosolized medication delivery, ventilator care, bronchial hygiene therapy, diagnostic services, and patient and staff education. The supervisor ensures respiratory therapy coverage and adequate staffing, assigns work, and may participate in hiring, onboarding, training, scheduling, coaching, counseling, and discipline. The role supports operational standards, staff development, clinical learning, quality improvement, research initiatives, and facility committees. It also provides and oversees a broad range of direct respiratory care procedures, including airway management, ventilator and oxygen therapy, therapeutic treatments, blood gas procedures, patient education, and cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Requirements

Current respiratory care license in the state of employment.
National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC) credential.
Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) credential.
Current BLS Basic Life Support certification from the American Heart Association, or ACLS Advanced Cardiac Life Support certification from the American Heart Association or Red Cross.
PALS Pediatric Advanced Life Support certification from the American Heart Association.
Demonstrated clinical competency in at least two of the following environments: Nursery/NICU, PICU, ICU/CCU, ED, and general care areas.
At least one year in a charge or leadership role.
Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to interact effectively with patients, families, physicians, and staff.
Good communication, customer service, organizational, and time-management skills, including oral and written communication.
Ability to work effectively with diverse people, receive feedback, gather and interpret data, and demonstrate accountability.
Knowledge of non-invasive respiratory therapy equipment, such as oximeters or end-tidal CO2 analyzers.
Knowledge of therapeutic procedures and equipment, including CPAP/BiPAP, jet aerosol, oxygen therapy, incentive spirometry, chest physiotherapy, pulse oximetry, high-flow oxygen, continuous aerosols, ventilator management, and diagnostic testing.
Understanding of EKGs, electronic monitoring, lead placement, and basic arrhythmias.
Ability to perform arterial blood gas punctures and testing, airway maneuvers, bedside pulmonary function testing, patient assessment, and patient education.
Knowledge of chest suction equipment and chest X-ray interpretation.
Ability to train staff; skills in active listening, leadership, logical problem-solving, mentoring, scheduling, service orientation, social perceptiveness, training and development, employee training, and onboarding.
Bachelor’s degree related to respiratory therapy, healthcare, healthcare administration, or business administration is preferred.
Master’s degree related to healthcare, healthcare administration, or business administration is preferred.
Valid driver’s license is required for Home Care/DME roles.

Nice To Haves

NRP (Neonatal Resuscitation Program) certification from AAP/AWHONN.
Certified Pulmonary Function Technologist (CPFT) credential.
Registered Pulmonary Function Technologist (RPFT) credential.
ACCS (Adult Critical Care Specialist) credential from NBRC.
EPIC Electronic Health Record (EHR) training.
Bachelor’s degree related to respiratory therapy, healthcare, healthcare administration, or business administration.
Master’s degree related to healthcare, healthcare administration, or business administration.

Responsibilities

Ensure respiratory care coverage for patient care areas, including assigning staff and work, adjusting assignments, assisting with meal coverage, addressing call-offs, and maintaining adequate staffing for the next shift.
May interview, select, hire, orient, train, assign, schedule, coach, counsel, and discipline employees; communicate job expectations and follow policies and procedures.
Contribute to respiratory therapy operational standards, strategic plans, productivity, quality, customer service, problem resolution, and system improvements.
Provide clinical instruction and in-service training to department staff, healthcare team members, and students.
Support clinical learning through mentorship, clinical rounds, and practice evaluation, and provide clinical leadership across intensive care, general care, and outpatient services.
Provide feedback for coaching and performance evaluations of team members.
Help identify quality improvement initiatives and design programs with measurable outcomes.
Lead clinical research initiatives, including education, training, and implementation of study designs; may collect data, maintain records, and assess products.
Participate in facility councils and committees.
May assist physicians with procedures such as bronchoscopy, transtracheal catheter insertion, tracheotomy, intubation where performed by respiratory therapy, and invasive monitoring.
Perform CPR, including closed-chest compressions and airway management, in accordance with AHA ACLS protocol.
Maintain patient airways using appropriate airway devices, humidification, secretion aspiration, extubation, and correct endotracheal tube cuff pressures; document procedures.
Select, assemble, monitor, and evaluate mechanical ventilators; address malfunctions and cleanliness and determine suitability for the patient’s condition.
May perform pulmonary function tests.
Assess patients using physical examination, behavior, and review of existing patient records.
Perform ordered treatments, explain therapies and goals to patients, and modify procedures based on patient response.
Evaluate prescribed therapies and recommend methods to physicians to achieve therapeutic goals, including IPPB, aerosol therapy, postural drainage and percussion, ultrasonic nebulizers, incentive spirometry, and metered-dose inhalers with spacers.
Set up and maintain oxygen therapy modes to support adequate oxygenation at accurate inspired oxygen levels.
Administer IPPB and aerosol therapy, prepare prescribed medications, adjust equipment to meet clinical needs, monitor and document patient response and vital signs, and identify possible adverse reactions.
Provide postural drainage, vibration, and percussion; review orders and X-rays, and assess breath sounds and response before and after treatment.
Instruct patients and families in respiratory therapies and equipment, including incentive spirometry, inhalers, postural drainage, oxygen therapy, ventilator care, and home aerosol therapy.
Obtain sputum specimens or promote airway clearance through coaching, mucolytics, aerosol therapy, or suctioning.
Evaluate normal and pathologic blood and urine laboratory value ranges.
Perform arterial punctures and analysis and interpret arterial blood gases; perform arterial-line procedures using safety and sterile techniques, including flushing and ABG aspiration.
May perform EKGs and apply knowledge of electronic monitoring, lead placement, and basic arrhythmias.
Maintain respiratory therapy equipment and supplies.
Respond to cardiopulmonary resuscitations and participate as indicated by clinical circumstances.