Student Respiratory Care Assistant - UPMC Presbyterian

UPMC•Pittsburgh, PA

2d•Onsite

About The Position

At UPMC Presbyterian, the Casual Student Respiratory Care Assistant gains hands-on experience alongside an experienced respiratory care team while applying classroom learning in a clinical environment. Under the general direction of a respiratory therapist and in accordance with the PA Practice Act or NY State guidelines, the assistant performs a variety of functions, including ordering, inventorying, and distributing equipment and medical gases, and assisting clinical staff with tasks as directed. The role requires expertise in assembling, transporting, disinfecting, calibrating, and troubleshooting respiratory-related equipment, maintaining appropriate equipment levels in respiratory work areas, and supporting respiratory therapists and clinical staff.

Requirements

High school diploma.
Currently enrolled in a respiratory therapist program.
Able to lift equipment or supplies weighing up to 30 pounds and push or handle equipment weighing up to 100 pounds.
Act 34 clearance.

Responsibilities

Exhibit and practice service excellence by actively seeking, listening, and responding to the needs of patients, their families, physicians, staff, and others.
Maintain supplies of transport oxygen and oxygen cylinders on inpatient units, in the emergency department, and in clinic areas.
Assemble, maintain, and clean respiratory care equipment; disinfect it before calibration and assembly; and maintain appropriate equipment levels in respiratory care work areas.
Transport dirty equipment to the appropriate area using appropriate infection-control techniques.
Handle and use cleaning and disinfecting solutions and equipment appropriately.
Use personal protective equipment appropriately.
Report equipment malfunctions to respiratory leadership.
Inspect equipment for correct assembly and proper working order, and perform preventive maintenance according to established protocols.
Check equipment function and calibrate equipment to department or manufacturer specifications.
Transport equipment between inpatient units and procedure areas as directed by a respiratory therapist.
Assist the biomedical technician in tracking respiratory care equipment, as needed.
Identify, catalog, and track respiratory care equipment.
Assist respiratory therapists with bronchoscopy procedures, including setup before and after procedures and processing scopes according to manufacturer recommendations.
Assist respiratory therapists with setup for non-emergent intubations and extubations.
Assist respiratory therapists with downloading and documenting four-channel sleep studies.
Provide smoking cessation counseling according to department policy.
Deliver home-care supplies such as oxygen tanks and compressors.
Maintain proficiency in Microsoft Office products, the electronic health record platform, the ePro ordering system, and the system for ordering prints.