Ecmo Specialist Jobs

About The Position

Requirements

• Graduate of a Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC)-accredited School for Respiratory Care.
• Associate's degree required.
• Hold the Certified Respiratory Therapist or Registered Respiratory Therapist credential issued by the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC), or an equivalent credential acceptable to the Board; alternatively, hold certification or equivalent authorization to deliver respiratory care in another state under requirements equivalent to or more stringent than Florida's.
• Clear and active Florida license.
• American Heart Association Basic Life Support (BLS), PALS, and ACLS required within 30 days of hire.
• One to three years of experience required.

Nice To Haves

• Baccalaureate degree preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide routine and emergency respiratory care to patients in the Comprehensive Cardiac Care Unit under the direction of the Cardiac Critical Care attending physician.
• Provide clinical direction for respiratory care trainees and consultation and education to other healthcare professionals.
• Continuously monitor and assess patients, the ECMO circuit, and related technology; identify and correct ECMO process problems; and initiate and evaluate interventions consistent with protocol.
• Consult the ECMO physician when the patient's condition or protocol limits or directives are in question.
• Collaborate with ECMO team members and other healthcare providers to deliver care in accordance with individualized patient care plans.
• Provide mechanical ventilation, airway clearance, respiratory medication administration, and advanced medical gas delivery.
• Transport critically ill patients within the hospital, including patients with artificial airways.
• Perform point-of-care blood testing, including arterial blood gas testing and clotting-time testing.
• Contribute to multidisciplinary care rounds.
• Maintain ECMO competencies through annual training, simulation, and ongoing education.
• Monitor and adjust ECMO circuit settings, including heat exchanger temperature, pump flow, and sweep gas, to maintain parameters established by the ECMO physician.
• Recommend blood products, fluids, and/or medications as warranted by ECMO status.
• Assess cardiopulmonary status using test results and physical assessment findings, and anticipate and prevent potential problems.
• Monitor and manage intake and output records and coagulation results; adjust heparin infusion according to the ECMO Heparin protocol.
• Evaluate chest x-rays for endotracheal tube placement, cannula position, and lung-field status to help determine patient status and weaning guidelines.
• Support and maintain cannula patency while the patient is undergoing ECMO, in collaboration with the ECMO physician.
• Support ECMO research through data collection and preparation and presentation of research abstracts and/or other documentation.
• Participate in evaluating new equipment and identify and troubleshoot equipment problems.
• Provide a clear, concise end-of-shift report and participate in interdisciplinary case reviews and in-services.
• Use clinical and database information and continuous improvement efforts to support effective, quality-based outcomes.
• Educate families and reinforce medical counseling initiated by the physician care team.
• Use Epic to document flow sheets and other clinical information.