Overview

Hours: 36 per week, Days, hours will vary based upon the needs of the hospital 

Responsibilities

Essential Functions

• Conducts interactions with everyone in a friendly, courteous and respectful manner.
• Goes out of his/her way to offer assistance to others. If he/she cannot offer assistance, then finds someone who can.
• Advocates to ensure privacy and confidentiality while helping others to maintain awareness.
• Maintains a clean and safe hospital.
• Responds appropriately and immediately in emergency situations.
• Maintains a safe and healthy environment for patients, visitors, and/or staff to provide the highest level of physical comfort, and minimize risk and injury.
• Ensures compliance with regulations to maintain accreditation and licensure.
• Complies with the Hospital Attendance and Tardiness Policy.
• Completed all Hospital and Department Specific Mandatory requirements in the prior calendar year.
• Reports Incidents in a timely and effective manner.
• All employees with direct patient contact are responsible for actively engaging in the practice of, monitoring and enforcing compliance to hand hygiene.
• Coordinates daily operations of Respiratory Therapy and EKG Services to ensure timely and effective services for inpatient and outpatients
• Coordinates with Staff therapist’s new employee orientation and ongoing employee competency assessment.
• Coordinates with staff and director schedules that ensure staffing meets the needs of the patients and medical staff
• Participates on hospital committees as appropriate.
• Collaborates with mulit-disciplinary team. Responds to codes and calls for emergent assistance. 
• Reviews daily records and documentation to ensure all charges are recorded correctly, follows up with staff as appropriate.
• Coordinates implementation of department policies, procedures and protocols
• Coordinates department supply inventory and par levels and ensures effective management of the supplies for Respiratory Care.
• Provides input and assists the director with preparation and implementation of hospital operating budget
• Coordinates and prepares payroll schedule and time cards for accuracy and director approval
• Researches, evaluates and recommends with director equipment needs leading to equipment recommendations to administration
• Recommends and coordinates new systems that optimize workflow and meets / exceeds customer needs.
• Monitor and periodically reviews Respiratory Therapist documentation to ensure that medical and financial documentation is up to date and correct.
• Works with staff and director to manage resources to ensure supply par levels are maintained and supplies are used cost effectively.
• Actively engages and works effectively to engage staff in daily activities, schedules, duties and assignments
• Coordinates with staff, daily assignments and to ensure timely services are provided to all patients
• Provides feedback to staff on work quality and provides guidance and assistance as needed.
• Assists staff in completing treatments to ensure timely services
• Reviews staff shift report to ensure completion of duties and diagnostic testing
• Ensures all regulatory records, daily, weekly, monthly are up to date and accurate
• Coordinates with director and laboratory director to ensure all testing to meet regulatory compliance is complete for Blood Gas Lab and Joint Commission compliance and completed accurately and on time.
• Completes weekly payroll schedule for review and approval by director.
• Coordinates and reviews with director incident reports and quality issues and developing a corrective action plan as needed.
• Provides input on Employee Performance Evaluations
• Troubleshoots clinical problems as they arise and coordinates with Therapists corrective action plans, engages director when needed.
• Serves as advocate for Respiratory health, and education to the patient
• Participates and is included in the regular schedule as a Respiratory Therapist.
• Informs the patient of his or her plan of care and/or discharge plan and follow up instructions
• Evaluates and validates the effectiveness of the patient teaching.
• Prepares the patient to accept a level of responsibility for his or her own care.
• Coordinates care with other healthcare providers.
• When appropriate, delegates to other healthcare providers.
• Assesses and reassesses the patient’s condition, status and progress.
• Prioritizes, reprioritizes, and modifies the plan of care based upon patient assessment and patient condition.
• Documents the implementation of the plan of care and any adverse and/or unexpected events or outcomes.
• Measures and administers the correct medication dosage per physicians order.
• Administers respiratory therapy treatments and oxygen therapy.
• Understands the purpose and possible side effects associated with respiratory therapy treatments.
• Obtains ABG's per hospital policy.
• Performs Pulse Oximetry and ensures accurate results.
• Performs Pulmonary Function following ATS Standards.
• Performs EKGs and ensures quality recordings.
• Sets up mechanical ventilators, including BIPAP and CPAP Units and selects the correct patient parameters.
• Assesses mechanical ventilators and BIPAP and CPAP functioning to ensure safe operation.
• Assesses patient status and uses information to recommend changes in patient plan of care.
• Assesses patient cardio-pulmonary status and uses data to recommend changes to patients plan of care.
• Provides instruction on proper use of cardiopulmonary medication and equipment.
• Provides instruction on proper use of cardiopulmonary medication and equipment.
• Distributes age and cultural specific patient education materials based on educational needs.

Statement of Other Duties

This document describes the major duties and responsibilities for this job, and is not intended to be a complete list of all tasks and functions. It should be understood, therefore, that employees may be asked to perform job-related duties beyond those explicitly described.

Functional Demands

Physical Requirements

Exerts 20 to 50 pounds of force occasionally, and/or 10 to 25 pounds of force frequently, and/or greater than negligible up to 10 pounds of force constantly to move objects. Frequently reaches (extending hands and arms in any direction), and handles (seizing, holding, grasping, turning, or working with hands). Occasionally stoop (bending the body downward and forward by bending the spine at the waist), crouches (bending the body downward and forward by bending legs and spine).

Organizational Expectations

Behavioral Attributes

The following behavioral attributes are required: achievement motivation, concern for order, flexibility, initiative, self-confidence, customer service oriented, interpersonal effectiveness, teamwork, analytical thinking and information seeking.

Qualifications

Job Requirements

Minimum Education

• Graduate of an accredited school of Respiratory Therapy or equivalent experience

Minimum Work Experience

• Minimum 1 year experience required, 3-5 years experience preferred but not required

Required Skills

• Basic computer skills required

Required Licenses

• Current Massachusetts Respiratory Therapy License required.
• Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT)
• BCLS required
• ACLS within 6 months of hire
• NRP required
• PALS preferred