What are the responsibilities and job description for the RESPIRATORY CARE PRACTITIONER position at County of Los Angeles?
Position/Program Information
Department of Health Services
FIRST FILING DATE: May 4, 2018 at 8:00 a.m. (PST)
Until the needs of the service are met and is subject to closure without prior notice.
EXAM NUMBER: Y5588B
TYPE OF RECRUITMENT
Open Competitive Job Opportunity
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS A REBULLETIN TO UPDATE THE EXAMINATION CONTENT INFORMATION.
Department Of Health Services
The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services (DHS) is the second largest municipal health system in the nation. Through its unified system of 23 health centers and four hospitals - and expanded network of community partner clinics - DHS annually provides direct care for over 500,000 outstanding patients, employs over 23,000 staff, and has an annual budget of over $8.4 billion. For additional information regarding DHS please visit www.dhs.lacounty.gov.
Through academic affiliations with the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), the University of Southern California (USC), and the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Sciences (CDU), DHS hospitals are training sites for physicians completing their Graduate Medical Education in nearly every medical specialty and subspecialty. In addition, to its direct clinical services, DHS also runs the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Agency and the County's 911 emergency response system, as well as Housing for Health and the Office of Diversion and Re-entry, each with a critical role in connecting vulnerable populations, including those released from correctional and institutional settings, to supportive housing.
Mission
To advance the health of our patients and our communities by providing extraordinary care.
Definition
Provides basic respiratory care, including continuous ventilation, to patients with respiratory disorders or deficiencies.
Essential Job Functions
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:
OPTION I - An Associate's degree* in respiratory therapy from an accredited college.
Physical Class III - Moderate: Includes standing or walking most of the time, with bending, stooping, squatting, twisting, and reaching; includes working on irregular surfaces, occasionally lifting objects weighting over 25 pounds, and frequent lifting of 10-25 pounds.
License
A current*** California State Respiratory Care Practitioner's License or an interim permit issued by the Respiratory Care Board of California.
A valid California Class C Driver License or the ability to utilize an alternative method of transportation when needed to carry out job-related essential functions.
Desirable Qualifications
EXAMINATION CONTENT
This examination will consist of an evaluation of education, experience and desirable qualifications based on application weighted 100%.
Candidates must achieve a passing score of 70% or higher on the examination in order to be placed on the eligible register.
Notification Letters and other correspondences will be sent electronically to the email address provided on the application. It is important that applicants provide a valid email address. Please add jsaldana@dhs.lacounty.gov and info@governmentjobs.com to your email address book and to the list of approved senders to prevent email notifications from being filtered as SPAM/JUNK mail.
ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION
Applications will be processed on an "as received" basis and those receiving a passing score will be promulgated to the eligible register accordingly.
The names of candidates receiving a passing grade on the examination will be placed on the Eligible Register and will appear in the order of their score group for a period of twelve (12) months following the date of eligibility.
No person may compete in this examination more than once every twelve (12) months.
SPECIAL INFORMATION
Appointees may be required to work any shift, including evenings, nights, weekends and holidays.
AVAILABLE SHIFT: Any
VACANCY INFORMATION
The eligible register resulting from this examination will be used to fill vacancies throughout the Department of Health Services as they occur.
APPLICATION AND FILING INFORMATION
APPLICATIONS MUST BE FILED ONLINE ONLY. APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED BY U.S. MAIL, FAX OR IN PERSON WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.
Applications will be processed on an as received basis. Apply online by clicking on the "Apply" button for this posting. You can also track the status of your application using the website.
All information is subject to verification. We may reject your application at any time during the examination and hiring process, including after appointment has been made. Falsification of any information may result in disqualification or rescission of appointment.
Utilizing VERBIAGE from Class Specification and Minimum Requirements serving as your description of duties WILL NOT be sufficient to demonstrate that you meet the requirements. Doing so may result in an INCOMPLETE APPLICATION AND YOU MAY ALSO BE DISQUALIFIED.
This examination will remain open until the needs of the service are met. Application filing may be suspended at any time with or without advance notice.
Fill out your application completely. The acceptance of your application depends on whether you have clearly shown that you meet the REQUIREMENTS. Provide any relevant education, training, and experience in the spaces provided so we can evaluate your qualifications for the job. For each job held, give the name and address of your employer, your job title, beginning and ending dates, number of hours worked per week, description of work performed, and salary earned. If your application is incomplete, it will be rejected.
Applications electronically received after 5:00 p.m., PST, on the last date of filing will not be accepted.
NOTE: If you are unable to attach required documents, you must e-mail the documents to the exam analyst, within 15 calendar days of filing online. Please include the exam number and the exam title.
SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER
Please include your Social Security Number for record control purposes. Federal law requires that all employed persons have a Social Security Number.
COMPUTER AND INTERNET ACCESS AT PUBLIC LIBRARIES
For candidates who may not have regular access to a computer or the internet, applications can be completed on computers at public libraries throughout Los Angeles County.
NO SHARING OF USER ID AND PASSWORD
All applicants must file their application online using their own user ID and password. Using a family member or friend's user ID and password my erase a candidate's original application record.
ADA COORDINATOR PHONE
(323) 914-7111
CALIFORNIA RELAY SERVICES PHONE
800-735-2922
Department Contact
Jaquelyne Saldana, Exam Analyst
jsaldana@dhs.lacounty.gov (Best way to contact due to telework)
(213) 288-7000
COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES
Employment Information
Any language contained in the job posting supersedes any language contained below.
This document is intended to provide general information about the recruitment process of the County of Los Angeles. Applicants with questions about a specific job posting should contact the exam analyst listed on the posting.
Equal Employment Opportunity/Non-Discrimination Statement
The County of Los Angeles is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and is committed to non-discrimination in the County workforce, regardless of age (40 and over); ancestry; color; ethnicity; religious creed; protected family or medical leave status; disability; marital status; medical condition; genetic information; military and veteran status; national origin; race ; sex; gender; sexual orientation; or any other characteristic protected by State or federal law. For more information, please visit: https://employee.hr.lacounty.gov/eeo-programs/.
Testing Accommodations For Applicants
The County of Los Angeles complies with all federal and state disability laws and makes reasonable accommodations for qualified applicants and employees with disabilities. If a reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application process, please contact the testing accommodation coordinator listed on the job posting. Hearing impaired applicants with telephone teletype equipment may leave messages by calling the teletype phone number on the job posting. For more information on accommodations, please visit: https://hr.lacounty.gov/accessibility/.
Fair Chance
The County of Los Angeles is a Fair Chance employer. Except as otherwise permissible under applicable laws, you will not be asked to provide information about conviction history unless you receive a conditional offer of employment. The County will make an individualized assessment of whether your conviction history has a direct and adverse relationship with the specific duties of the job, and will also consider potential mitigating factors, which may include, but is not limited to, evidence and extent of rehabilitation, recency of the offense(s), and age at the time of the offense(s). If asked to provide information about conviction history, any convictions or court records which are exempted by a valid court order do not have to be disclosed. Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with County Fair Chance Policies and the Fair Chance Act (Gov. Code Section 12952).
Employment Eligibility
Final appointment is contingent upon verification of U.S. citizenship or the right to work in the United States.
Career PathFinder
Resources to help current and prospective employees plan a career with Los Angeles County are available. To explore career paths to and from nearly all job titles, please visit our interactive Career PathFinder application at http://career-pathfinder.hr.lacounty.gov.
Veteran’s Credit
Pursuant to the County Charter and County policy, in all open competitive examinations (i.e., examinations open to everyone), the County of Los Angeles will add a credit of 10 percent of the total credits specified for such examination to the final passing score of an honorably discharged veteran, as well as the spouse of a deceased or disabled veteran, who served in the Armed Forces of the United States under specific conditions.
For more information on veteran’s credit, please visit: https://file.lacounty.gov/SDSInter/dhr/205102_PPG_115.pdf
Revised September 2025
For detailed information, please click here
Department of Health Services
FIRST FILING DATE: May 4, 2018 at 8:00 a.m. (PST)
Until the needs of the service are met and is subject to closure without prior notice.
EXAM NUMBER: Y5588B
TYPE OF RECRUITMENT
Open Competitive Job Opportunity
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS A REBULLETIN TO UPDATE THE EXAMINATION CONTENT INFORMATION.
Department Of Health Services
The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services (DHS) is the second largest municipal health system in the nation. Through its unified system of 23 health centers and four hospitals - and expanded network of community partner clinics - DHS annually provides direct care for over 500,000 outstanding patients, employs over 23,000 staff, and has an annual budget of over $8.4 billion. For additional information regarding DHS please visit www.dhs.lacounty.gov.
Through academic affiliations with the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), the University of Southern California (USC), and the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Sciences (CDU), DHS hospitals are training sites for physicians completing their Graduate Medical Education in nearly every medical specialty and subspecialty. In addition, to its direct clinical services, DHS also runs the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Agency and the County's 911 emergency response system, as well as Housing for Health and the Office of Diversion and Re-entry, each with a critical role in connecting vulnerable populations, including those released from correctional and institutional settings, to supportive housing.
Mission
To advance the health of our patients and our communities by providing extraordinary care.
Definition
Provides basic respiratory care, including continuous ventilation, to patients with respiratory disorders or deficiencies.
Essential Job Functions
- Assesses patients' overall cardiopulmonary status by inspection, palpitation, percussion, auscultation, and patient interview; documents patients' vital signs.
- Performs the basic range of ventilatory care services as prescribed by a physician including selecting, setting up, and operating a variety of devices such as medication delivery units, humidifiers, and positive-pressure breathing machines.
- Performs arterial punctures and may perform intubations and other procedures as ordered by a physician and designated according to the facility's policies and procedures.
- Administers chest physiotherapy to patients using postural drainage and/or chest wall percussion and vibration techniques by hand or by mechanical devices.
- Performs cardiopulmonary resuscitation in life threatening situations, which includes establishment of an airway by inserting an endotracheal tube, performance of chest compressions, and the application of ventilatory support.
- Monitors patients undergoing respiratory care, reporting changes in condition such as significant variations in heart beat or breathing to medical or nursing personnel, making recommendations when a change in care is indicated, and recording relevant information in the patient's chart, including effectiveness of procedures, techniques, and equipment.
- Interprets results of blood gas analyses and notifies physician when blood gas deficiencies indicate a need for a change in treatment.
- Instructs patients in various breathing techniques.
- Provides complete unit-based shift reports to staff at shift change.
- Performs equipment troubleshooting.
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:
OPTION I - An Associate's degree* in respiratory therapy from an accredited college.
- OR-
- OR-
Physical Class III - Moderate: Includes standing or walking most of the time, with bending, stooping, squatting, twisting, and reaching; includes working on irregular surfaces, occasionally lifting objects weighting over 25 pounds, and frequent lifting of 10-25 pounds.
License
A current*** California State Respiratory Care Practitioner's License or an interim permit issued by the Respiratory Care Board of California.
A valid California Class C Driver License or the ability to utilize an alternative method of transportation when needed to carry out job-related essential functions.
Desirable Qualifications
- Current certificate****of completion in Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) issued by the American Heart Association.
- Current certificate****of completion in Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) issued by the American Heart Association.
- Current certificate****of completion in the Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP) issued by the American Heart Association.
- Applicants who expect to qualify under OPTION I or OPTION II must submit a legible photocopy of the Associate Degree in respiratory therapy -or- a certificate of completion of an approved two-year training program in respiratory therapy, or official transcripts to their application at the time of filing or via email indicating your name, the exam name, and the exam number to jsaldana@dhs.lacounty.gov within 15 calendar days of filing your application online.
- Note: Foreign studies must be evaluated by an accredited credential evaluation agency recognized by the NACES or the AICE of the United States (US) and deemed to be equivalent to degrees from the US. Applications indicating possession of a degree or certificate without providing evidence, may not be considered for meeting the minimum requirements.
- We do not accept password-protected documents. Ensure documents are unlocked before attaching to application or sending to the exam analyst.
- Applicants who expect to qualify under OPTION III through experience as a Respiratory Care Practitioner I, must have held that County payroll title for the required time. No out-of-class experience will be accepted.
- A legible photocopy of your current State of California Respiratory Care Practitioner's License issued by the Respiratory Board of California must be submitted with your application at the time of filing or via email indicating your name, the exam name, and the exam number to jsaldana@dhs.lacounty.gov within 7 calendar days of filing your application online.
- In order to receive credit for any certificate of completion in Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), or the Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP), applicants must submit a legible photocopy with their application at the time of filing or email the analyst copies of certificates within 15 calendar days of filing online.
EXAMINATION CONTENT
This examination will consist of an evaluation of education, experience and desirable qualifications based on application weighted 100%.
Candidates must achieve a passing score of 70% or higher on the examination in order to be placed on the eligible register.
Notification Letters and other correspondences will be sent electronically to the email address provided on the application. It is important that applicants provide a valid email address. Please add jsaldana@dhs.lacounty.gov and info@governmentjobs.com to your email address book and to the list of approved senders to prevent email notifications from being filtered as SPAM/JUNK mail.
ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION
Applications will be processed on an "as received" basis and those receiving a passing score will be promulgated to the eligible register accordingly.
The names of candidates receiving a passing grade on the examination will be placed on the Eligible Register and will appear in the order of their score group for a period of twelve (12) months following the date of eligibility.
No person may compete in this examination more than once every twelve (12) months.
SPECIAL INFORMATION
Appointees may be required to work any shift, including evenings, nights, weekends and holidays.
AVAILABLE SHIFT: Any
VACANCY INFORMATION
The eligible register resulting from this examination will be used to fill vacancies throughout the Department of Health Services as they occur.
APPLICATION AND FILING INFORMATION
APPLICATIONS MUST BE FILED ONLINE ONLY. APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED BY U.S. MAIL, FAX OR IN PERSON WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.
Applications will be processed on an as received basis. Apply online by clicking on the "Apply" button for this posting. You can also track the status of your application using the website.
All information is subject to verification. We may reject your application at any time during the examination and hiring process, including after appointment has been made. Falsification of any information may result in disqualification or rescission of appointment.
Utilizing VERBIAGE from Class Specification and Minimum Requirements serving as your description of duties WILL NOT be sufficient to demonstrate that you meet the requirements. Doing so may result in an INCOMPLETE APPLICATION AND YOU MAY ALSO BE DISQUALIFIED.
This examination will remain open until the needs of the service are met. Application filing may be suspended at any time with or without advance notice.
Fill out your application completely. The acceptance of your application depends on whether you have clearly shown that you meet the REQUIREMENTS. Provide any relevant education, training, and experience in the spaces provided so we can evaluate your qualifications for the job. For each job held, give the name and address of your employer, your job title, beginning and ending dates, number of hours worked per week, description of work performed, and salary earned. If your application is incomplete, it will be rejected.
Applications electronically received after 5:00 p.m., PST, on the last date of filing will not be accepted.
NOTE: If you are unable to attach required documents, you must e-mail the documents to the exam analyst, within 15 calendar days of filing online. Please include the exam number and the exam title.
SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER
Please include your Social Security Number for record control purposes. Federal law requires that all employed persons have a Social Security Number.
COMPUTER AND INTERNET ACCESS AT PUBLIC LIBRARIES
For candidates who may not have regular access to a computer or the internet, applications can be completed on computers at public libraries throughout Los Angeles County.
NO SHARING OF USER ID AND PASSWORD
All applicants must file their application online using their own user ID and password. Using a family member or friend's user ID and password my erase a candidate's original application record.
ADA COORDINATOR PHONE
(323) 914-7111
CALIFORNIA RELAY SERVICES PHONE
800-735-2922
Department Contact
Jaquelyne Saldana, Exam Analyst
jsaldana@dhs.lacounty.gov (Best way to contact due to telework)
(213) 288-7000
COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES
Employment Information
Any language contained in the job posting supersedes any language contained below.
This document is intended to provide general information about the recruitment process of the County of Los Angeles. Applicants with questions about a specific job posting should contact the exam analyst listed on the posting.
Equal Employment Opportunity/Non-Discrimination Statement
The County of Los Angeles is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and is committed to non-discrimination in the County workforce, regardless of age (40 and over); ancestry; color; ethnicity; religious creed; protected family or medical leave status; disability; marital status; medical condition; genetic information; military and veteran status; national origin; race ; sex; gender; sexual orientation; or any other characteristic protected by State or federal law. For more information, please visit: https://employee.hr.lacounty.gov/eeo-programs/.
Testing Accommodations For Applicants
The County of Los Angeles complies with all federal and state disability laws and makes reasonable accommodations for qualified applicants and employees with disabilities. If a reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application process, please contact the testing accommodation coordinator listed on the job posting. Hearing impaired applicants with telephone teletype equipment may leave messages by calling the teletype phone number on the job posting. For more information on accommodations, please visit: https://hr.lacounty.gov/accessibility/.
Fair Chance
The County of Los Angeles is a Fair Chance employer. Except as otherwise permissible under applicable laws, you will not be asked to provide information about conviction history unless you receive a conditional offer of employment. The County will make an individualized assessment of whether your conviction history has a direct and adverse relationship with the specific duties of the job, and will also consider potential mitigating factors, which may include, but is not limited to, evidence and extent of rehabilitation, recency of the offense(s), and age at the time of the offense(s). If asked to provide information about conviction history, any convictions or court records which are exempted by a valid court order do not have to be disclosed. Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with County Fair Chance Policies and the Fair Chance Act (Gov. Code Section 12952).
Employment Eligibility
Final appointment is contingent upon verification of U.S. citizenship or the right to work in the United States.
Career PathFinder
Resources to help current and prospective employees plan a career with Los Angeles County are available. To explore career paths to and from nearly all job titles, please visit our interactive Career PathFinder application at http://career-pathfinder.hr.lacounty.gov.
Veteran’s Credit
Pursuant to the County Charter and County policy, in all open competitive examinations (i.e., examinations open to everyone), the County of Los Angeles will add a credit of 10 percent of the total credits specified for such examination to the final passing score of an honorably discharged veteran, as well as the spouse of a deceased or disabled veteran, who served in the Armed Forces of the United States under specific conditions.
For more information on veteran’s credit, please visit: https://file.lacounty.gov/SDSInter/dhr/205102_PPG_115.pdf
Revised September 2025
For detailed information, please click here
Salary : $8