Registered Nurse-Respiratory Care

Position Summary
The Registered Nurse (RN) – Respiratory Care provides skilled nursing care to residents with chronic and acute respiratory conditions in a long-term care setting. This role is responsible for respiratory assessment, care planning, treatment oversight, clinical monitoring, staff education, and coordination with providers, respiratory therapy, residents, and families to promote safe, person-centered care.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Perform comprehensive nursing and respiratory assessments on admission, routinely, and whenever a resident’s condition changes.

Monitor residents with conditions such as COPD, asthma, pneumonia, pulmonary fibrosis, sleep apnea, congestive heart failure, tracheostomies, and oxygen dependence.

• Administer and evaluate prescribed respiratory medications and treatments, including inhalers, nebulizer treatments, oxygen therapy, suctioning, and other ordered interventions.

• Provide tracheostomy care, airway management, secretion management, pulse oximetry monitoring, and emergency respiratory interventions within scope of practice and facility policy.

• Ensure safe use, storage, documentation, and maintenance coordination for oxygen, nebulizers, suction equipment, CPAP/BiPAP equipment, and other respiratory devices.

• Recognize and promptly respond to respiratory distress, hypoxia, aspiration risk, changes in breath sounds, altered mental status, and other signs of clinical deterioration.

• Notify physicians, advanced practice providers, responsible parties, and emergency services as appropriate; accurately document assessments, interventions, notifications, and outcomes.

• Develop, implement, and update individualized care plans in collaboration with the interdisciplinary team.

• Coordinate care with respiratory therapists, physicians, pharmacy, therapy services, infection prevention, dietary staff, hospice, and other care partners.

• Supervise and delegate appropriate resident-care tasks to LPNs/LVNs and nursing assistants in accordance with state law, scope of practice, and facility policy.

• Educate residents, families, and staff on respiratory diagnoses, infection-prevention practices, oxygen safety, medication use, device care, aspiration precautions, and warning signs requiring prompt attention.

• Participate in infection-control activities, including surveillance and prevention of respiratory illness outbreaks.

• Complete accurate, timely electronic health record documentation and support regulatory compliance, quality improvement, audits, and care conferences.

• Serve as a clinical resource to nursing staff regarding respiratory care protocols and emergency response procedures.

• Perform other nursing duties as assigned within licensure, competency, and facility needs.

Qualifications

• Current, unrestricted Registered Nurse (RN) license in the state of employment.

• Graduation from an accredited nursing program.

• Current CPR/BLS certification; ACLS certification preferred or required based on facility policy.

• At least one year of RN experience preferred; long-term care, skilled nursing, pulmonary, medical-surgical, critical care, or respiratory-care experience strongly preferred.

• Demonstrated competency in oxygen therapy, nebulizer treatments, tracheostomy care, suctioning, respiratory assessment, and emergency response.

• Knowledge of long-term care regulations, resident rights, infection prevention, documentation standards, and medication administration practices.

• Strong clinical judgment, communication, organization, and interdisciplinary collaboration skills.

• Ability to work independently, prioritize changing resident needs, and maintain a calm, compassionate approach in urgent situations.

Physical and Work Requirements

• Ability to stand, walk, bend, reposition residents, and safely assist with transfers as required.

• Ability to lift or move up to facility-specified weight limits, with equipment or team assistance when appropriate.

• Ability to work in an environment with potential exposure to communicable illnesses, bodily fluids, oxygen equipment, and emergency situations.

• Availability to work assigned shifts, including weekends, holidays, and on-call coverage if required.