PRN Respiratory Therapist - Days

General Summary: The Respiratory Therapist performs a variety of therapeutic and diagnostic cardiopulmonary procedures to improve patients' cardiopulmonary status using appropriate equipment and supplies. The Respiratory Therapist is actively involved in department, transdisciplinary team, and hospital activities to ensure individualized, patient-centered health care for all patient populations admitted to LifeCare Hospital.

Patient Population: Has contact with patients in a clinical setting; understands and demonstrates appropriate behavior when interacting with patients in the adult (18-65 years of age) and geriatric (65 and older) populations.

Supervision: Not applicable.

Experience: Minimum of six (6) months direct patient care in either an adult critical care, rehabilitation, or acute/LTACH setting.

Education: Graduate of an AMA approved 2 or 4-year Respiratory Therapy program or completion of an AMA approved program equivalency. Fulfillment of RT requirements established by the state and/or licensing agency or authority.

Licensure/Certification: Current Respiratory Therapy license in the state where practicing, current National Board of Respiratory Care (NBRC), and current BLS certification are required. The ACLS certification is required within six (6) months of the hire date. All Respiratory Therapists must maintain current and active licensure while employed.

Standard Essential Functions

1. The knowledge and skills necessary to perform the position requirements are demonstrated through the successful completion of competencies established for the position, including the population served and other special needs of patients or customers served by the department.
2. Adheres to LifeCare policies, procedures, all safety plans, and all standards imposed by regulatory organizations.
3. Regular attendance and timeliness are required.

Job-Specific Essential Functions

1. Develops and documents a plan for respiratory therapy treatment. Recommends changes and/or alternatives in orders/treatments to the physician to achieve patient compliance and maximum benefits to the treatment program. Communicates changing patient needs to the physician.
2. Assesses patients using a variety of diagnostic tests and monitoring devices to evaluate the patients’ cardiopulmonary status. Appropriately documents all assessments, treatments, procedures, test results, and patient responses promptly.
3. Provides and documents emergency care, including airway management, intubation, and CPR. Responds to emergencies in the hospital as needed and assists the team calmly and effectively.
4. Provides and documents education administered to the transdisciplinary team, patient, and family concerning diagnosis, treatment, and post-discharge care. Provides training and supervision of respiratory techniques for members of the transdisciplinary team and students (if applicable). Works in collaboration with the transdisciplinary team, patient, and family.
5. Plans and organizes work to effectively schedule patient treatments while maintaining patient records and charges. Inspects, cleans, tests, maintains, and rotates respiratory therapy equipment to ensure that equipment is functioning safely and efficiently, requesting repairs when necessary. Reports equipment maintenance and/or repair timely.
6. Participates in departmental data collection to quality patient care and safety. Participates in Laboratory and/or Point-of-Care quality control, proficiency testing, and performance improvement activities.

Values

• We COLLABORATE: We develop our treatment plans in collaboration with physicians, clinicians, and patients’ families.
• We ADVOCATE: We advocate on behalf of every patient and family.
• We RESPECT: We recognize and value the dignity, rights, and resources of each patient.
• We EDUCATE: We educate our team members and families with purpose and compassion.
• We SERVE: We serve as a TEAM with integrity at all levels, focused on achieving the best possible outcomes for our patients.

Physical Requirements:

1. Ability to lift, move, transport, and position patients, equipment, or supplies/materials up to fifty (50) pounds without assistance; or over fifty (50) pounds with the aid of mechanical assistance or assistance of personnel.
2. Range of motion and mobility of self by positioning or moving around the hospital to include sitting, standing, walking, bending, squatting, stooping, kneeling, crawling, climbing, and reaching.
3. Ability to communicate with patients, families, physicians, co-workers, and visitors to be able to exchange accurate information regarding patient condition and health status. Ability to exchange and express information by means of language and communicate information effectively.
4. Ability to hear the nature of sounds. Ability to detect clinical alarms and conversation. Ability to give full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
5. Ability to use logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
6. Ability to monitor/assess performance of yourself, to make improvements, or take corrective action.
7. Ability to see things at close range and match and/or detect differences between colors, including color and brightness.
8. Ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble small objects.
9. Ability to keep your hand steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
10. Ability to understand the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making. Ability to use scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
11. Ability to identify problems and review related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
12. Ability to respond to and resolve emergencies or crises calmly and professionally.
13. Ability to work independently and perform routine and detail-oriented tasks. Ability to manage one’s own time.
14. Ability to consider the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
15. Ability to collect and analyze numerical, written data, and verbal communication to reach logical conclusions, and the ability to determine the time, place, and sequence of operations or action.
16. Ability to review, assess, record, or type data quickly and accurately.
17. Ability to observe and recognize or identify changes in the patient’s health status or condition. Ability to view and operate required equipment.
18. Ability to perform mathematical equations.
19. Ability to view and operate required equipment.
20. Ability to determine resources needed to provide quality patient care.
21. Ability to make independent judgments and decisions.
22. Ability to respond or make adjustments to a modality of therapy, as appropriate, when a deviation from routine care is required.

Environmental/Working Conditions:

1. Category 1 - Infection exposure due to required tasks which routinely involve a potential for mucous membrane or skin contact with blood, body fluid tissues, or potential spills or splashes.
2. Ability to work alone or with minimal supervision.
3. Contact with patients, families, co-workers, physicians, and visitors.
4. Ability to work under and appropriately manage stress.
5. Ability to manage multiple tasks.
6. The ability to work long hours between breaks and meals may be required.
7. Exposure to high, medium, or low noise intensity.

Machinery/Tools/Equipment Requirements: Ability to operate telephone, fax machine, copy machine, computer, printer, and calculator.