Registered Respiratory Therapist

The Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) works within the Critical Care Service Line of the Pittsburgh VA Healthcare System at the Heinz campus. The therapist is responsible for providing all ordered modalities of care as outlined in the Respiratory Therapy Section Policy and Procedure manual. The therapist will work under the administrative supervision of the Respiratory Supervisor of the CCSL, who will, under the supervision of the Medical Director of Respiratory Therapy.

Qualifications:

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.

Basic Requirements:

• United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• Education: Individuals must have successfully completed a respiratory care program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC) or its successor.
• Licensure: Persons appointed or reassigned to RRT positions in the GS-0601 series must possess and maintain for the duration of employment a full, current, and unrestricted license from a state to practice as an RRT.
• Credential: Persons appointed or reassigned to RRT positions in the GS-0601 series must possess and maintain for the duration of employment a valid, current, unrestricted credential of RRT.
  • Loss of Licensure, Certification, or Credentials. An employee in this occupation, who fails to maintain the required certifications, RRT credential or license must be removed from the occupation, which may also result in the termination of employment. Once credentialed, licensed, or certified, RTs/RRTs must maintain a full, valid, and unrestricted license, credential and certification to practice respiratory care.
• English Language Proficiency: RTs/RRTs appointed to direct patient-care positions must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).

May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria).

Grade Determinations:
GS-11 level Experience, Licensure, and Credential require that candidates must have:

• One year of creditable experience equivalent to the GS-09 grade level demonstrating the clinical competencies described at that level.
• Hold an active license and RRT credential.

AND

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition to the requirements above, candidates must demonstrate all the following KSAs:

• Ability to collaboratively consult with physicians and other healthcare professionals for complex respiratory care to develop care plans to provide favorable patient outcomes.
• Skill in evaluating the efficacies of therapeutic modalities.
• Skill in performing advanced airway and ventilation management.

Preferred Experience: It is required that therapists be registered by the National Board of Respiratory Care (NBRC) or possess a certificate from another body which the NBRC recognizes as its credentialing equivalent.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-11.

Physical Requirements: Work is primarily performed in all patient care areas (in-patient and outpatient). Respiratory Therapists will have extensive interaction with patients, staff, physicians, family members, and visitors. It may involve walking, standing, and bending, reaching and stretching to set-up and taking apart equipment, lifting, and positioning patient and carrying, pushing or pulling moderate heavy objects (15-44lbs). Respiratory Therapists must have or obtain the ability to handle varying levels of stress in a positive manner.

Responsibilities:

Duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

1. The therapist must have the interpersonal skills required to work as a cooperative and integral member of the team of physicians, nurse caregivers and other hospital personnel who care for critically ill patients. The therapist must also possess the personal skills required to deal with sick and suffering human beings, and distraught family members, and be able to relate to these individuals in a caring and professional manner. The therapist must be mentally and emotionally capable of working with gravely ill and dying people

.2. The therapist must possess the in-depth knowledge of cardiopulmonary physiology of critically ill patients. The therapist is responsible for making rapid and accurate observations of vital parameters, such as heart rate, pattern of breathing, breath sounds, and quantity and character of respiratory secretions and having knowledge of the importance of vital parameters in relation to the patient's condition. The therapist is responsible for reporting sudden changes to the responsible physician immediately, and for making appropriate recommendations.

3.The position has five areas of responsibility: (A) Direct Patient Care, (B) Maintenance of Equipment, (C) Shift Leader, (D) Liaison between Physicians and Respiratory Therapy, (E) Other Responsibilities as Assigned

GS11: Registered Respiratory Therapists at this grade level include, but are not limited to, the following activities performed in accordance with valid orders or under established protocols in both the inpatient and outpatient settings:

• Equipment selection and setup to appropriately provide care ordered by physician or protocol.
• Therapeutic and diagnostic procedures with the use of medical gases and administration devices, humidification and aerosols.
• Administration of medication to the cardiopulmonary system.
• Transport of patients to and from areas for special procedures on oxygen, BiPAP, or transport ventilators.
• Verification of all orders before implementation.
• Discontinuation or exchange of all equipment, and reprocessing of Reusable Medical Equipment (RME) in accordance with VHA Directives and facility and department policies.
• Maintenance of natural and artificial airways as necessary, including endotracheal suctioning, oropharyngeal or nasopharyngeal suctioning, sputum induction, tracheal lavage, and securing of nasal or oral endotracheal tubes or tracheostomies.
• Ventilatory support, including initiation, maintenance, and management of life support systems, and the patient/ventilator interface.
• Bedside training of physicians-in-training and medical residents through patient contacts, discussions, consultations.
• Monitoring patient status as appropriate via arterial blood gases, chest auscultation, review of x-ray studies, clinical observation.
• Various other duties as assigned. The RRT practices professionally; must be reliable, able to work independently, and be self-motivated.

Respiratory Therapy requires that the technician/therapist possess a sufficient manual dexterity and knowledge base to adapt to new techniques, which may be developed in the future. The technician/therapist will be required to attend in-services directed by the Respiratory Therapy instructor, to review current procedures, and to develop competence in new procedures as the need arises. In addition, the technician/therapist will be required to demonstrate competence in various respiratory therapy procedures to the Respiratory Therapy Instructor on a yearly basis.
The RRT is responsible for performing job duties in accordance with mission, vision, and values of Pittsburgh VAMC

Work Schedule: Full Time; Rotating Tours of duties including weekends and holidays
Telework: Not available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 000000
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Salary : $84,847