Registered Respiratory Therapist

About the role

Join Cleveland Clinic Tradition Hospital’s team of caregivers that provide top-quality patient care to the communities in and around Port St. Lucie. Opening its doors in 2013 and expanding in 2017, this state-of-the-art acute care facility has 177 patient rooms and offers services in a wide variety of specialties to meet community needs.

Responsibilities

• Provide assessment, treatment, care and evaluation for patients of all ages with respiratory insufficiencies.
• Perform cardiopulmonary assessment to evaluate respiratory status.
• Perform physical exams to assess breath sounds, work of breathing and airway patency.
• Review records, reports and results such as radiologic tests, blood gases, hemodynamic monitoring and pulmonary function tests.
• Collaborate closely with physicians, nurses and interdisciplinary team members to optimize patient outcomes and ensure continuity of care.
• Administer medical gases (oxygen, nitric oxide), aerosolized medications, bronchial hygiene and lung re-inflation techniques.
• Follow established protocols, procedures and practices for therapeutic procedures.
• Perform blood gas sampling and arterial line insertion.
• Perform tracheostomy tube changes as directed.
• Manage invasive and non-invasive mechanical ventilators and artificial airways.
• Perform blood gas puncture and analysis, pulse oximetry and bedside pulmonary function testing.
• Assist with bronchoscopy procedures.
• Respond to medical emergencies, participate in trauma and resuscitation procedures and assist with patient transport.
• Assess for age-appropriate educational needs and provide patient and family education about the illness and care plan.
• Serve as a preceptor for new employees and students enrolled in an accredited Respiratory Care program.
• Record the care and treatment provided following established procedures.

Requirements

• Graduate from an accredited Respiratory Care Program
• Diploma and/or transcripts must be provided for validation
• Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) credential from the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC)
• State of Florida Department of Health Licensed Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT)
• Neonatal Pediatric Specialist (NPS) credential from the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC) as appropriate for site
• Basic Life Support (BLS) certification through the American Heart Association (AHA) or American Red Cross
• Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) and Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP) certifications as appropriate for site

Preferred qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree
• Prior experience in critical care
• Neonatal/pediatric experience
• Prior experience performing invasive procedures

Physical Requirements

• Requires good manual dexterity and hand-eye coordination.
• Requires normal hearing and vision or corrected to normal range.
• May require sitting, standing and walking for extensive periods of time.
• This position requires proficiency in treatment of respiratory disorders for inpatient and outpatients with various media, i.e. oxygen, therapeutic gases, inhaled medications and positive pressure devices.
• Interpretive skills frequent interactive and consultative associations are inherent in this position.
• The ability to retrieve, communicate or otherwise present information in a written, auditory or visual fashion is essential.
• Physical Duties: Moderate to heavy lifting and positioning of patients.
• Moderate pushing and pulling of equipment.
• Working Conditions: 100% air-conditioned.
• Moderate risk of exposure to blood or air-borne pathogens.

Benefits

• Health Plan Options – You have the choice between two comprehensive Cleveland Clinic Employee Health Plan options: EHP and EHP Plus.
• Dental Care – Four plan options administered by Cigna are available.
• Vision Care – Two plan options administered by EyeMed are available.
• Flexible Spending Accounts – Healthcare and Dependent Care FSAs are available to help you pay for eligible expenses with pre-tax dollars.
• Life Insurance – Employer-paid life insurance equals 1x your annual salary with an option to purchase supplemental life insurance up to 10x your salary. You may also purchase dependent life insurance for a spouse and dependent children.
• Short- and Long-term Disability Coverage – Short-term disability is available after one continuous year of regular full-time service; long-term disability begins after 90 days.
• Cleveland Clinic Investment Pension Plan offers eligible employees an excellent opportunity to build a retirement account for the future. It is fully funded by Cleveland Clinic and equal to 2.5% of your salary (increasing with more years of service).
• The 401(k) / 403(b) Plan also provides an important source of retirement savings. It allows participants to take responsibility for their financial future by making retirement savings a part of their normal routine while working. In addition to your contributions to the plan, Cleveland Clinic matches a portion of your contributions (50% on up to your first 6% in contributions).
• Paid Time Off (PTO) – Eligible caregivers receive Paid Time Off (PTO) that can be allotted toward vacation, holidays, sick time, etc.
• Caregiver discounts – We offer discounted rates for auto, home and pet insurance, identify theft protection and more.
• Adoption assistance – We provide financial assistance of up to $5,000/per child ($10,000 maximum lifetime benefit) for caregivers who choose to legally adopt a child.
• Employee Assistance Program – The Program provides free, confidential short-term counseling for caregivers and their families, whether for relationships or legal challenges.
• Employee Hardship Fund – This fund provides aid for caregivers experiencing unexpected financial difficulties.
• Paid maternity and parental leave – You will enjoy up to eight consecutive weeks for maternal care after the birth of your child to bond with your baby and up to four weeks for parental care.