Respiratory Therapist

Responsibilities

• Cardiac and or Pulmonary Rehabilitation equipment management, including sharing in the daily and weekly cleaning, and identifying needs for biomed evaluation.
• Helps identify new equipment needs.
• Cardiac Rehabilitation Phase II program: demonstrates the ability to set up telemetry for monitoring, take and document patient BP, PRE, and HR. Ability to interpret basic cardiac arrhythmias via the telemetry system.
• Assess patient response to exercise progression. Provide basic education regarding the CR program including THR, Blood pressure management, Cardiac signs and symptoms, medication usage and stress management.
• Pulmonary Rehabilitation patient care evaluation: accurately and timely assesses new patients referred to the program. Assists in establishing new patient exercise prescriptions and educational needs. Provides timely modification to exercise progression for safe and effective therapy. Includes assessment of patient response to exercise, to progressions in the exercise program, in use of supplemental oxygen, patients' medication use status, and impact of co-morbidities on the rehab program. Documents appropriately. Communicates these as necessary and appropriate to other team members and or the appropriate physician.
• Pulmonary Rehabilitation patient care documentation: Utilizes the CPR computer system to document all necessary patient care and response parameters in the medical record. Provides appropriate assessment and planning in the record, and follows these as established by other team members or physicians.
• Pulmonary Rehabilitation patient charge capture and entry: Determines the appropriate patient charge based on chargemaster and service provided. Follows established procedure for charge entry including timeliness.
• Pulmonary Rehabilitation patient education: Provides accurate individual and group education to patients regarding appropriate pulmonary function, use of supplemental oxygen and or responses to the program. Educates patients in use of prescribed pulmonary medications and inhalers. Teaches appropriate pacing and breathing techniques. Assesses patient understanding and follow through on these instructions.
• Participates in Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation: participates fully in the multidisciplinary team process, including clear verbal and written communications regarding patient responses to exercise, use of medications and or oxygen, symptoms, and any other information required to maintain full team knowledge of the patient's status. Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation: may assist in orienting and training new staff to the programs. Develops departmental in-service and competency programs.

Qualifications

• Associate Degree or certification equivalent.
• One year in a tertiary care hospital facility is desired.
• Licensed in Vermont as an RCP.
• Must obtain RRT within one year of hire.
• BLS.
• Ability to function timely and effectively under stress.
• Requires manual dexterity for essentially all tasks.
• Requires visual and auditory acuity.
• Must be able to perform computer functions needed to support normal departmental operations.
• Equipment: Requires competence with neonatal and adult invasive and non-invasive ventilators, oxygen analyzers, laryngoscope, humidifiers, nebulizers, oxygen regulators, flow meters, oxygen delivery systems, incentive spirometers, mechanical percussors, various monitors, EKG and Infant Audiology instruments.
• Additional skill and equipment requirements for Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation: Standard and automatic blood pressure systems, full use of computer system for documentation and telemetry monitoring, and exercise equipment.