Respiratory Therapist (RT)

Responsibilities

• Performs respiratory care related procedures under general supervision and medical direction.
• Assesses resident's condition, administers prescribed therapy and aerosolized medications, observes and records resident's progress and response to therapy modalities including adverse reactions to drugs and therapy.
• Provides in-service training to residents, family members, and facility staff.
• Initiates, monitors and maintains life support systems for residents in the skilled nursing facility.
• Participates in cardiopulmonary resuscitation procedures of bag ventilation and closed chest massage.
• Performs various tasks prior to treating a resident, such as checking physician's orders for completeness, observing resident's respiratory rate and pattern, pulse, breath sounds, reaction to medication, any difficulty with therapy during and after treatment, and communicating pertinent information to the resident's nurse.
• Administers proper technical respiratory care procedures, dispenses proper dosage of medication, acquires and adjusts devices to insure optimal results from therapy, and inspects and tests equipment.
• Recognizes resident's adverse reaction to therapy modalities and takes correct action, documents all resident care services rendered as part of a medical record, accepts and transcribes verbal orders related to respiratory care procedures, sets up, maintains and records log entries on all types of oxygen and respiratory supplies and equipment as required, and instructs residents and family members in the rationale and methodology of every respiratory procedure administered to each resident.
• Attends internal and external educational programs and reads appropriate professional journals in order to maintain and enhance technical skills and clinical competencies.
• Participates in interdisciplinary resident rounds and conferences to plan and evaluate effective resident care.
• Participates in quality assurance program data collection as assigned.
• Responsible for the effective and efficient delivery of rehab services; adherence to an established plan of care, department and patient(s)' schedule, and timely documentation of services.
• Participates in general equipment troubleshooting and specific tasks to optimize accuracy of diagnostic equipment including quality control methods and preventive maintenance and calibration.

Qualifications

• A Respiratory Therapist must have a high level of knowledge of respiratory therapy and practice required through completion of a NBRC approved and accredited program and one year of clinical practice experience under medical direction.
• Must have a current Basic Cardiac Life Support certification and current State Licensure for a Respiratory Care Practitioner.