Respiratory Therapist

General Purpose:

• Assess, treat, and care for patients with breathing disorders.  Initiate and conduct therapeutic procedures, maintain patient records, and select, assemble, check, and operate equipment.

Essential Job Functions:

This facility expects their employees to promote an atmosphere of teamwork with other employees and hospitality and comfort for its residents. Therefore, the following list of duties is not all-inclusive:

Administrative Functions:

• Make written and oral reports/recommendations concerning the activities of your shift, as required.
• Cooperate with other resident services when coordinating nursing services be certain that the resident’s total regimen of care is maintained.
• Participate in surveys (inspections) made by authorized government agencies.
• Periodically review the resident’s written discharge plan. Participate in the updating of the resident’s written discharge plan, as required.
• Complete accident/incident reports, as necessary.

Charting, Documentation, Medication, and Therapy Functions:

• Complete and file required forms/charts upon resident’s admission, transfer, and/or discharge.
• Receive telephone orders from physicians and record on the Physicians’ Order Form.
• Transcribe physician’s orders to resident charts, cardex, medication cards, and treatment/care plans, as required.
• Set up and operate devices such as mechanical ventilators, therapeutic gas administration apparatus, environmental control systems, and aerosol generators, following specified parameters of treatment.
• Determine requirements for treatment, such as type, method and duration of therapy, precautions to be taken, and medication and dosages, compatible with physicians’ orders.
• Monitor patient’s responses to therapy such as vital signs, blood gases and blood chemistry changes, and consult and relay information to physician.
• Maintain charts that contain patients’ pertinent therapy information.
• Prepare and administer medication as ordered by the physician.
• Verify the identity of the resident before administering the medication/treatment.
• Verify that prescribed medication for one resident is not administered to another.
• Immediately notify the Director of Nursing any medication administration discrepancies.
• Deliver and maintain optimum resident care and comfort by demonstrating knowledge and skills of current practices.
• Promptly respond to call lights and other resident needs.
• Make rounds with physicians, as necessary.
• Consult with the resident’s physician in providing the resident’s care, treatment, rehabilitation, etc., as necessary.
• Monitor seriously ill residents, as necessary.
• Review care plans daily to confirm that appropriate care is being rendered.
• Confirm that CNAs are aware of the resident care plans. Verify that the CNAs refer to the resident’s care plan prior to administering daily care to the resident.
• Explain treatment procedures to patients.
• Educate patients and their families about their conditions and teach appropriate disease management techniques, such as breathing exercises and the use of medications and respiratory equipment.

Other Duties:

• Attend in-service education programs in order to meet facility educational requirements.
• Be familiar with Standard Precautions, Exposure Control Plan, Fire Drill and Evacuation Procedures and know how to use the information.
• Maintain confidentiality of resident and facility records/information.
• Protect residents from neglect, mistreatment, and abuse.
• Protect the personal property of the residents of the facility.
• Others as directed by the supervisor or administrator.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Registered Respiratory Therapist with current state license.
• Excellent technical, assessment and documentation skills.
• Good Leadership qualities.
• Organized and detailed in work performance.
• Good communication skills with excellent self-discipline and patience.
• Genuine caring for and interest in elderly and disabled people in a nursing facility.
• Comply with the Residents Rights and Facility Policies and Procedures.
• Perform work tasks within the physical demand requirements as outlined below.
• Perform Essential Duties as outlined above.

Working Conditions:

• Subject to frustrations in meeting work demands due to frequent interruptions.
• Fast paced, required to make decisions quickly
• Involved with residents, personnel, visitors, government agencies/personnel, etc., under all conditions and circumstances.
• May work beyond normal duty hours, on weekends, and in other positions temporarily, when necessary.
• Subject to call-back during emergency conditions (e.g., severe weather, evacuation, post-disaster, etc.).
• Subject to exposure to infectious waste, diseases, conditions, etc., including TB and the AIDS and Hepatitis B viruses.
• May be subject to the handling of and exposure to hazardous chemicals

Physical and Sensory Requirements:

• Assist in the evacuation of residents during emergency situations
• Meet general health requirements set forth by the policies of this facility, which may include a medical and physical examination.