Respiratory Therapist

Where You’ll Work

Founded in 1873, Dignity Health - Mercy Medical Center is a 186-bed, acute care, nonprofit hospital located in Merced, California. Serving over 150,000 patients annually, the hospital offers a full complement of services including a Level II NICU, heart care, the Mercy Cancer Center, and a family birth center. Additionally, Merced Medical Center has been recognized as an LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality High Performer by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation and is a Joint Commission-certified Primary Stroke Center.

One Community. One Mission. One California 

Job Summary and Responsibilities

As a Respiratory Therapist, you will join an established team of RTs who share your passion for delivering highly specialized cardiopulmonary care to patients experiencing breathing issues. You'll be instrumental in providing a range of treatments from breathing techniques and nebulizer treatments to ventilator management, oxygen therapies, and external ventilation support.

Every day you will apply your keen assessment skills and critical thinking to manage diverse patient needs, develop and execute effective care plans, and ensure calm, focused intervention in both routine and emergent situations.

To be successful in this role, you will demonstrate a strong sense of urgency, unwavering calm under pressure, and the ability to anticipate outcomes. Your dedication to patient well-being and exceptional problem-solving abilities will drive success in this vital role.

• Clinical Assessments & Care Planning: Conducts comprehensive respiratory and skin assessments to design, implement, and update interdisciplinary care plans
• Routine & Advanced Therapeutics: Performs routine procedures including mechanical ventilation, aerosol therapies, spirometry, airway maintenance, medical gas administration, and EKGs
• Emergency Response & Physician Collaboration: Responds immediately to Code Blue and STAT emergencies, administering life-support care (BLS, ACLS, NRP, PALS) and assisting with advanced bedside procedures
• Medication Administration & Safety: Administers medications using strict hospital identifiers, processes orders with mandatory read-backs, manages Omnicell inventory, and updates MARs accurately
• Documentation & Continuity of Care: Completes all patient education, shift documentation, and billing promptly while tracking missed treatments to ensure uninterrupted patient care

Job Requirements

Required

• Respiratory Care Practitioner: CA (RESP-LIC:CA)
• Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT)
• Associates degree Respiratory Care
• Basic Life Support (BLS) - CPR
• Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), within 6 - months 
• Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), within 6 - months 
• Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP), within 6 - months  

Preferred

• Previous clinical experience in Respiratory Care

Please be advised that this location requires quarterly American Heart Association (AHA) Resuscitation Quality Improvement (RQI) competency certification post-hire.  This ongoing competency is required through resources internal to the facility; outside RQI competency resources are not acceptable for CommonSpirit Health compliance requirements.