Respiratory Therapist-Registered
$37.42 - $56.14
Mid
Visalia, CA, USA
In Person
Medical, Clinical & VeterinaryNursing & Frontline Patient Care
About the job
Requirements
- A current California Respiratory Care Practitioner license is required.
- Registered Respiratory Therapist registration from the National Board for Respiratory Care is required.
- Basic Life Support certification is required.
- If assigned education duties, three years of experience in an acute care facility is required, preferably with supervisory or educational/training responsibilities.
- Demonstrate the knowledge and skills necessary to provide appropriate care and services to the population served in the assigned unit or work area.
- Understand growth and development needs across patient and family cultural, linguistic, spiritual, gender, and age-specific contexts.
- Effectively communicate with and care for patients and families as reflected in the Plan for Provision of Care.
Responsibilities
- Perform respiratory-care duties under general supervision, setting up and administering routine and complex procedures to patients of all ages throughout the hospital as prescribed by a physician.
- Operate acute-care ventilators for continuous short- and long-term mechanical ventilation.
- Maintain department and hospital records and accurately enter therapy information into the hospital computer.
- Perform ventilator checks to ensure proper machine function and adequate patient support, and perform advanced therapy practices in intensive care areas.
- Administer intermittent positive-pressure breathing and aerosol treatments as prescribed by the attending physician.
- Perform and instruct patients in postural drainage and percussion to maximize secretion elimination as prescribed by a physician.
- Respond to Code Blue situations and perform life-saving procedures under a physician's direction.
- Suction patients using methods specified in the Respiratory Therapy procedure manual.
- Relay pertinent patient and incident information to the therapist on the next shift and receive information before beginning the shift to facilitate patient care.
- Administer oxygen therapy and check oxygen equipment function and therapeutic efficiency.
- Perform bedside spirometry before and after bronchodilator treatment to chart patient progress.
- Sterilize and disinfect equipment according to manufacturer and department procedures, and verify proper function after processing.
- Assist with training respiratory and nursing students and provide in-service education to hospital personnel and the community.
- Update work schedules by adding and deleting patients as needed, and assist other shift members with patient assignments.
- Chart equipment rounds, oxygen rounds, and patient treatments; record pertinent patient information.
- Assist with patient transport to other hospitals.
- Support Quality Assurance development through therapeutic evaluation and monitoring.
- For pulmonary function duties, calibrate pulmonary function equipment before first use Monday through Friday, including bedside spirometers; maintain monthly calibration logs; and perform monthly bio-studies to validate quality assurance.
- Perform pulmonary function tests including forced vital capacity, slow vital capacity, maximum voluntary ventilation, and maximum inspiratory pressure; diffusion capacity testing with hemoglobin correction when appropriate; body plethysmography for airway resistance and thoracic gas volume; and nitrogen washout for lung volumes when a patient cannot use the body box.
- Perform spirometry before and after bronchodilator treatment to document change and bronchial provocation using methacholine challenge testing when asthma is suspected and traditional testing has not established or eliminated a diagnosis.
- Wipe pulmonary function equipment between patients with hospital-approved disinfectant.
- For endoscopy duties, assist with management of patients undergoing endoscopic examination or treatment, participate in preprocedural preparation, gather assessment data, and provide preprocedural explanation and education.
- Under physician direction, administer preprocedural and topical medications within the scope of practice; assist the physician during procedures; set up equipment and instrumentation; suction as appropriate; and monitor vital signs.
- Safely handle patient specimens, assist with obtaining specimens, accurately label them with patient and tissue information, and deliver them to the clinical laboratory.
- Manage endoscopy equipment, instrumentation, and supplies to support patient safety and physician needs; ensure supplies are available; order and restock supplies daily; track inventory for turnover and charging; and assist in maintaining accurate documentation of endoscopic activity.
- For NICU duties, initiate, monitor, and assess continuous positive airway pressure using various application devices to optimize ventilation and oxygenation.
- Safely administer oxygen through various applications, including simple cannula and comfort flow, while maintaining adequate oxygenation.
- Assess ventilators for mechanical function, therapeutic application, and efficacy to support optimal outcomes.
- Assist with transcutaneous monitor setup, maintenance, and ongoing monitoring.
- Administer therapeutic aerosols and surfactant replacement therapy as prescribed by the attending physician.
- Attend cesarean sections and high-risk deliveries and provide advanced airway management.
- Provide oropharyngeal and tracheal suctioning using appropriate skills and aseptic techniques to manage secretions without compromising the patient.
- Initiate, monitor, and download neonatal and pediatric pneumograms.
- For pediatric duties, safely administer oxygen through various applications while maintaining adequate oxygenation and administer aerosol and metered-dose medications as prescribed by the attending physician.
- Perform and instruct patients and caregivers in postural drainage and percussion to maximize secretion elimination as prescribed by a physician.
- Provide oropharyngeal and tracheal suctioning using appropriate skills and aseptic techniques to manage secretions without compromising the patient.
- Work with pediatric medical and nursing staff on age-specific interventions that optimize patient acceptance, participation, and outcomes.
- Participate in patient and family education by providing comprehensive information about respiratory diseases, medications, and interventions.
- When assigned as team lead, serve as a primary clinical resource and role model and mentor for staff; act as the Respiratory Manager's representative in the manager's absence; and provide staff leadership and support through problem-solving and decision-making.
- As team lead, coordinate care in high-risk and emergent situations, keep the Manager or Director informed about critical patients and unit issues, and support collaboration and communication among staff, physicians, providers, and involved departments.
- As team lead, ensure patient-care issues are documented and reported, ensure the appropriate Respiratory Care Practitioner completes a Statement of Concern, and use Medical Staff and Kaweah Health's chain of command.
- As team lead, provide employee guidance and inform the Manager or Director of counseling needs, and make fiscally responsible decisions about staffing and patient-supply use.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
About the company
Kaweah Health is a public, not-for-profit health system based in Visalia, California, serving the Central Valley since 1963. It operates a 581-bed medical center, a large outpatient clinic, and several facilities, offering emergency care, cancer treatment, cardiovascular services, rehabilitation, and other medical services. It is the largest hospital system in Tulare County and a certified trauma center. As a not-for-profit, it reinvests earnings back into the community to fund new services, facilities, and programs, with a strategic focus on accessible, high-quality healthcare. The organization has launched an financial recovery plan, “Operation Back in Black,” to improve finances through revenue enhancement and cost reduction, and partners with Medline to enhance supply chain and operational efficiency. Its goal is to provide broad, high-quality healthcare to its community while strengthening financial sustainability and expanding services as needed.
Company Size
1,001-5,000
Company Stage
Grant
Total Funding
$8.7M
Headquarters
Visalia, California
Founded
1963
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- Kaweah reported $1.1 million profit for fiscal 2026's first six months.
- Vacant-position cuts, not layoffs, helped offset projected $25 million Medicaid pressure.
- Akers Clinic, Tulare therapy, and lab consolidation expand outpatient capacity in 2026.
What critics are saying
- Gary Herbst retires June 30, 2026, forcing a nationwide CEO search during recovery.
- Burger wrongful-death litigation and RN licensing actions spotlight emergency-department failures in 2025.
- One budget shock or payer-rate cut could revive 2023 default fears and closure talk.
What makes Kaweah Health unique
- Visalia's only trauma center and largest Tulare County hospital anchors regional care.
- 2026 youth mental-health expansion adds 22 beds and admits children as young as 12.
- Kaweah's residency, nursing, and clinic pipeline deepens local training and physician recruitment.
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Benefits
- Health Insurance
- Dental Insurance
- Vision Insurance
- Life Insurance
- Disability Insurance
- Paid Vacation
- Paid Sick Leave
- Paid Holidays
- Flexible Work Hours