Registered Respiratory Therapist

Overview

Registered Respiratory Therapist

PRN/OCC, Variable Hours Per Pay Period, Varied Shifts

Methodist Overview: 

Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge, part of Covenant Health, is a trusted regional hospital serving East Tennessee with advanced care and a personal touch. With more than 30 specialties, including cardiology, neurosurgery, orthopedics, and vascular care, the facility offers innovative treatments for complex conditions like aneurysms, joint damage, heart failure, and chronic wounds. Backed by a team of over 1,000 healthcare professionals and 250 physicians, Methodist Medical Center combines state-of-the-art technology with compassionate care, earning national recognition for patient safety and excellence in stroke and heart care. Our facilities offer patients all the benefits of medical expertise and innovation while still embodying the convenience of a hometown medical center that is close to the support of family and friends.  

Position Summary: 

Provides care to patients with respiratory insufficiency and related complications.  Functions as part of the direct patient team to provide overall quality care and serves as a resource and specialist to patients, all patient care givers and physicians.  May be required to exercise clinical judgment under the order of a licensed physician.

Responsibilities

• Demonstrates respiratory care competency of critical and clinical skills on an annual basis.
• Demonstrates the ability to be flexible, handle multiple assignments, balance priorities, and make decisions quickly and function under stressful situations.
• Demonstrates the ability to perform all aspects of respiratory therapy to include age specific and related patient care in a safe and competent manner.
• Demonstrates skill in emergency situations based up on department standards, policies, procedures and protocols, assumes a leadership role in emergency situations.
• Demonstrates the ability to assess, identify and treat patient health conditions as established by organizational and departmental policies and procedures.
• Demonstrates the ability to make safe, effective and competent decisions regarding individual patient care. Express sound judgment.
• Demonstrates the ability to provide appropriate communication to nursing personnel and/or physicians and other hospital staff as necessary. Must be able to demonstrate effective communication skills on all socioeconomic levels using tact, articulation and in a professional manner.
• Demonstrates competency/proficiency in mechanical ventilation, CPAP, and BiPAP skills to include current modes of ventilation, indications for use and calculations of necessary data.
• Demonstrates competency/proficiency in the performance of arterial blood gases and analysis per department policy and procedure. Quality control, troubleshooting, and quality assurance per department policy and procedures.
• Performs assigned tasks and uses equipment with skill and accuracy.
• Participates in performance improvement activities by making suggestions for unit/organizational improvements, data collection activities, and date analysis as appropriate.
• Documentation and charges are complete, accurate, timely and legible. Consistently document patient assessments, reassessments, patient education, goals, response to therapy and any other requirements for the patient medical record.
• Completes Quality Control procedures and documentation required by regulatory agencies, medical center and department policy.
• Maintains all equipment in a clean and functioning order. Responsible for location and inventory of any RT equipment utilized on a routine basis.
• Attends meetings as required and participates on committees as directed.
• Assists with the orientation and training of newly hired respiratory employees and precepts the respiratory students.
• Perform other related duties as assigned or requested.

Qualifications

EDUCATION/KNOWLEDGE/SKILLS: 

Must have an Associate Degree from an accredited school of respiratory therapy, or must have successfully completed the requirements of a Respiratory Care diploma program sufficient to have obtained a license as a Respiratory Therapist.

EXPERIENCE: 

Must have documented experience necessary to obtain state license. For staff involved in the care of age-specific groups, knowledge of the bio-psychosocial needs of adult, geriatric and pediatric patients is essential.  Special knowledge is required in growth and development needs of pediatric/geriatric patients where applicable.

LICENSURE/CERTIFICATIONS:

Valid RRT Credential by the National Board for Respiratory Care. Licensed as a Registered Respiratory Therapist by the State of Tennessee Health Related Boards with ABG endorsement.  Current work-permit acceptable per state regulations. New Registry Eligible graduates may be hired in as an RRT and will have 90 days in which to pass the NBRC RRT exam and become credentialed.  Failure to obtain RRT credential within 90 days will result in a reclassification to CRT with an appropriate adjustment in pay.Current BLS.