Registered Respiratory Therapist
Saint Louis, Missouri
Barnes-Jewish Hospital

Job Opportunity: Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) - Travel/Contract

Location: Saint Louis, Missouri
Contract Length: 26 weeks (approximately 6 months)
Specialty: Respiratory / Neuro Diagnostics
Employment Type: Travel/Contract

Job Description

• Position: Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT)
• Required Years of Experience: 2 years
• First-time travelers accepted
• Weekend Requirement: Every third weekend
• On-call: No
• Floating: Yes, within scope to meet facility needs
• Holiday work: Some holidays required
• Work Settings: ICU and general floors
• Block scheduling: Not accommodated
• Local candidates: Not accepted (local radius rule: 75 miles)
• Pending license accepted
• Return to Office (RTO) restrictions: No more than 7 days
• Guaranteed Hours: 3 shifts per 13 weeks
• Electronic Health Record System: Epic
• Teaching hospital environment; may be asked to precept respiratory therapy students

Required Certifications

• Basic Life Support (BLS)
• Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) credential
• Epic experience required

Clinical Skills and Competencies

• Airway Management Devices/Suctioning:

  • Endotracheal tube suctioning
  • Extubation
  • Nasal airway suctioning
  • Oral airway placement and suctioning
  • Oropharyngeal suctioning
  • Sputum specimen collection
  • Tracheostomy suctioning

• Medication Administration:

  • Albuterol, Atrovent, Combivent
  • Inhaled Flolan, inhaled steroids
  • Lidocaine
  • Nitric Oxide (INo)
  • Pulmicort
  • Racemic epinephrine
  • Xopenex

• Medication Delivery Systems:

  • Aerosol setup mask and trach
  • Metered dose inhaler

• Nebulizer Types:

  • Handheld
  • T-piece
  • Trach collar
  • Ultrasonic

• Oxygen Therapy:

  • High Flow Nasal Cannula (HFNC)

• Ventilator Management:

  • BiPAP, CPAP
  • Troubleshooting high pressure alarms
  • Weaning from mechanical ventilation

• Arterial Blood Gas (ABG) interpretation required

Work Environment

• Facility Type: Short Term Acute Care
• Total Staffed Beds: 1259
• Scrub Color: Medium to dark gray

Scheduling and Work Conditions

• Weekend shifts required every third weekend
• Some holiday shifts required
• Floating within scope of practice
• No on-call requirement

Compliance and Background Requirements

• Government-issued ID required
• Criminal background check within 6 months, including statewide and nationwide searches
• Education verification required
• EPLS/GSA/SAM and HHS/OIG checks required quarterly
• Fingerprinting required for certain Illinois long-term care or rehab assignments
• Professional license primary source verification required
• Drug testing within 1 year of start, must include standard panels and be current throughout assignment
• Physical exam within 1 year of start
• Fit mask testing required annually (N95 respirators)
• Immunizations and health screenings required:

  • Tetanus/Diphtheria/Tdap (every 10 years)
  • Negative TB test or chest x-ray (2 negative PPDs or equivalent)
  • Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Varicella immunity or vaccination/declination
  • Seasonal flu vaccination or approved exemption during flu season
• HIPAA acknowledgement, confidentiality, hand hygiene, dress code, and other facility-specific policies must be reviewed and signed prior to start
• Orientation modules required and completed through online learning platform

Additional Notes

• Candidates must be willing to work in a teaching hospital environment and may be asked to precept students.
• Parking is available but not reimbursed; details provided during orientation.
• Candidates must be prepared to work in both ICU and floor settings.
• Local candidates within 75 miles are not accepted for this travel position.

Requirements/Qualifications

• Valid Respiratory Therapist license in Missouri
• Minimum of 2 years of experience as a Respiratory Therapist
• Recent Respiratory Therapist experience within the last year
• Basic Life Support (BLS) certification
• Experience with Epic electronic health record system