Registered Respiratory Therapist
Elizabethtown, Kentucky
Baptist Healthcare System, Inc. - 913 North Dixie Avenue

Respiratory Therapist

• Location: Elizabethtown, Kentucky
• Employment type: Clinical-Allied
• Contract length: 12 weeks
• Schedule: 6p-6a, 12-hour shifts, 36 hours per week
• Weekend payback policy: A traveler who misses a scheduled weekend shift must work the next unscheduled weekend, or another day designated by the manager based on unit need. Schedule conflicts must be discussed with the Unit Manager. Weekends are Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Hospitalizations and funeral leave are exempt.

Job Summary

The certified respiratory therapist assesses, treats, and monitors patients with respiratory diseases and conditions. This includes medicated and non-medicated therapy as ordered by the provider, invasive and non-invasive mechanical ventilator support for acute respiratory failure, and diagnostic testing. Therapists also assist with departmental quality improvement projects, equipment, and supplies, and follow the rules of the licensure board for the state where they practice.

Responsibilities

• Critical/Emergent Care (35%): Responds to code blue and rapid response situations, and to high-risk deliveries including the compromised newborn. Manages airway care, including endotracheal and tracheostomy tubes. Assesses and adjusts invasive and non-invasive ventilatory support. Assists with advanced procedures such as endotracheal tube insertion, arterial lines, and bronchoscopy.
• General Care (30%): Provides prescribed medicated and therapeutic treatments, oxygen therapy, patient assessment, and recommendations to providers. Educates patients and significant others on therapy, respiratory disease, and medications.
• Diagnostic Procedures (15%): Performs pulmonary function testing, neurodiagnostic studies such as electroencephalograms, cardiac testing such as 12-lead electrocardiograms and holter monitoring, arterial and capillary blood gas sampling, and oximetry studies. Analyzes laboratory tests such as blood gases.
• Communication (10%): Documents patient care in the medical record, gives shift report and transfer information, educates peers and students, and attends departmental meetings, huddles, and in-services.
• Equipment and Supply Management (10%): Cleans and prepares ventilators and therapeutic gas delivery devices, ensures departmental analyzers function properly, and evaluates equipment and supply needs.

Required Qualifications

• Associate's degree in respiratory care
• Valid Registered Respiratory Therapist license in Kentucky
• Respiratory Therapy Certification (Kentucky Board of Respiratory Care)
• Registered Respiratory Therapist with at least 1 year of experience, including experience within the last year
• BLS
• ACLS
• PALS
• NRP
• Experience with arterial blood sampling
• Ability to interpret arterial blood gases (ABGs)
• Experience with pulmonary function testing (PFTs)