Respiratory Therapist I
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
UNC Medical Center

Respiratory Therapist I

Location: Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Employment Type: Clinical-Allied
Shift: Days
Hours per Week: 36 (12-hour shifts)
Contract Length: 13 weeks

Job Summary

• Administer standard respiratory care including aerosol medication delivery, oxygen therapy, breathing exercises, arterial cannulation, arterial punctures, and basic bedside pulmonary function testing.
• Manage airway care: aspiration of established airways, tracheostomy care and tube changes, endotracheal intubations and extubations.
• Perform pulmonary function testing as needed.
• Provide ventilator care including setup, verification, use of specialized ventilator modes, patient monitoring, and weaning techniques.
• Manage extracorporeal circulation for cardiac and respiratory support when working with ECMO.
• Perform advanced procedures per protocol such as UAC, UVC, IV insertion, chest tube insertion, needle decompression, arterial blood gases (ABGs), and blood glucose monitoring.
• May transport pediatric and neonatal patients per protocol.
• Serve as a resource for staff and physicians, assist in training new staff, students, and physicians, and provide in-services.
• May assume Charge Therapist responsibilities.
• Document all patient care procedures thoroughly in the electronic medical record system.
• May be required to be on-call during days, nights, weekends, and holidays.

Required Qualifications

• Valid Respiratory Therapist license in North Carolina
• Respiratory Therapist (0 years of experience)
• Respiratory Therapist experience within the last year
• Basic Life Support (BLS) certification
• Proficient in UAC insertion
• Skilled in ventilator care including specialized ventilator modes and weaning techniques
• Experienced in extracorporeal circulation management
• Competent in airway management including tracheostomy care, endotracheal intubations, and extubations
• Proficient in IV insertion

Skills & Competencies

• Respiratory care techniques including aerosol medication delivery and oxygen therapy.
• Pulmonary function testing and arterial blood gas analysis.
• Airway management including tracheostomy and endotracheal procedures.
• Ventilator management with specialized modes and patient weaning.
• Extracorporeal circulation management (ECMO).
• Invasive procedures such as arterial cannulation, UAC/UVC insertion, IV insertion, chest tube insertion, and needle decompression.
• Patient monitoring and blood glucose monitoring.
• Proficient in electronic medical record documentation.

Additional Information

• May require on-call availability including nights, weekends, and holidays.
• Opportunity to serve as a resource and trainer for other staff and physicians.