Respiratory Therapist – NICU/PICU
Fargo, North Dakota
Sanford Medical Center Fargo

Respiratory Therapist – NICU/PICU Specialty

Location: Fargo, North Dakota
Contract Length: 13 weeks

Job Summary

Provide respiratory therapy assessment, therapeutic intervention, and education for patients with cardiopulmonary disorders or related complications. Work primarily with NICU, PICU, and adult patient populations in a fast-paced hospital environment.

Unit/Department Details

• Level IV NICU (40 beds)
• Pediatric ICU (8 beds)
• Pediatric units (24 beds)
• Adult ICU (48 beds) and intermediate Adult ICU (16 beds)
• Adult general floor (189 beds)
• Emergency Room (47 beds)
• Family Birth Center (69 beds)
• Typical shift includes 6-14 other respiratory therapists; NICU shifts have 2-4 RTs, Pediatric/PICU shifts have 1-3 pediatric RTs

Required Qualifications

• Minimum 2 years recent respiratory therapist experience
• Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) credential via NBRC preferred; CRT considered
• BLS (AHA), NRP, and PALS (AHA) certifications required
• Experience with NICU and/or PICU patient populations; adult experience beneficial
• Must have Level 4 NICU experience including:

  • High frequency ventilation (Jet & HFOV)
  • Nitric oxide therapy
  • High-risk deliveries
  • Care for gestational ages 22 weeks and above
• North Dakota state respiratory therapist license or willingness to apply within 72 hours of offer acceptance
• ACLS certification preferred

Job Duties

• Respiratory therapy assessments and protocols
• Arterial punctures and blood gas analysis
• Ventilator and non-invasive ventilation (NIV) management
• Medication delivery and airway clearance
• Assist with intubations, tracheostomy changes, decannulation, and extubations
• Participate in emergency response teams and ICU rounds
• Patient intrahospital transport
• Support high-risk deliveries

Equipment Used

• Ventilators: Hamilton G5 & C1, V60, 3100 A & B HFOV, Bunnell HFJV, Infant Flow SiPAP, Bubble CPAP, Trilogy, Astral, Vivo home vents
• Monitoring and therapy devices: Philips CoughAssist, Synclara Cough Device, Volara, Vest, IPV, ResMed AutoPAPs, Radiometer ABL90 Flex, EPOC POC device, Aerogen, Nitric Oxide delivery systems, NeoPuff, Sentec TCM
• Documentation: Epic electronic health record system
• Medication management: Omnicell medication cabinet

Schedule & Work Environment

• Rotating shifts with 8- and 12-hour options
• Every other weekend and holidays required; weekend or straight night shifts may be considered
• Work collaboratively with charge therapists and team members; no solo shifts
• Opportunity to pick up extra shifts
• Floating to other inpatient respiratory therapy units possible with training

Orientation & Training

• Lab orientation with respiratory therapy education staff
• Preceptor shifts on the unit

Additional Information

• Must be motivated, able to work independently and as part of a team
• Strong communication skills essential for collaboration with healthcare team
• Scrub colors: Steel gray for Pediatric/PICU, blue hospital-provided scrubs for NICU

Prior Travel Experience

• Not explicitly required

This job requires a respiratory therapist with specialized NICU/PICU experience and the ability to manage complex respiratory care in a high-acuity setting.