Respiratory Therapist – NICU
Seattle, Washington
Swedish Medical Center - First Hill Campus

Job Opportunity: Registered Respiratory Therapist - NICU

Location: Seattle, Washington
Employment Type: Travel/Contract
Contract Length: 13 weeks

Job Summary

Seeking a Registered Respiratory Therapist with Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) experience for a travel contract position. Candidates must hold a Washington state license and be willing to float to other campuses as needed. First-time travelers are accepted.

Required Experience

• Minimum 2 years of experience in Respiratory Therapy specialty.
• NICU experience is required (Manager is waiving PICU experience requirement).
• Experience in Adult Critical Care, Emergency Department (ED), Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), and Pediatrics is required.
• Pulmonary Function Test Lab experience preferred.
• Must be comfortable managing a patient load including ventilators (approx. 5 ventilators, 6-8 RVUs).

Patient Population

• Adolescents, Adults, Geriatrics

Clinical Skills & Responsibilities

• Airway management including extubation, intubation assist, nasal/oral airway placement and suctioning, sputum specimen collection, tracheostomy suctioning.
• Medication administration including Albuterol, Atrovent, Combivent, Flovent, Inhaled Flolan, inhaled steroids, Isuprel, Lidocaine, Mucomyst, Nitric Oxide, Perforomist, Pulmicort, Racemic epinephrine, Spiriva, Terbutaline Sulfate, Theophylline, Tobramycin, Xopenex.
• Use of medication delivery systems such as aerosol masks, trach aerosol setups, Medihaler, and metered dose inhalers.
• Nebulizer management (cold, handheld, heated, ultrasonic, T-piece, trach collar).
• Ventilator management including BiPAP, Flow-by, CPAP, high frequency oscillator, troubleshooting high pressure alarms, and weaning from mechanical ventilation.
• Experience with Draeger and Servo I ventilators is required.
• Professional knowledge including arterial blood gas (ABG) interpretation and basic EKG.

Licenses and Certifications Required

• Washington State Respiratory Therapist License (RRT)
• ACLS (Advanced Cardiac Life Support)
• BLS (Basic Life Support)
• NRP (Neonatal Resuscitation Program)
• PALS (Pediatric Advanced Life Support)
• Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) credential

Additional Requirements

• EPIC electronic health record system skills required.
• Must be open to floating to other campuses.
• Weekend coverage is variable.
• Scrubs: Any color/style acceptable.
• No prior travel experience required; first-time travelers accepted.
• Candidates previously employed at any affiliated facility must have a minimum 3-month separation before qualifying for this travel position.

Compliance and Documentation

• Physical exam within 1 year of start.
• Background checks and verifications as required by Washington state law.
• Immunizations and health screenings including TB test, flu vaccine (or declination), COVID vaccine (or declination), MMR, Hepatitis B, Varicella, Tdap.
• Drug screening (10 panel) within 90 days of start.
• Respirator clearance required annually.
• References: Minimum 2 supervisor references covering 1 year of employment in a comparable specialty/setting.
• Employment application covering at least last 5 years.
• Completion of required WorkRamp training modules prior to start.
• Completion of float policy acknowledgment.

Work Environment

• Patient volume includes managing approximately 5 ventilators.
• Work setting includes NICU, Adult Critical Care, ED, PICU, Pediatrics, and Pulmonary Function Test Lab.
• Patient age groups served: Adolescents, Adults, Geriatrics.

Notes

• Candidates without NICU experience will be screened out.
• Candidates without current NRP certification will be called out.
• Floating to other campuses within reasonable distance is expected.

Requirements/Qualifications

• Valid Pediatric Respiratory Therapist license in Washington
• Minimum 2 years of Pediatric Respiratory Therapist experience
• Pediatric Respiratory Therapist experience within the last year
• ACLS (Advanced Cardiac Life Support) certification
• BLS (Basic Life Support) certification
• NRP (Neonatal Resuscitation Program) certification
• PALS (Pediatric Advanced Life Support) certification
• Experience working with Adult patients
• Experience working with Pediatric patients
• Experience working with Neonate patients
• Experience with EPIC electronic health record system

This position offers an excellent opportunity for respiratory therapists with NICU experience to work in a dynamic, multi-campus environment in Seattle, WA.