Dual Respiratory Therapist

Job Summary

The Dual Respiratory Therapist is an advanced Respiratory Therapist that provides specialized, high level respiratory care across neonatal, pediatric, and adult patient populations. This hybrid role is designed for a Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) with Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP) certification, who will float between the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and Adult Acute Care units based on patient acuity and departmental needs. The therapist delivers evidence based respiratory interventions, collaborates with multidisciplinary teams, and supports safe, high quality care in diverse clinical environments.  

Minimum Qualifications

Minimum Education: Associate's Degree (AMA accredited program for Respiratory Care and registered through the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC)) 
Minimum Years of Experience: 18 Months of Experience 
Substitutable Education & Experience (Optional): Associate's Degree may be substituted for active RRT credential through National Board for Respiratory Care, active license through SC LLR, and 10 years of direct experience as a Respiratory Therapist. 
Required Certifications/Licensure: Licensed by the Board of Medical Examiners for the State of South Carolina and the NBRC(biennial renewal required); 
Infant/Child and Adult Basic Life Support (BLS) Certified - ACLS required for all CVICU therapist, and for the Rapid Response Team. PALS training for all RRT's assigned to the Emergency Department (Within six months or first available class). 
All Employees assigned to the NICU must have NRP certification prior to initiating training. 
Required Training: None

Essential Functions

• Demonstrates competence to provide developmentally appropriate care/treatment for the following patient populations (vary by area):        
  a. Infant (Birth to 1 year)          
  b. Child (1 year through 12 years)         
  c. Adolescent (13 years through 17 years)       
  d. Adult (18 years to 65 years)         
  e. Geriatric (over 65 years).  
• This hybrid role requires flexibility to work in both high acuity neonatal settings and dynamic adult acute care units.   
• Perform advanced neonatal respiratory care, including ventilator management, CPAP/HFNC support, neonatal intubations, and surfactant administration under provider direction. 
• Attend high risk deliveries and provide immediate stabilization and resuscitation support. 
• Conduct neonatal/pediatric respiratory assessments and adjust therapies based on clinical status and established protocols. 
• Collaborate with neonatologists and NICU nursing staff to optimize outcomes for premature and critically ill infants.         
• Performs routine/oxygen therapy, administers medication, follow protocols. Administers specialty gases.           
• Assesses patients in accordance with clinical practice guidelines and makes recommendations to physician for the most appropriate therapy.  
• Interprets orders and/or confers with physician to determine requirements for therapy. 
• Accepts verbal respiratory care orders from physician and documents in the Electronic Health Record (EHR). 
• Makes adjustments using clinical decision making skills based on response from treatments. 
• Performs arterial punctures and draws from arterial lines to obtain blood gas samples. 
• Analyzes samples on blood gas systems and interprets results. Performs routine daily preventive maintenance and QC. 

Duties & Responsibilities

• Performs diagnostic procedures, interprets results and makes recommendations based on set criteria (Example: pulse oximetry, bedside spirometry, and peak flows). 
• Initiates, monitors, and troubleshoots Non-Invasive Ventilation. 
• Demonstrates proficiency in assessment and management of the critical care patient. 
• Knowledge of ventilator modalities and their operation. 
• Responds to "Code Blues"; performs cardio-pulmonary resuscitation. 
• Documents all patient-care related activities in medical record. 
• Assists with patient/family education as pertinent to Respiratory Care and documents progress, including patient evaluation, orientation, and follow-up. 
• Utilizes, maintains, calibrates and troubleshoots all equipment to ensure proper function. 
• Assists in orientation of new personnel, serves as clinical instructor for students, and supervises necessary programs. 
• Identifies opportunities for improvement, participates and contributes to the departmental and organizational CQI process. 
• Therapists with specialized training may be assigned additional responsibilities upon certification or validation of skills. Adult and geriatric intubations, member of Rapid Response Team, Post op cardiac intensive care and bedside bronchoscopy.  
• Therapists who have demonstrated proper competency attend high-risk neonatal deliveries as a member of the Neonatal Resuscitation Team and provides neonatal respiratory care in the NICU. 
• Performs bedside pulmonary function test and troubleshoots and maintains arterial blood gas systems. 
• Performs all other duties as assigned.