Respiratory Therapist
Listed compensation
$46.27-$62.28/hr
The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed
Ask the employer about call expectations, weekend coverage, nights and shift pattern and time off.
Job Description
Where You’ll Work
Founded in 1873, Dignity Health - Mercy Medical Center is a 186-bed, acute care, nonprofit hospital located in Merced, California. Serving over 150,000 patients annually, the hospital offers a full complement of services including a Level II NICU, heart care, the Mercy Cancer Center, and a family birth center.
Additionally, Merced Medical Center has been recognized as an LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality High Performer by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation and is a Joint Commission-certified Primary Stroke Center.
One Community. One Mission. One California
Job Summary and Responsibilities
As a Respiratory Therapist, you will join an established team of RTs who share your passion for delivering highly specialized cardiopulmonary care to patients experiencing breathing issues.
You'll be instrumental in providing a range of treatments from breathing techniques and nebulizer treatments to ventilator management, oxygen therapies, and external ventilation support.
Every day you will apply your keen assessment skills and critical thinking to manage diverse patient needs, develop and execute effective care plans, and ensure calm, focused intervention in both routine and emergent situations.
To be successful in this role, you will demonstrate a strong sense of urgency, unwavering calm under pressure, and the ability to anticipate outcomes. Your dedication to patient well-being and exceptional problem-solving abilities will drive success in this vital role.
Clinical Assessments & Care Planning: Conducts comprehensive respiratory and skin assessments to design, implement, and update interdisciplinary care plans
Routine & Advanced Therapeutics: Performs routine procedures including mechanical ventilation, aerosol therapies, spirometry, airway maintenance, medical gas administration, and EKGs
Emergency Response & Physician Collaboration: Responds immediately to Code Blue and STAT emergencies, administering life-support care (BLS, ACLS, NRP, PALS) and assisting with advanced bedside procedures
Medication Administration & Safety: Administers medications using strict hospital identifiers, processes orders with mandatory read-backs, manages Omnicell inventory, and updates MARs accurately
Documentation & Continuity of Care: Completes all patient education, shift documentation, and billing promptly while tracking missed treatments to ensure uninterrupted patient care
- Job Requirements
- Required
- Respiratory Care Practitioner: CA (RESP-LIC: CA)
- Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT)
- Associates degree Respiratory Care
- Basic Life Support (BLS) - CPR
- Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), within 6 - months
- Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), within 6 - months
- Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP), within 6 - months
- Preferred
Previous Clinical Experience in Respiratory Care
Please be advised that this location requires quarterly American Heart Association (AHA) Resuscitation Quality Improvement (RQI) competency certification post-hire. This ongoing competency is required through resources internal to the facility; outside RQI competency resources are not acceptable for CommonSpirit Health compliance requirements.
Key Responsibilities
The Respiratory Therapist will provide specialized cardiopulmonary care, including ventilator management, oxygen therapies, and routine respiratory treatments. They are responsible for conducting clinical assessments, developing care plans, and responding to emergency situations like Code Blues.
Requirements
Candidates must hold a valid California Respiratory Care Practitioner license and be a Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) with an Associate degree. Required certifications include BLS, with ACLS, PALS, and NRP to be obtained within six months of hire.
Key Skills
Respiratory Therapy Career Context
Of the 40 active Respiratory Therapy listings this role was benchmarked against, 3% are remote, 57% have no call, 40% require no weekends.
The cost-of-living index for California is 110.7 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$113k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $102k in an average-cost state. 63.6% of California clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).
| Measure | This job | Market |
|---|---|---|
| Listed pay | $96k–$130k | Respiratory Therapy median $95k (middle half $79k–$109k)64 comparable listings, Nov 2026 |
| Cost-of-living adjusted pay | ~$102k in purchasing power | California index 110.7 (US = 100)BEA Regional Price Parities (2024) |
| Respiratory Therapy listings in California | 164 active | 3,959 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026 |
| Work setting | on-site | peers: 3% remote · 57% no call · 40% no weekends40 benchmarked listings |
| Sign-on & loan repayment | not stated | California healthcare professional listings (all specialties): 8% state a sign-on bonus (median $1k) · 2% offer loan repayment172 active listings, Nov 2026 |
| New Respiratory Therapy listings | 1,263 in the last 30 days | 749 the 30 days before (+69%)U.S., first seen on WeekdayDoc, Nov 2026 |
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