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Kindred Healthcare
Chattanooga, Tennessee

Respiratory Therapist - Full Time Days

Respiratory TherapistFull-Time

Compensation

Pay not disclosed

Listing transparency0 of 6 stated

Ask the employer about the pay range, the work setting and call expectations.

Employment & setting
Full-Time
Call expectations
Not specified
Weekends
Not specified
Posted 1h ago · Verified live

Job Description

Kindred Hospital Chattanooga is a 49-bed long-term acute care hospital, offering the same in-depth care you would receive in a traditional hospital, but for an extended recovery period. We partner with your physician and offer 24-hour clinical care 7 days a week so you can start your journey to wellness anytime.

Job Summary

Responsible for administering safe and competent respiratory care as ordered per physician, monitoring mechanical ventilation, administering medications, patient assessment, understanding ramifications of hemodynamic monitoring, understanding blood work results, monitoring, teaching, and training.

Essential Functions

Competent delivery of all Respiratory Care procedures as outlined in the department policy and procedure manual. Work in all areas of the hospital.

Maintain accurate and complete documentation of all Respiratory Care procedures per department policy and procedures. Enter into the department's computer all daily services and charges given to patients.

Verify Respiratory Care physician's orders. Initial, date, and time order after verification.

Receive and give accurate and complete report. Update and complete patient profile card to reflect patient's current clinical status. Be prepared and ready to receive/give report at the specified report times.

Attend and participate in department in-services, meetings, patient care rounds, and mandatory hospital meetings.

Keep Supervisor appraised of changes in workload and patient acuity.

Demonstrate excellent working knowledge of Respiratory Care instruments and equipment. Perform troubleshooting with appropriate problem resolution.

Perform effective airway management to include bag/mask ventilation. Assist physician/intubation certified therapist with intubation. Demonstrate safe and appropriate suction techniques and use of artificial airways. Initiate and perform "CPR". Primarily responsible for airway management. Initiate, maintain, monitor and document continuous mechanical ventilation.

Provide timely and accurate update information to the physicians and other hospital personnel. Make recommendations for changes or modification of patient therapy by contacting physicians.

Assist in orientation/training of new employees, respiratory/nursing students, and precept new employees during orientation.

  • Knowledge/Skills/Abilities/Expectations
  • Ability to work under stress and to respond quickly in emergency situations.

Demonstrates good interpersonal skills when working or interacting with residents, their families and other staff members.

Ability to communicate in English effectively through verbal and written means to extent necessary to perform job duties appropriately.

Understands principles of growth and development for the entire lifespan with the ability to provide care appropriate for adult and geriatric patients as appropriate to the patient population.

  • Ability to work cooperatively as a member of a team.
  • Reading and comprehension at level necessary to perform job duties appropriately.
  • Must have good and regular attendance.
  • Approximate percent of time required to travel: 0%25
  • Performs other related duties as assigned.

Education

  • As required for Registry by National Board of Respiratory Care
  • Licenses/Certifications
  • Registered Respiratory Therapist by the National Board of Respiratory Care.
  • Appropriate licensure from state licensure agency.
  • ACLS and BLS certification required

Experience

Minimum 1 year experience in acute care setting preferred.

Key Responsibilities

Responsible for administering safe respiratory care, monitoring mechanical ventilation, and performing airway management for patients. Collaborates with physicians to update patient therapy and maintains accurate clinical documentation.

Requirements

Requires registration as a Respiratory Therapist by the NBRC and current ACLS and BLS certifications. A minimum of one year of experience in an acute care setting is preferred.

Key Skills

Intubation assistanceEmergency responseTeamworkPatient education

Respiratory Therapy Career Context

Of the 50 active Respiratory Therapy listings this role was benchmarked against, 2% are remote, 72% have no call, 42% require no weekends.

The cost-of-living index for Tennessee is 91.9 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)). 58.6% of Tennessee clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Location & Logistics

Tennessee has no state income tax, which can significantly increase take-home pay compared to high-tax states.

Top Respiratory Therapist Jobs

25 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution19 jobs

4
<$90k
6
$90k-105k
6
$105k-120k
1
$131k
2
$135k+

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks17 jobs

401k / retirement match
65%
Sign-on bonus
18%
CME allowance
18%
Relocation assistance
12%
Loan repayment
6%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

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$47.68-$66.75/hr
#2

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#3

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#4

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+ 23 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

3.0/ 10
Listing-based score

Living in Chattanooga

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$327k
Typical market rent
$1,513/mo
Residents’ average commute
19 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
91.5
State income tax
None
Sources & methodology

Sources: Zillow home values (Aug 2026), Zillow market rents (Aug 2026), U.S. Census ACS 2024 five-year.

BEA 2024 · Chattanooga, TN-GA metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

City-level figures. Not a cost-of-living guarantee.