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Duke Health
Durham, North Carolina

Respiratory Therapist Assistant - Adult

Respiratory TherapistIncludes callFull-Time

Compensation

Pay not disclosed

Listing transparency3 of 6 stated

Ask the employer about the pay range, weekend coverage and nights and shift pattern.

Employment & setting
Full-Time · on-site
Call expectations
Includes call
Weekends
Not specified
Posted 1mo ago

Job Description

At Duke Health, we're driven by a commitment to compassionate care that changes the lives of patients, their loved ones, and the greater community. No matter where your talents lie, join us and discover how we can advance health together.

About Duke University Hospital

Pursue your passion for caring with Duke University Hospital in Durham, North Carolina, which is consistently ranked among the best in the United States. The largest of the four Duke Healthhospitals with 1062 patient beds, it features comprehensive diagnostic and therapeutic facilities, including a regional emergency/trauma center, an endo-surgery center, and more.

Occupational Summary

Perform diagnostic and therapeutic clinical procedures as defined in the Respiratory Care Services scope of clinical practice. Work performed in accordance with physician orders and under supervision of a Registered Respiratory Therapist.

Work Performed

Verify physician orders for appropriateness and accuracy. required. Understand pharmacological indications, dosages and response to adverse drug reactions. Consults with providers based on patient care assessments and in accordance to accepted protocols. Provides education to patients, families, physicians, nursing and other members of the health care team. Monitors response to all therapy. Documents in the patient medical record. Communicates all pertinent clinical information during patient rounds and handoff. Perform diagnostic cardiopulmonary procedures; inclusive of nasotracheal and artificial airway suctioning and samples, arterial blood gas punctures, pulse oximetry and EtCO2 monitoring, pulmonary function and bedside pulmonary mechanics, and EKG's. Recognizes life threatening situations and initiates appropriate response, perform CPR and bag- mask ventilation Assure correct set-up, safety and function of all equipment/ supplies necessary in the provision of patient care. Assure adherence to all infectious disease standards in the delivery of all patient care procedures. Participates in quality improvement activities. Maintains all necessary safety and life support certifications per Can provide the following therapy: Oxygen Supply Systems Equipment Processing Manual Resuscitation Oxygen administration Humidity and Aerosol Therapy Small Volume Nebulizer MDI Administration Incentive Spirometry Airway Clearance Therapy Arterial Uncture ECG (if perofrmed by hiring institute) Patient reporting.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Knowledge necessary to make appropriate clinical decisions and interactions relative to the specific age of a patient. Skills validation/certifications of competencies for the duties and responsibilities of this level. Must maintain annual skill requirements. Must maintain annual safety/compliance requirements. Must maintain North Carolina annual license requirements for CEU's Customer service and communication expertise. Work involves contact with patients of all ages, family members, physicians, nursing, and all other members of the health care team. Work is performed in all areas of Duke University Health System, at applicable hiring location. Work may require lifting or pushing in excess of 30 pounds. Work requires walking, climbing and bending.

Minimum Qualifications

Duke is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing employment opportunity without regard to an individual's age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, geneticinformati on, national origin, race, religion, sex (including pregnancyand pregnan cy related conditions), sexual orientation or military status.

Duke aspires to create a community built on collaboration, innovation, creativity, and belonging. Our collective success depends onthe robust exchange of ideas—an exchange that is best when the richdiversity of our perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences flourishes. To achieve this exchange, it is essential that all members of the community feel se cure and welcome, that the contributions of allindividuals are respected, and that all voices are heard. All members ofour community have a resp onsibility to uphold these values.

Essential Physical Job Functions: Certain jobs at Duke University andDuke University Health System may include essential job functions that require specific physical and/or mental abilities. Additionalinformation and provision for requests for reasonable accommodation will be provided by each hiring department.

Education

Active enrollment in a 2 year approved respiratory care program (Associates Degree or the equivalent) and is in good standing. Completion of the first semester of the respiratory care program.

Experience

  • None required beyond clinical affiliation of the respiratory program.
  • Degrees, Licensures, Certifications

The student RCP must register with the Board before providing Respiratory Care procedures as a Respiratory Care Assistant and will receive an approval letter from the Board. The student RCP will provide a copy of the approval letter to the employer. Certification in Basic Life Support (BLS) and any other certifications applicable to the institution.

Duke is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing employment opportunity without regard to an individual's age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy and pregnancy related conditions), sexual orientation or military status.

Duke aspires to create a community built on collaboration, innovation, creativity, and belonging. Our collective success depends on the robust exchange of ideas—an exchange that is best when the rich diversity of our perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences flourishes. To achieve this exchange, it is essential that all members of the community feel secure and welcome, that the contributions of all individuals are respected, and that all voices are heard. All members of our community have a responsibility to uphold these values.

Essential Physical Job Functions

Certain jobs at Duke University and Duke University Health System may include essential job functions that require specific physical and/or mental abilities. Additional information and provision for requests for reasonable accommodation will be provided by each hiring department.

Key Responsibilities

Perform diagnostic and therapeutic respiratory procedures under the supervision of a Registered Respiratory Therapist. Monitor patient response to therapy, document clinical information, and ensure the safety and function of all respiratory equipment.

Requirements

Must be actively enrolled in an approved 2-year respiratory care program and have completed the first semester. Requires registration with the Board as a student RCP and current Basic Life Support (BLS) certification.

Qualifications

Education
Professional certificate or licensure

Key Skills

Patient assessmentDiagnostic proceduresTherapeutic proceduresAirway managementEquipment maintenanceInfection controlClinical documentationPatient educationPharmacological knowledge

Respiratory Therapy Career Context

Of the 50 active Respiratory Therapy listings this role was benchmarked against, 2% are remote, 74% have no call, 42% require no weekends.

Respiratory Therapy pay on WeekdayDoc is up 3.3% vs. the prior quarter (through Aug 2026).

The cost-of-living index for North Carolina is 94.3 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)). 59.2% of North Carolina clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Top Respiratory Therapist Jobs

21 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution16 jobs

4
<$90k
5
$90k-105k
4
$105k-120k
1
$131k
2
$135k+

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks13 jobs

401k / retirement match
62%
Sign-on bonus
23%
CME allowance
15% this job
Loan repayment
8%
Relocation assistance
8%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Respiratory Therapist

Sutter Health · Sacramento, California

$47.68-$66.75/hr
#2

Respiratory Therapist

Northwell · Terryville, New York

$80k-$136k
#3

RRT - Registered Respiratory Therapist

$58-$63/hr
#4

Respiratory Therapist 1

$34.2-$55.75/hr
+ 19 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

3.0/ 10
Listing-based score
  • On-site
  • Includes call

Living in Durham

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$363k
Typical market rent
$1,659/mo
Residents’ average commute
22 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
97.6
State income tax
Up to 4.8%
Sources & methodology

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

BEA 2024 · Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

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

Duke Health logo

About Duke Health

Hospitals and Health Care
Durham, North Carolina
1,001-5,000 employees

Benefits & Perks

Health Insurance
Dental
Vision
Retirement
PTO
Tuition Assistance