Respiratory Therapist (RRT)

Under the general supervision of the Director/Manager, renders professional Respiratory Therapy in accordance with physician's therapeutic plan, hospital and departmental guidelines, policies and protocols for standards of care. In doing so, assesses patient's respiratory condition, plans for therapy, sets up and cares for appropriate respiratory equipment, administers prescribed inhalant medications, provides appropriate patient/family education and documents patient assessments and response to therapies.

Shift Details

FT 12hr. Days, 6:30a-7p

Duties and Responsibilities

Service:

Consistently supports and communicates the Mission, Vision, and Values of St. Joseph Medical Center.

• Upholds the Standards of Conduct and Corporate Compliance.
• Performs arterial blood gas, electrocardiogram, pulmonary function test, electroencephalogram procedures as indicated.
• Operates and monitors equipment, such as ventilator, BIPAP, CPAP and inhalant medication delivery systems.

Administers inhalant medication according to physician orders, prescribed departmental and hospital guidelines.

Performs other duties as assigned, i. e. performing echocardiograms, pulmonary function tests and electroencephalograms.

People

• Consistently follows patient care, and facility guidelines and procedures in performance.
• Collaborates with inter and intra-professional colleagues to ensure quality outcomes.

Assesses patient's respiratory condition, plans for therapy, sets up and cares for appropriate respiratory devices, performs and administers prescribed actions/medications, provides patient/family educations, evaluates patient's therapy, documents and communicates patient assessments and responses to therapies to nurse, physician and on patient medical record.

Makes regular rounds on assigned patients to ensure physician's orders are being followed, equipment is in good operational condition and assesses patient's response to therapy.

Communicates patient assessments to nurse and/or physician and documents observations/assessments on patient medical records.

Functions as a resource person sharing and providing clinical knowledge with other medical staff as appropriate.

Quality

• Completes annual education requirements.
• Maintains competency, as evidenced by completion of competency validation requirements.
• Promotes of a culture of patient safety which results in the identification and reduction of unsafe practices.
• Uses professional judgment and critical thinking to prepare, prioritize, and execute the patient's plan of care consistent with patient assessment data, physicians' treatment plans, and professional standards of care.
• Implements measures to prevent exposure to infectious pathogens and communicable conditions.

Identifies risks and hazards to patients through various risk assessments, with actions taken to mitigate patient harm.

Problem-solves respiratory therapy equipment for malfunction, proactively reports equipment in need of repair as indicated and follows up on status of repair.

Other duties as assigned.

Growth

• Maintains competency and knowledge of current standards of practice, trends, and developments.
• Enhances the patient's experience by fostering a positive relationship with customers.
• Contributes to improving patient satisfaction results.
• Initiates and proactively participates in ongoing quality improvement activities.

Finance

Promotes stewardship of hospital resources while ensuring quality patient care.

Minimum Knowledge Skills and Abilities

Licensed as a Respiratory Care Practitioner, accepted by Texas Medical Board, and Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) National Board of Respiratory Care.

• Technical, clerical, critical thinking and interpersonal skills relevant to patient care/area.
• Graduate of American Medical Association approved school of respiratory therapy or equivalent.
• Current American Heart Association Basic Life Support (BLS).
• Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP) certification must be held by all respiratory therapists who attend and assist with infants in Labor & Delivery.
• Other certification requirements as defined by the certification policy.
• Able to communicate effectively in English, both verbally and in writing.

Preferred

Bi or Multilingual.

Houston's oldest hospital is GROWING!

Welcome to St. Joseph Medical Center (SJMC), Houston's first and only downtown hospital delivering world-class care for the last 137 years and looking forward to the next century of exceptional care to Houstonians when they need us most.

Whether it's for a scheduled surgery, the birth of a baby, an unexpected emergency, or an outpatient visit, we have staff available around the clock to provide you with access to immediate, quality health care.

SJMC has been providing health care services to Greater Houston residents for over 130 years, which should give you great comfort in knowing that we have a great tradition of caring for our community.

We strive to meet our patients' expectations and encourage our patients to provide us with feedback on how we can help them have the best experience possible while they're in our care.

Over the last years we have expanded our services to include the Advanced Wound Care Center, Comprehensive Cardiac and Vascular Services, the Women's Center, the St. Joseph Maternal Fetal Medicine Center, and a Weight Loss Surgery Program, just to name a few. As you work with our physicians, nurses, case managers, educators, and other staff, you will be guided through your healthcare journey, from diagnosis to treatment, with compassion every step of the way.

Diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging are at the foundation of the care St Joseph Medical Center provides to our community we are privileged to support in all of our employment practices. We do not discriminate on the grounds of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or expression or any other non-job-related characteristic.