Respiratory Therapy Assistant

Provides basic respiratory therapy, diagnostics and monitoring to patients of all ages outside the critical care areas.

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

• Must demonstrate competencies in assigned responsibilities. Must be able to communicate verbally and in writing.

Education and/or Other Requirements

Current enrollment in an CoARC accredited respiratory therapy program. Successful completion of first year (two semesters). Maintains passing grade in all college and clinical classes. Current CPR card. Recommendation from program and/or clinical director.

Environmental Factors

Job duties involve the potential for frequent exposure to blood and body fluids.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

• Must be able to walk, stand, stoop, kneel and assist in lifting patients; able to assist patients and/or adjust equipment at floor level; able to reach, change and read IV’s 5 feet from the floor unaided; able to move quickly from place to place on occasion, including from floor to floor in emergency situations; able to utilize fine motor control in hands for tasks such as medication preparation and administration; able to hear to take blood pressure and to hear breath, heart and bowel sounds. Must possess visual acuity to meet visual demands in charting and operating equipment. Is expected to be an example of good health habits.

Mental Demands

• Must be able to work under stress and to adapt to changing conditions.

• Ability to adhere to strict confidentiality requirements.

• Performs assessment (chest auscultation, vital signs, indications for therapy, ABG results, etc.) on assigned patients; demonstrates accurate assessment skills in relation to age of patient.

• Establishes priorities and plan of care based on assessment

• Provides care according to respiratory standards of practice including nebulizer and inhaler therapies, hygiene and expansion therapies, oxygen therapy, and basic PAP therapy.

• Documents tolerance to treatments and patient variances.

• Assists Respiratory Therapists in revision of plan of care in accordance with established Respiratory Care department protocols.

• Completes all annual educational requirements; demonstrates competency in respiratory areas, including assessment, 02 administration, basic treatment modalities, medications, etc.

• Reprocesses equipment and readies for next use (cleaning, assembly, function check); restocks emergency boxes and supply areas. Checks oxygen tanks and replace when empty.

• Performs other duties as assigned.