Associate Respiratory Therapist

Associate Respiratory Therapist
Job Code:

Basic Function:

Administers continuous ventilatory life support; diagnostic, monitoring and therapeutic procedures on adult, pediatric and neonatal intensive care patients. Performs cardiopulmonary resuscitation, diagnostic evaluation; treats and manages patients with deficiencies and abnormalities of the cardiopulmonary system.

Scope:

Performs continuous ventilatory life support and general respiratory therapy throughout the healthcare facility.

Cardio-pulmonary physiologic and hemodynamic monitoring in neonatal pediatric and adult intensive care units, emergency departments, and general wards and clinics.

Acts as a resource to all physicians, nursing and other healthcare specialties in the management of patients requiring continuous ventilatory life support, diagnostic, and therapeutic modalities.

Provides respiratory care on twenty-four (24) hours a day, seven (7) days a week, including holidays.

Principal Contacts:

Respiratory Care Staff members, Physicians; Nursing staff, other health professionals and clerical staff; Company employees and their dependents as patients and other visitors and their families.

Principal Duties:

• Manage and support all respiratory care patients in the Adult, Pediatric and Neonatal populations.
• Competently manage all patients on mechanical ventilation.
• Use knowledge and experience to aid in patient management and in multidisciplinary rounds.
• Be proficient in airway management of all age groups including manual resuscitation and assistance with intubation.
• Work independently with therapist driven protocols (adapted orders).
• Provide patient education.
• Perform arterial blood gas puncture, arterial line sampling and analysis.
• Perform calibration, quality control and routine maintenance of arterial blood gas analyzers.
• Competently and independently perform weaning and extubation from mechanical life support.
• Assess the respiratory status and history of patients of all age groups and determine the best modality of therapy.
• Provides all respiratory care therapies including: Chest Physiotherapy, Incentive Spirometry, Deep Breathing and Coughing, Splinting Techniques, Active Cycle Breathing, Positive Expiratory Pressure (PEP), Nebulizers, Meter dose inhalers (MDI's).
• Provide CPAP, BIPAP and noninvasive ventilation when indicated.
• Participate in Code Blues (Internal Cardiac Arrests).
• Assist with Bronchoscopies.
• Work in all areas assigned, including: Adult Medical/Surgical/Cardiac ICU's, Pediatric and Neonatal ICU's, Emergency Department, and General Wards.
• Participate in the transport of ventilated patients of all age groups both internally and externally.
• Adheres to infection control standards and safety standards of this facility.
• Adheres to policies and procedures of the Respiratory Care Unit and of JHAH.
• Recognized that this is a JCIA accredited Hospital and adheres to the JCIA expectations of all employees.
• Collect required CME's and maintain Ministry of Health Licensure.
• To perform sleep lab study (to be done by registered polysomnographic technologist only).
• Provides other duties and responsibilities as assigned by the Supervisor, or In-Charge Therapist.

Area of Responsibility:

Not applicable

Area of Responsibility (cont'd):

Not applicable

Education:

• Bachelor's Degree in Respiratory Care from Saudi Arabia with up to 2 years experience; or
• 3 years Diploma or Bachelor's Degree in Respiratory Care with either Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT) or Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) Certificate with up to 2 years experience; or
• Bachelor's Degree in Respiratory Care from outside Saudi Arabia, without CRT or RRT, with minimum 9 years experience in acute care in KSA or North America.
• Completion of 1 year internship required.

Certification/Other requirements as applicable:

Fluent spoken and written English. Spoken Arabic desirable.

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