Respiratory Therapist

Respiratory Therapist**Job Code**:
30000825

**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 extubating 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 non-invasive 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 minimum 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 minimum 2 years experience; or
- Bachelor’s Degree in Respiratory Care from outside Saudi Arabia, without CRT or RRT, with minimum 2 years experience as Associate Respiratory Therapist in KSA or North America.
- Completion of 1 year internship required.

**Certification/Other requirements as applicable**:
Fluent spoken and written English. Spoken Arabic desirable.