What are the responsibilities and job description for the Respiratory Therapist position at Standing Stone Care and Rehabilitation Center?
Located right off I-40 in the small town of Monterey, Tennessee, Standing Stone Care & Rehabilitation Center is a 98-bed skilled nursing facility that has both short-term and long-term care programs and services to provide our residents with quality health care. We have 18 private rooms that are designed for the skilled rehabilitation services. The rooms are secluded from the long-term section of the building. These rooms offer a home-like atmosphere that features a 32-inch flat screen television. Patients and residents will also enjoy the comfort of an electric bed. This wonderful experience will surely be a breath of fresh air during a very difficult time. All programs are comprehensive and can be specialized to fit the requirements for each resident or patient. With the convenience of three hospitals located in Cookeville, Crossville, and Livingston, all within a 20-mile radius, Standing Stone provides a home-like environment with a compassionate and proficient staff that looks after the needs of the residents and patients.
Signature HealthCARE is a family-based healthcare company that offers integrated services in 10 states across the continuum of care: skilled nursing, rehabilitation, assisted living, memory care, home health, cognitive care, and telemedicine.
A growing number of our centers are earning quality assurance accreditation and pioneering person - directed care. Many of our skilled nursing facilities have achieved a 4 or 5-star overall rating from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Additionally, we have been awarded as a certified Great Place to Work for three years in a row and Modern Healthcare’s "Best Places to Work!"
Signature HealthCARE has a vision to radically change the landscape of healthcare forever. It’s more than a corporation… it’s a Revolution. We are currently seeking an innovative and progressive leader to join the mission.
A growing number of Signature centers are earning Five-Star ratings from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. We were also named one of Modern Healthcare’s “Best Places to Work” three times! Signature’s culture is unparalleled and founded on three pillars: Learning, Spirituality, and Innovation. Come see what the Revolution is all about!
How you will make a difference
• Principal duties are to assess, treat, and care for patients with breathing disorders. The Respiratory Therapist assumes primary responsibility for all respiratory care modalities. The Respiratory Therapist initiates and conducts therapeutic procedures; maintains patient records; and selects, assembles, checks, and operates appropriate equipment as per medical practitioner orders. Duties will also include offering training and education to residents, families, and other Stakeholders. Provide respiratory therapy services according to practice guidelines and evidence-based disease management.
How you will spend your time
• Meet physical and sensory requirements stated below and be able to work in the described environment.
• Identify and participate in process improvement initiatives that improve the customer experience, enhance workflow, and/or improve the work environment.
• Conduct screenings for pulmonary rehabilitation.
• Perform pulmonary evaluations.
• Document in the medical record to include treatments, outcomes, and evaluations.
• Participate in the care plan and care plan meeting.
• Work as part of a team of physicians, nurses and other health care professionals to manage patient care.
• Audit charts on a periodic basis.
• Maintain knowledge of CPAP/BPAP and ventilators.
• Read medical orders, measure arterial blood gases, and review patient information to assess patient condition.
• Able to perform testing such as ABG, Pulmonary Function Test and other labs.
• Relay therapy results and blood analysis results to a physician; use a variety of testing techniques to assist doctors in approved cardiac and pulmonary research and to diagnose disorders.
• Perform pulmonary treatments such as O2, nebulizers, inhalers, postural drainage, pulse oximetry, percussion, and airway management.
• Conduct tests, such as electrocardiograms, stress testing, and lung capacity tests, to evaluate patients' cardiopulmonary functions.
• Determine requirements for treatment, such as type, method and duration of therapy, precautions to be taken, and medication and dosages compatible with physicians' orders.
• Perform bronchial-pulmonary drainage and assist or instruct patients in performance of breathing exercises.
• Perform pulmonary function and adjust equipment to obtain optimum results in therapy.
• Monitor patient's physiological responses to therapy, such as vital signs, arterial blood gases, and blood chemistry changes, and consult with physician if adverse reactions occur.
• Provide emergency care, including artificial respiration, external cardiac massage and assistance with cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
• Train residents, to include, but not limited to: respiratory muscle strength, breathing retraining.
• Educate patients and their families about their conditions and teach appropriate disease management techniques, such as breathing exercises and the use of medications and respiratory equipment, in compliance with HIPPA.
• Ability to provide respiratory care education to staff and community 2 of 3 Updated December 2011
• Responsible for equipment accountability, maintenance and inventory.
• Set up and operate devices such as mechanical ventilators, therapeutic gas administration apparatus, environmental control systems, and aerosol generators, following specified parameters of treatment.
• Inspect, clean, test and maintain respiratory therapy equipment to ensure equipment is functioning safely and efficiently, ordering repairs when necessary.
• Sets up, maintains and records log entries on all types of oxygen and respiratory supplies and equipment.
• Participate in quality assurance program data collection as assigned.
• Other special projects and duties, as assigned.
The qualifications you will need
• Graduate of an approved program by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) or the Committee on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC).
• Licensure appropriate to the state the Respiratory Therapist is working in.
• Certifications related to the position; including certification by the National Board of Respiratory Care, CPR, etc.
• Maintain and enhance technical skills and clinical competencies.
• Minimum of one (1) year previous job experience preferred; long-term care field preferred.
• Effective verbal and written English communication skills.
• Highest level of professionalism with the ability to maintain confidentiality.
• Ability to communicate at all levels of organization and work well within a team environment in support of
• company objectives.
• Customer service oriented with the ability to work well under pressure.
• Strong attention to detail and accuracy, excellent organizational skills with ability to prioritize, coordinate and simultaneously maintain multiple projects with high level of quality and productivity.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work with minimal supervision, take initiative and make independent decisions.
• Ability to deal with new tasks without the benefit of written procedures.
• Approachable, flexible and adaptable to change.
• Effective organizational, time management and planning skills.
• Effective leadership and teaching skills.
• Function independently, and have flexibility, personal integrity, and the ability to work effectively with stakeholders and vendors.
Your work environment
• You’ll work mostly indoors on floors that are tiled or carpeted.
• You’ll be around other co-workers, residents and their guests.
• You’ll have possible exposure to occasional slippery floors, chemicals, sharp objects, and hazardous materials and waste (including human), blood borne pathogens, and communicable diseases.
• You'll be around possible high-stress medical and/or life threatening situations.
Physical and Sensory requirements
• This role requires moderate physical activity.
• Push, pull, move, and/or lift a minimum of fifty (50) pounds to a minimum height of three (3) feet and be able to push, pull, move, and/or carry such weight a minimum distance of fifty (50) feet.
• Standing and/or walking for more than four (4) hours per day.
• Sitting for more than one (1) hour at a time.
• Requires writing and/or computer work with repetitive typing and concentrating on computer screen and/or documents for more than two (2) hours at a time.
Signature HealthCARE is an Equal Opportunity-Affirmative Action Employer – Minority / Female / Disability / Veteran and other protected categories.