“Respiratory Care” means the treatment, management, diagnostic testing, control, and care of persons with deficiencies and abnormalities associated with the cardiopulmonary system. (NRS 630.023)
The Respiratory Therapist is accountable for the assessment, planning, implementation of care, and evaluation of Neonatal, Pediatric, Adolescent, Adult and Geriatric patients and families. A thorough patient assessment by respiratory therapists is the cornerstone for the effective implementation of protocols. Respiratory therapists can initiate or modify a patient's plan of care following a predetermined and structured set of orders under the protocol placed by a provider. Protocols include instructions or interventions in which the respiratory therapist is empowered to initiate, refine, transition, discontinue, and restart therapy as the patient’s medical condition dictates. The Respiratory Therapist is accountable for the assessment, planning, implementation of care, and evaluation of Neonatal, Pediatric, Adolescent, Adult and Geriatric patients and families.
Respiratory Therapists are responsible for the proper documentation of all patient records and department logs. In addition, they are responsible for keeping abreast of technological advances in applicable areas and are well versed in appropriate clinical applications. Continuous comprehensive mental effort is required to provide optimal safe patient care, and the same mental effort is required when interacting with internal and external contacts, exercising judgments, and making decisions.
The Respiratory Therapist is responsible for ensuring a positive patient experience is achieved. This is accomplished through initially making a connection, introducing yourself, explaining the duration of the work being performed, explaining the procedure / task, and thanking the patient when complete (CIDET). Additionally, the Respiratory Therapist is responsible for service recovery when the patient experience does not go well. This is accomplished by listening with empathy to the concern, apologizing for the experience, solving the problem if able and escalating to leadership if not able, and thanking the patient for providing us with an opportunity to improve their experience (LAST).
The foregoing description is not intended and should not be construed to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, skills, efforts, or work conditions associated with the job. It is intended to be an accurate reflection of the general nature and level of the job.
This position does provide direct patient care.
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