Description

Job Summary:

Assesses, plans, implements and evaluates respiratory therapy care and life support to patients in all areas of the medical center, including neonatal intensive care who have deficiencies and abnormalities of the cardiopulmonary system under the supervision of physician and prescription. Performs other patient comfort duties necessary to maintain the flow of patient care in the unit. This care includes providing life support services, oxygen therapy, medical gas therapy, pharmaceutical treatments, chest physiotherapy, blood gas draws, etc.

Essential Responsibilities:

• Upholds Kaiser Permanentes Policies and Procedures, Principles of Responsibilities and applicable state, federal and local laws.
• QUALITY OF SERVICE:
• Professional Conduct: Applies philosophy and demonstrates knowledge of the Patient Bill of Rights.
• Treats members, coworkers, and individual employees with respect and dignity.
• Maintains the privacy and confidentiality of both members and employees with regard to medical records and communication regarding disease, conditions, and status.
• Greet members promptly and courteously, addresses adult members by their proper title (i.e., Mr., Mrs., Ms.) and last name except when otherwise mutually agreed upon by the provider and patient.
• Telephone Courtesy and Assistance: Adheres to regional and department guidelines for courtesy and consideration during telephone use.
• Determines and documents the following information upon taking a phone call: name of patient, phone number where patient can be reached, the reason (nature & urgency) for the call, date and time of the call and name of the person taking the call.
• Gives immediately to the requested provider or designee all messages of an emergency or urgent nature, gives non-urgent messages to the requested provider or designee in a timely manner.
• JOB DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES RESPIRATORY CARE PRACTITIONER lll
• Demonstrates knowledge, application, competency, and assessment skills for all specific patient/member age categories; neonatal, pediatric, and adult.
• Patient Care and Member Service:
• Demonstrates proficiency in providing direct/indirect care and service to patient/member groups; neonatal, pediatric, and adult ages and classifications.
• Participates in patient care rounds as an active member of the critical care team.
• Knows admitting diagnosis and pulmonary pathophysiology for assigned patients, and performs patient assessment and provides appropriate therapy.
• Evaluates and can state data obtained from respiratory monitoring devices on assigned patients.
• Evaluates patients response to all respiratory care provided and appropriately documents required information as outlined in department policies and procedures.
• Determines appropriateness and provides recommendations for respiratory care services, taking into consideration the needs of different age groups, cognitive abilities, and development status.
• Initiates new routine orders within time specified in department policies and procedures.
• Measures and adjusts airway cuff pressures.
• Recommends changes in diagnostic and therapeutic procedures to physicians, nursing, and/or co-workers.
• Taking into consideration patient age and development status modifies those treatments/procedure techniques, which do not require a change in physicians orders to optimize the delivery of care, and reports modifications to appropriate health care team members.
• Utilizes appropriate chain-of-command when consulting on patients not responding to standard therapeutic procedures.
• Performs respiratory diagnostic and therapeutic procedures.
• Verbalizes mechanisms of action, dosage, contraindications, and adverse reactions for all medications upon request.
• Obtains approval prior to administering any medications, which is not included on the approved medication list.
• Stores unused, doses of medications in the department medication cabinet or refrigerator as indicated by the medication instructions.
• Provides ventilatory support during patient inter-intra hospital transfers.
• May be part of a high functioning Pediatric and Neonatal transport team as applicable.
• Performs procedures for disinfecting and sterilization and adheres to infection control policies and procedures.
• Washes hands before and after physical contact with the patient and after using the restroom as described in hand washing procedure.
• Adheres to isolation procedure as indicated.
• Practices Universal Precautions at all times.
• Performs and evaluates blood gas analysis to include quality control procedures adhering to laboratory policies and procedures.
• Assures that quality control of equipment is performed and at acceptable levels.
• Obtains arterial blood samples.
• Ensures that blood samples and requisition slips have required information.
• Handles and disposes of blood samples per policy and procedure.
• Performs blood gas analysis.
• Documents and reports critical blood gas values to nurse/physician.
• Performs analyzer maintenance and quality controls as qualified, and ensures cleanliness of the blood gas laboratory.
• Performs Basic Life Support, Pediatric, and neonatal resuscitation (BLS/NRP/PALS) and responds to emergencies in all areas.
• Auscultates lungs to assure proper endotracheal tube placement.
• Identifies primary affected lobes and positions patient to optimize treatment while ensuring safety, prior to initiating chest physiotherapy.
• Identifies contraindications in regards to chest physiotherapy and appropriately informs and provides recommendations to the physician.
• Performs oral, nasal, and tracheal suctioning to ensure airway patency.
• Collaborates with the physician and nursing in regards to the appropriate frequency of suctioning for assigned patients.
• Provides reasonable solutions upon the identification of problems.
• Participates in-group action problem solving processes.
• Complies with patient safety practices/policies.
• Takes appropriate safety measures considering patients age and developmental status.
• Charting and Documentation:
• Provides timely, accurate, legible record keeping and data entries per departmental policy and procedure.
• Maintains departmental workload documentation.
• Assumes responsibility for all required Respiratory Care documentation on all assigned patients.
• Equipment and Supplies:
• Effectively utilizes equipment and supplies.
• Demonstrates the ability to setup, operate, troubleshoot, and perform corrective action based upon department policies and procedures and manufacturers recommendations.
• Utilizes appropriate procedures in reporting malfunctioning or suspect equipment and supplies.
• Determines whether equipment malfunction is life threatening versus non-life threatening and responds appropriately.
• Assumes responsibility and ensures patient safety during any equipment failure.
• Maintains inventory level of respiratory care equipment and supplies as assigned.
• Time Management:
• Maintains department standards for documentation of work.
• Reports inability to complete procedures seeks assistance if patient care is compromised.
• Job and Personal Maturity:
• Demonstrates flexibility and adaptability by accepting new ideas and supporting changes in the department and hospital/clinic. Functions independently with minimum direction.
• Communication:
• Utilizes effective listening, verbal, nonverbal and writing skills formally and informally.
• Utilizes the chain-of-command in the event of a difficult situation or decision.
• Immediately reports critical values to appropriate team members.
• Interacts professionally when discussing patient care plans/recommendations with health care team members.
• Education and Staff Development:
• Participates in orientation of new employees as required.
• Participates in and provides patient education, within the department and medical enter.
• Attends department continuing education, meetings as required.
• RCP lll (Includes all skills required of RCP I, RCP II): Functions at Independent Level in Adult Critical Care areas.
• Demonstrates ability to assess for implementation or discontinuance of mechanical ventilation.
• Demonstrates ability to implement all modalities of ventilation approved for use in the medical center.
• Demonstrates ability to adjust ventilator parameters in response to changes in acid-base balance and oxygenation.
• Demonstrates ability to effectively wean from mechanical ventilator per medical center protocols.
• Demonstrates ability to implement all respiratory modalities of care specific to the Adult critical care.
• RCP III (includes all skills required of RCP I, RCP II, and RCP III): Functions at Independent Level in Neonatal Critical Care and Pediatric Critical Care areas as applicable.
• Demonstrates ability to assess for implementation or discontinuance of mechanical ventilation.
• Demonstrates ability to implement all modalities of ventilation approved for use in the medical center.
• Demonstrates ability to adjust ventilator parameters in response to changes in acid-base balance and oxygenation per protocol or Doctors order.
• Demonstrates ability to implement all respiratory modalities of care specific to Neonatal and Pediatric critical care in this medical center as applicable.

Basic Qualifications:

Experience

• One year of recent NICU experience within the past 12 months. Functions at independent level in all areas of Medical/Surgical, Adult and Pediatric Intensive Care areas and Neonatal Intensive Care (NICU).
• Experience requirements may be waived or modified when an appropriate program or course is available and successfully completed for area of specialization.

Education

• Graduate of an approved 2 year Respiratory Care Accrediting Board (RCAB) approved school, or 2 year Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC) school.

License, Certification, Registration

• Respiratory Care Practitioner License (California) from National Board of Respiratory Care

• Pediatric Advanced Life Support

• Neonatal Resuscitation Program

• Basic Life Support
  

• Registered Respiratory Therapist Certificate from National Board of Respiratory Care
  

Additional Requirements:

• N/A

Preferred Qualifications:

• Sugar & Safe Care-Temperature-Airway-Blood Pressure- Lab Work-Emotional Support. (S.T.A.B.L.E. Certification).
• 2 years recent experience in the Neonatal intensive Care Unit in the past 24 months.
• Must be RRT & RCP 3, work independently in ICU, ED, NICU, and have 1yr. of current experience in the past 12 months.

Notes:

• Back up 8-hour shift will be Day 6:30 am to 3:00 pm or Evening 2:30pm to 11:00pm based on seniority.
  

Primary Location: California,Fontana,Fontana Medical Center
Scheduled Weekly Hours: 20
Shift: Variable
Workdays: Sun, Mon, Tues, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat
Working Hours Start: 12:01 AM
Working Hours End: 11:59 PM
Job Schedule: Call-in/On-Call
Job Type: Standard Worker Location: Onsite
Employee Status: Regular
Employee Group/Union Affiliation: B05|USW|Local 7600
Job Level: Individual Contributor
Department: Fontana Medical Center - New - Respiratory Therapy-Inpatient - 0806
Pay Range: $47.72 - $52.88 / hour Kaiser Permanente strives to offer a market competitive total rewards package and is committed to pay equity and transparency. The posted pay range is based on possible base salaries for the role and does not reflect the full value of our total rewards package. Actual base pay determined at offer will be based on labor market data, internal alignment, and a candidate's years of relevant work experience, education, certifications, skills, and geographic location. Travel: No On-site: Work location is on-site (KP designated office, medical office building or hospital). Worker location must align with Kaiser Permanente's Authorized States policy. Kaiser Permanente is an equal opportunity employer committed to fair, respectful, and inclusive workplaces. Applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic or status.

For jobs where work will be performed in unincorporated LA County, the employer provides the following statement in accordance with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance. Criminal history may have a direct, adverse, and negative relationship on the following job duties, potentially resulting in the withdrawal of the conditional offer of employment:

Consistently supports compliance and the Principles of Responsibility (Kaiser Permanente's Code of Conduct) by maintaining the privacy and confidentiality of information, protecting the assets of the organization, acting with ethics and integrity, reporting non-compliance, and adhering to applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations, accreditation, and licensure requirements (where applicable), and Kaiser Permanente's policies and procedures.

Models and reinforces ethical behavior in self and others in accordance with the Principles of Responsibility, adheres to organizational policies and guidelines; supports compliance initiatives; maintains confidences; admits mistakes; conducts business with honesty, shows consistency in words and actions; follows through on commitments.

Job duties with at least occasional or possible access to: (1) patients, the general public, or other employees; (2) confidential protected health information and other confidential KP information (including employee, proprietary, financial or trade secret information); (3) KP property and assets, for example, electronic assets, medical instruments, or devices; (4) controlled substances regulated by federal law or potentially subject to diversion.

Requisition #: 1424351

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