Respiratory Care Practitioner III

• 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.

• 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.

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

• 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
   

• N/A

• 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.

Notes:

• On-Call working min of 20/hrs/week, up to 40 hrs/wk based on Dept need.

• Work Day, Eve, or Noc shift, 4hr, 8hr, or 12hr shifts based on Dept need.