Respiratory Therapy Specialist

Job Code

30000831

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

1. Develops and recommends written policy, procedure and operation manuals, encompassing any respiratory activities and implements as approved by Manager Respiratory Therapy.
2. Act as a key information resource for clinical colleagues.
3. Acts as a resource to Physicians, and nursing staff in the management of patients in the critical care units requiring continuous ventilatory life support
4. Provide guidance and support to junior team members.
5. Perform calibration, quality controls and routine maintenance of respiratory equipment.
6. Provides other duties and responsibilities as assigned by the Respiratory staff coordinator and the unit Manager.
7. Manage and support all respiratory care patients in the Adult, Pediatric and Neonatal populations.
8. Competently manage all patients on mechanical ventilation.
9. Use knowledge and experience to aid in patient management and in multidisciplinary rounds.
10. Be proficient in airway management of all age groups including manual resuscitation and assistance with intubation.
11. Work independently with therapist driven protocols (adapted orders).
12. Provide patient education.
13. Perform arterial blood gas puncture, arterial line sampling and analysis.
14. Perform calibration, quality control and routine maintenance of arterial blood gas analyzers.
15. Competently and independently perform weaning and extubation from mechanical life support.
16. Assess the respiratory status and history of patients of all age groups and determine the best modality of therapy.
17. 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).
18. Provide CPAP, BIPAP and non-invasive ventilation when indicated.
19. Participate in Code Blues (Internal Cardiac Arrests).
20. Assist with Bronchoscopies.
21. Work in all areas assigned, including: Adult Medical/Surgical/Cardiac ICU’s, Pediatric and Neonatal ICU’s, Emergency Department, and General Wards.
22. Participate in the transport of ventilated patients of all age groups both internally and externally.
23. Adheres to infection control standards and safety standards of this facility.
24. Adheres to policies and procedures of the Respiratory Care Unit and of JHAH.
25. Recognized that this is a JCIA accredited Hospital and adheres to the JCIA expectations of all employees.
26. To perform sleep lab study (to be done by registered polysomnographic technologist only).
27. Collect required CME’s and maintain Ministry of Health Licensure.
28. Perform duties based on specific area of responsibilities .

Area of Responsibility

Respiratory Education Coordinator

Basic Function: Serves as Education Coordinator, develop education activity calendar and plan, coordinate education activities and review staff education requirements.

Scope: Responsible for coordinating all tasks related to education, and using evidence based literatures in recommending best practice to improve the services. Team work is highly necessary. Assure all staff met their licensing CME requirements.

Principle Duties:

1. Create yearly education activity calendar and plan.
2. Coordinate education activities.
3. Responsible for new hires orientation.
4. Responsible for internship program.
5. Review all educational Presentations.
6. Coordinate participation of educational activities with other units.
7. Assure all staff Equipment competencies completed.
8. Assure all staff met their licensing CME requirements.
9. Renew of staff patient care competencies.
10. Participate in staff development.
11. Coordinate district education.
12. Report to the Respiratory Services coordinator, the unit manager all major issues and problems.

Respiratory Clinical Coordinator

Basic Function: Serves as a respiratory clinical coordinator for certain areas in the hospital as assigned by the unit Manager. Provide subject matter guidance to more junior team member.

Scope: Responsible for coordinating the respiratory care services provided in his assigned areas and assuring all the units requirements are met This includes developing policies, procedures, budgetary requirements, Monitor staff performance and recommending best practice to improve the services. Independent judgment is highly necessary due to nature of care rendered.

Principle Duties:

1. Report to the respiratory services coordinator and the unit manager all major issues and problems in their assigned areas.
2. Develops and recommends written policy, procedure and operation manuals, encompassing any respiratory activities and implements as approved by Manager Respiratory Therapy.
3. Assures proper maintenance and operation of all assigned diagnostic and technical equipment/instruments.
4. Represent RCSU multi-displinary meetings in their units.
5. Review their unit policies and assure it’s up to date.
6. Assists and provides data for the Quality improvement program.
7. Participate in staff performance evaluation.
8. Serves as a leader for a clinical team and may allocate duties across the team.
9. Makes decisions that may require researching options and recommending solutions.
10. Provide guidance and support to junior team members.

Area of Responsibility (cont'd)

Respiratory Services Coordinator

Basic Function: Coordinates and provides direction to respiratory care services administered by Respiratory Therapy Personnel to patients. Serves as a lead for the respiratory staff member; may allocate work load and work area. Provide subject matter guidance to more junior team member. Perform staff evaluation.

Scope: Responsible for directing and coordinating the respiratory care services provided on shift basis by Respiratory therapy staff (inpatient and outpatient) in JHAH facility. This includes developing policies, procedures, budgetary requirements, periodic review of Unit personnel performance evaluation and participates in the improvement of the unit by recommending best practice to improve the services. Independent judgment is highly necessary due to nature of care rendered.

Principle Duties:

1. Performs all managerial functions common to the segment level as established by Management.
2. Back up contact person for disaster or any work related problems.
3. Responsible for daily work assignment.
4. Complete monthly schedule and yearly vacation plan.
5. Assists in preparing the Units operating, personnel, and capital equipment budgets.
6. Assists and provides data for the Quality improvement program.
7. Prepares and assists with scheduled in-service education programs for Respiratory Therapy personnel.
8. Complete yearly staff performance evaluation.
9. Assists with orientation program for newly hired personnel.
10. Performs other miscellaneous related duties as assigned by the Unit Manager.
11. Serves as a lead for a clinical team and may allocate duties across the team.
12. Assures proper maintenance and operation of all assigned diagnostic and technical equipment/instruments.

Respiratory Quality Improvement Coordinator

Basic Function: Serves as Respiratory Quality Improvement Coordinator. Develop yearly QI objectives, KPI and its measurement tools. Focus on identifying and resolving problems related to patient care and clinical performance. 

Scope: Responsible for coordinating all tasks related to improve the quality of care in the respiratory care services, this includes developing policies, procedures, monitor staff performance and recommending best practice to improve the services. Independent judgment and decision making is highly necessary.

Develop criteria addressing the therapeutic goals, appropriateness and means of evaluating the effectiveness of each specific high –utilization and high-risk procedure.

Principle Duties:

1. Identify problems, determine cause, rank problems, develop strategy to resolve problems, develop appropriate measures, implement problem resolution strategy, compile results, evaluate outcomes and report results.
2. Review units’ policies and assure it’s up to date.
3. Responsible for collecting data for the quality improvement program.
4. Participate in staff performance evaluation.
5. Makes decisions that may require researching options and recommending solutions.
6. Provides other duties and responsibilities as assigned by the Respiratory services coordinator and the unit manager.

Education

• Bachelor's  Degree in Respiratory Care from Saudi Arabia - with minimum 7 years experience.  Master's Degree is preferred; 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 7 years experience.  Master's Degree is preferred; or
• Bachelor’s Degree in Respiratory Care from outside Saudi Arabia, without CRT or RRT, with minimum 2 years experience as Senior Respiratory Therapist in KSA or North America. Master's Degree is preferred.

Certification/Other requirements as applicable

Fluent spoken and written English. Spoken Arabic desirable.