Respiratory Care Practitioner

Under the supervision of a physician directs and supervises the activities involved in providing respiratory care services.

Requirements

•Restores patient’s pulmonary function, alleviates pain, and supports life by planning and administering medically prescribed respiratory therapy.

•Meets patient’s goals and needs and provides quality care by conducting pulmonary function tests, assessing and interpreting evaluations and test results, and determining respiratory therapy treatment plans in consultation with physicians and by prescription.

•Helps patient accomplish treatment plan and supports life by administering inhalants, operating mechanical ventilators, therapeutic gas administration apparatus, environmental control systems, and aerosol generators.

•Administers respiratory therapy treatments by performing bronchopulmonary drainage, assisting with breathing exercises, and monitoring physiological responses to therapy, such as vital signs, arterial blood gases, and blood chemistry changes.

•Directs treatments given by aides, technicians, and assistants.

•Evaluates effects of respiratory therapy treatment plan by observing, noting, and evaluating patient’s progress and recommending adjustments and modifications.

•Completes discharge planning by consulting with physicians, nurses, social workers, and other health care workers; contributing to patient care conferences.

•Assures continuation of therapeutic plan following discharge by designing home exercise programs and instructing patients, families, and caregivers in home exercise programs.

•Recommends and/or provides assistive equipment and outpatient or home health follow-up programs.

•Documents patient care services by charting in patient and department records.

•Maintains patient confidence and protects hospital operations by keeping information confidential.

•Maintains safe and clean working environment by complying with procedures, rules, and regulations.

•Protects patients and employees by adhering to infection-control policies and protocols.

•Develops respiratory therapy staff by providing information and developing and conducting in-service training programs.

•Complies with federal, state, and local legal and certification requirements by studying existing and new legislation, anticipating future legislation, enforcing adherence to requirements, and advising management on needed actions.