Cardiopulmonary Tech Per Diem

Description

At Bristol Health, we begin each day caring today for your tomorrow. We have been an integral part of our community for the past 100 years. We are dedicated to providing the best possible care and service to our patients, residents and families. We are committed to provide compassionate, quality care at all times and to uphold our values of Communication, Accountability, Respect and Empathy (C.A.R.E.). We are Magnet ® and received the 2020 Press Ganey Leading Innovator award for our rapid adoption and implementation of healthcare solutions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Use your expertise, compassion, and kindness to transform the patient experience. Make a difference. Make Bristol Health your choice

• Performs a variety of noninvasive cardiopulmonary testing on both inpatients and outpatients as defined below.

• Adheres to all established protocols and high reliability tenants.

• Has fluency in EMR and Cardiology PACS.

• Participates in monthly quality assurance programs and Kaizen initiatives.

Pulmonary Function Tests

• Performs Pulmonary Function Tests in accordance with established protocol.

• Reports critical values to ordering physicians per protocol.

Outpatient ABG's

• Established competency with EPOC.

• Adheres to critical findings policy

Stress Testing

• Collaborates with supervising RN, Nuclear Medicine Technologist, and Echo technologist in conducting all aspects of exercise and pharmacological stress testing.

• Competency in electrode and Tango blood pressure cuff placement.

• Demonstrated competency in EKG interpretation.

• Demonstrated competence in Bruce protocol and ST80i equipment.

• Maintains accuracy of stress tolerance on e-worksheet. 

• EKG

• Competency in performing EKG’s.

• Competency in transmission of EKG into PACS

Non-invasive Vascular Studies

• Upper or lower extremities.

• Demonstrated competence with CorVascular equipment and DI PACS.

• Demonstrated competence in location of pedal pulses, doppler waveform and graphs.

• Demonstrated competence on placement of blood pressure cuffs and obtaining skin perfusion readings. 

Maintain Communication

• Explains procedures to be performed to each patient.  

• Gives preparatory instructions and  provides reassurance to anxious patients.

• Performs confirmation calls to patients having stress testing 1-2 days prior to scheduled appointment.

• Communicates any delays or patient variance to the care team.

Performs quality controls

• Performs daily calibration on PFT equipment. 

• Records test results, and monitors results for machine performance.

• Performs daily quality control on glucometer. 

• Maintains accuracy of daily log books.

• Facilitates preventative device maintenance with Biomedical Engineering Department and manager

Provides proper record keeping and required documents

• Adheres to all documentation principles in the EHR and PACS.

Performs related duties
Maintains equipment and work area in clean and orderly condition.

• As required, transports patients on stretchers or wheelchairs to and from exam rooms.

• Initiates emergency procedures, within authorized limits, as required.

• Maintains supply par levels for all labs.

• Assumes Stress Lab “call” on Saturdays ( once a month) and an occasional holiday for inpatient stress tests.

• ( ) Assists with training and orientation of new employees.

•  Attends 66% of staff meetings.

•  Attends in-services.

Qualifications

Educational / Minimum Requirements:     

Associate’s Degree in a healthcare related field, and/or completion of one year respiratory therapy or cardiopulmonary training program, or equivalent, e.g. LPN.  Must have one year experience or be able to be trained in one year, provided the employee has had necessary education as listed above.

State/Federal Mandated Licensure or Certification Requirements:

Cardiopulmonary Technologists performing PFT and ABG testing must be either a Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRTT) or Registered Respiratory Technologist (RRT), and licensed by the State of Connecticut. No licensing or certification is required for Cardiopulmonary Technologists performing vascular exams, EKG's, holter monitors,  or assisting in the supervision of a stress test.

Bristol Hospital Mandated Educational Requirements:

General orientation at time of hire. Fire/Safety/Infection Control annually. Other programs as mandated by the Hospital.

Special Requirements:

BLS, Accucheck, and EPOC competency

Physical Requirements:      

Sitting, standing, occasional lifting and transporting patients.Strength in arms and hands to adequately apply vascular cuffs.  

Work Environment:

  Employees may be exposed to bodily fluid (ABG draws), AGP (aerosolizing generating procedure) during PFT.

Cognitive Requirements:    

Good communication skills, ability to identify malfunctioning equipment, computer skills, collaboration with system administrators of Cardiology servers and storage systems.

Disclaimer

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified. All personnel may be required to perform duties outside of their normal responsibilities from time to time, as needed.