What are the responsibilities and job description for the Respiratory Therapist (RRT/CRT)- Nurse (RN/LPN) position at Lincare?
The pulmonary health and rehabilitation program will staff (full time, part time, or consultant basis) respiratory care practitioners who will be responsible for implementing the respiratory regimen and assisting with pulmonary participant support.
- Contributes expertise as a member of a multi-disciplinary team to offer comprehensive treatment strategies to provide positive outcomes for individual participants and for the pulmonary health and rehabilitation program
- Demonstrates ability to communicate effectively with rehab team members about individual patient findings or concerns and about program improvement issues
- Demonstrates a willingness to strive toward proficiency in the clinical competencies
- Demonstrates the interpersonal and observational skills needed to effectively identify appropriate psycho social adaptation to illness and/or the presence of psychopathology (e.g., depression, anger, excessive anxiety, etc.)
- Assesses patients' risk factors that are modifiable and demonstrates ability to offer support and strategies to aid patient in successful therapeutic lifestyle changes (TLC)
- Understands and utilizes contemporary theories of health behavior change in helping participants identify learning and lifestyle modification goals
- Participates in the program's educational efforts, classes, and/or individual sessions
- Participates in the initial assessment and orientation of new participants
- Assists in the development of individualized treatment plans with other staff members
- Effectively applies knowledge of exercise science to a population with pulmonary disease and other potential co-morbidities
- Develops and adjusts individual exercise prescription in accordance with GXT, daily patient response in rehab, and physician recommendations on a regular basis
- Supervises exercise session, monitoring participants for inappropriate responses to exercise
- Responsible for oximetry, heart rate, and blood pressure measurement
- Assesses participants pre, during, and post exercise, making appropriate referrals, and/or recommendations to the participant, other staff, and Medical Director
- Responsible for observation of telemetry responses, when indicated
- Documents initial and daily assessment data in participant records
- Immediately reports any new, changing, and/or significant participant conditions (oxygen desaturation, dysrhythmias, abnormal blood pressure responses, change in participants' status, etc.) to the physician supervising the program
- Initiates ACLS measures and/or emergency care according to hospital policy
- Participates in the collection, analysis, and reporting of identified individual patient outcomes and program outcomes
- Keeps current in the field of pulmonary rehabilitation through journals, in-services, and conferences
- Participates in emergency drills and mock codes on a routine basis
- Attends all scheduled staff meetings
