Respiratory Therapist

Duties
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• As a senior respiratory therapist, the incumbent serves as the therapist in charge of various critical care units to which assigned and will be held responsible for providing treatment to seriously ill patient and emergency conditions.
• The incumbent is responsible for providing respiratory care throughout all areas of assignment including, but not limited to, multi-service wards, Adult, Pediatric, and Neonatal Intensive Care Units, Emergency Department, Level II Trauma Center.
• Incumbent initiates, conducts, modifies, and assists with emergency therapy techniques for airway maintenance including cardiopulmonary resuscitation to avoid patient decline or demise.
• The incumbent provides innovative and adaptive approaches in the use of respiratory therapy devices and therapies when standardized items or techniques cannot be used.
• The incumbent serves as the first assistant in bronchoscopy. Demonstrates understanding of all facets of bronchoscopy procedures, including function and maintenance of the bronchoscope and associated tools, and suction equipment.
• The incumbent participates in multidisciplinary critical care rounds, offering technical expertise on respiratory support devices, patients management for respiratory illness, and established respiratory care policies and procedures.
• The incumbent provides comprehensive airway and tube care to ICU patients, tracheostomy site care, endotracheal and tracheostomy changes, monitors cuff pressures, ensures ventilator and equipment function, and performs tracheobronchial suctioning.
• The Respiratory Therapist will serve as an advisor/technical resource for established polices/procedures for respiratory care. The medical personnel rely upon the therapist's knowledge of capabilities and limitations of the respiratory equipment.
• The therapist independently makes recommendations to the physician regarding alternatives or modifications to treatment.
• The incumbent, under the technical director's auspices, serves as preceptor to new respiratory staff and will train other personnel as needed on respiratory treatments, medications, equipment, and safety protocols.
• Adheres to all guidelines at the departmental level government and accrediting agencies regulation including Joint Commission standards, Medical Inspector General (IG) standards, and College of American Pathology (CAP).
• The Therapist will be responsible for verifying/reviewing ventilator and respiratory therapy orders. Uses critical thinking skills to determine what procedure and equipment is necessary during active respiratory failure and lifesaving situations.

Requirements
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Conditions of employment

• Appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.
• The incumbent is required to work 80 hours bi-weekly, some overtime, every other weekend and holidays. This position is day shift.
• Required to work days, rotating shifts, extended hours, weekends, holidays or other schedules common to hospital operations. The incumbent will rotate through the NICU, PICU ANDICU.
• Required to have certification in Basic Life Support.
• Hepatitis B immunization is required for all patients with direct patient contact.
• Pre-employment physical required. Required to be able to lift up to 35 pounds.
• This position is designated Tier 3, Non-Critical Sensitive, Moderate Risk and requires the incumbent to obtain and maintain a Secret Security Clearance Level as a condition of employment.
• This position is designated as having regular and recurring contact with children under the age of 18 and is subject to requirements of DoDI 1402.05 and AR 600-78.
• This position has a mandatory seasonal influenza vaccination requirement and is therefore subject to annual seasonal influenza vaccinations.

Qualifications

Who May Apply: US Citizens

In order to qualify, you must meet the experience and/or education requirements described below. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student; social). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application. Additional information about transcripts is in this document .

Basic Requirement:

• Making regular rounds on hospital nursing units to review or collect clinical data to insure that the respiratory equipment is operating properly and in compliance with physicians' orders.
• Transporting, setting up, or testing the operation of and changing simple oxygen administering devices, e.g., masks and nasal cannulas with cylinder or centralized medical gas systems.
• Disassembling, cleaning, assembling, and sterilizing reusable respiratory equipment such as oxygen analyzers and regulators, including recognizing and reporting variations from expected results.

Specialized Experience:

One year of specialized experience which includes evaluating respiratory therapy patients, and setting up, operating, or maintaining respiratory therapy equipment. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-05).

OR

Education:

One year of graduate level education in a field directly related to the work of the position, such as Respiratory Therapy.

OR

Combination of Education and Experience:

A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) beyond the first year (total semester hours minus 18) by 9. Add the two percentages.

Education

FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/ .

Additional information

• Male applicants born after December 31, 1959 must complete a Pre-Employment Certification Statement for Selective Service Registration.
• You will be required to provide proof of U.S. Citizenship.
• One year trial/probationary period may be required.
• Direct Deposit of Pay is required.
• Selection is subject to restrictions resulting from Department of Defense referral system for displaced employees.
• Recruitment, Relocation, Advanced In-Hire, Student Loan Repayment, Advanced Leave incentives MAY be authorized for highly qualified candidates.
• Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.
• Salary includes applicable locality pay or Local Market Supplement.
• If you have retired from federal service and you are interested in employment as a reemployed annuitant, see the information in the Reemployed Annuitant information sheet.
• Payment of Permanent Change of Station (PCS) costs is not authorized, based on a determination that a PCS move is not in the Government interest.