Respiratory Therapist

Overview

• Conduct comprehensive respiratory assessments for adult and pediatric patients, including evaluation of airway patency, respiratory effort, oxygenation, ventilation, breath sounds, and vital signs.
• Assess newly referred or transferred patients from external facilities for potential admission to NMC ProVita, including detailed review of ventilator settings, airway requirements, respiratory stability, and overall suitability for safe transfer.
• Perform point of care testing (POCT) such as arterial blood gas (ABG) sampling, analyze, interpret, and communicate results to the medical team, and integrate findings into treatment planning.
• Conduct diagnostic respiratory tests such as lung capacity tests, peak flow, pulse oximetry, capnography, and electrocardiograms as appropriate for different age groups.
• Determine patient-specific requirements for respiratory care, including indications, precautions, and treatment modifications based on age and comorbidities.
• Set up and operate respiratory therapy equipment (e.g., invasive and non-invasive ventilators, HFNC, CPAP/BiPAP, aerosol generators, nebulizers, airway clearance devices) for both adults and children according to prescribed parameters.
• Provide emergency respiratory intervention across all age groups, including artificial ventilation, airway support, suctioning, and participation in code blue or rapid response events.
• Manage mechanical ventilation according to physician orders—adjusting parameters, optimizing synchrony, and supporting safe ventilator weaning for adults and pediatric patients.
• Administer aerosolized medications, oxygen therapy, airway humidification, and bronchial hygiene therapies tailored to patient age and condition.
• Perform airway clearance techniques (CPT, vibration/percussion, suctioning, assisted cough techniques) for adults and pediatric patients.
• Assist with tracheostomy care, routine changes, and emergency management, ensuring age-appropriate safety measures.
• Continuously monitor patient response to respiratory therapy, including ventilator synchrony, oxygenation levels, ABG trends, chest expansion, breath sounds, and overall clinical stability.
• Recognize early signs of respiratory deterioration or adverse reactions in adult and pediatric patients and escalate promptly to the medical team.
• Report any concerns related to clinical deterioration, neglect, abuse, or safeguarding risks in line with organizational policies, DOH regulations, and mandatory reporting requirements.
• Maintain clear professional and clinical boundaries when working with both adult and pediatric populations, ensuring all interventions are developmentally appropriate, ethically sound, and aligned with family-centered and culturally sensitive care principles.
• Review and modify treatment plans in consultation with the physician based on patient progress and diagnostic results.
• Ensure daily quality checks of ventilator settings, alarms, circuits, and patient-device interaction.
• Provide age-appropriate respiratory care education to patients, families, and caregivers, including guidance on respiratory conditions, equipment handling, medications, breathing techniques, and home-care management for both adult and pediatric patients.
• Offer focused training to parents and caregivers of pediatric patients on airway precautions, safe suctioning practices, tracheostomy care, emergency-response steps, and developmentally appropriate respiratory home-management strategies.
• Deliver clear explanations of treatment procedures and provide hands-on instruction in respiratory therapies such as pulmonary exercises, bronchopulmonary drainage, airway-clearance techniques, and breathing-training programs.
• Teach and demonstrate respiratory procedures to nurses and other healthcare personnel to ensure consistent application of safe and effective practices.
• Inspect, clean, disinfect, and maintain respiratory therapy equipment to ensure safe and efficient functioning.
• Troubleshoot ventilator and device malfunctions and initiate repairs when necessary.
• Enforce safety rules and ensure adherence to infection control and equipment-handling protocols.
• Maintain accurate and timely documentation of assessments, interventions, patient responses, ventilator parameters, and therapy outcomes.
• Manage charts with complete patient identification, therapy logs, ventilator settings, and clinical reports.
• Participate in daily ward rounds, interdisciplinary meetings, and discharge planning discussions for adult and pediatric patients.
• Work collaboratively with physicians, nursing, and allied health to optimize respiratory outcomes.
• Participate in quality improvement, clinical audit, and patient safety initiatives by contributing to respiratory-related training topics and identifying areas for educational enhancement.
• Maintain ongoing competency in adult and pediatric respiratory therapy practice through continuous professional development, structured training, and evidence-based practice review.
• Refer to the Knowledge, Skills, Attitude Framework and Competency Summary Record for Allied Health for the detailed list of job-specific competencies applicable to this role. These include core clinical, technical, and behavioral competencies relevant to both adult and pediatric respiratory therapy practice.
• Renew and validate job-specific competencies every two years or as needed in conjunction with the
• performance-appraisal process to ensure ongoing compliance with DOH, and international standards and to
• support continuous professional growth and service-quality improvement.