Respiratory Therapist

RESPIRATORY THERAPIST

Provides patient care, assists and performs respiratory care services and basic cardiopulmonary diagnostic test procedures and basic polysomnography studies for neonatal, pediatric and adult patients per the clinical objectives established by the ordering or attending physicians, the Pulmonary Consultants, Intensivists, other Specialty Medical Consultants, Assistant Director of Cardiopulmonary and Deputy Chief Medical Officer following the American Hospital Dubai’s Cardiopulmonary Clinical Policy and Procedures, the Joint Commission International Accreditation (JCIA), the Dubai Health Authority (DHA), the American Heart Association (AHA), the American Thoracic Society (ATS), the American Association of Respiratory Care (AARC) and the American Association of Sleep Medicine (AASM) clinical practices and guidelines.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:Quality and Accuracy:

• Performs safe and quality respiratory care services and basic cardiopulmonary diagnostic tests following the clinical policy and procedures established by the American Hospital Dubai and the Cardiopulmonary Department. He or she is not allowed to perform advanced cardiology and neurology diagnostic test procedures and advanced polysomnography studies.
• Responds to the patient’s emergency and assists/performs Basic Life Support(BLS), Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) and/or Pediatric Advance Life Support (PALS)and Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP) whenever clinically indicated and/or required as prescribed by the physician.
• Performs comprehensive patient assessment and re-assessment before, during or after each clinical test procedure and following the clinical standardsestablished by the World Health Organization assessment and the Joint Commission International Accreditation (JCIA) – International Patient Safety Goals (IPSG) requirement.
• Communicates directly with the attending or the ordering physician and/or the Medical Consultant and immediately reports any of the followingthat includes vague or contraindicated diagnostic procedures, unstable patient’s baseline vital signs, preliminary but critical diagnostic findings or test results, test complications, medications adverse reactions, patient’s refusal to diagnostic testing and any serious clinical events or a patient emergency.
• Documents all test procedures and clinical test events into the patient’s electronic medical records(EMR) following the hospital and the established clinical policy and procedures of the department.
• Utilizes appropriate medical equipment during the test procedures that may include any of the following Respiratory equipment, Pulmonary Function Testing (PFT) machine, Bedside Spirometer, Pulse Oximeter, Polysomnography (PSG)-Sleep Screening monitoring system, Blood Gas Analyzers and Cardiac Monitoring Device.
• Reviews the quality of the preliminary test reports after each patient’stest procedure on diagnostic tests that include Pulmonary Function Testing (PFT) and Polysomnography (PSG) studies.
• Prepares preliminary diagnostic test reports and/or machine-generated preliminary reports after each test procedure and submits a preliminary report copy to the Medical Consultants for immediate review, evaluation and final results.
• Refrains from utilizing any medical equipment that failed functional calibration or bio- calibration and verbally reportsthe equipment problemsto the Biomedical Engineers and/or through the Service Requisition Software electronic reporting system for immediate inspection and repair.
• Disinfects all medical equipmentafter each patient’sutilization following the Infection Prevention and Control clinical standards and as per hospital and department clinical policy and procedures.
• Disposes all soiled or used “single patient use” medicalsupplies after each patient’s test procedure using the medical biohazard bin at bedside and following the Infection Prevention and Control standards and the established clinical policy and procedures of the department.
• Performs the monthly inventory of all medical supplies, reviews the medical equipment preventive maintenance requirement and respiratory medications, and replenishes all the requirements as applicable.
• Performs the daily patientroom safety checks,respiratory supply checks and the patient room temperature and humidity checks following the established clinical policy and procedures of the hospital and the department.
• Participates in the Key Performance Improvement projects and Clinical Measures requirement for a respiratory section of the department.
• Participates in the weekly critical patient care rounds along with another multidisciplinary team in the Intensive Care Unit.
• Participates in the daily end-of-the-shift patient care plan review and clinical events reporting.

Quantity/Organizational Skills:

• Reviews the daily patient’s diagnostic test schedules, patient daily acuity and the patient’s medical records before the test procedure.
• Prepares all the medical equipment required for daily diagnostic testing and performs daily functional checks and calibration before diagnostic test procedures including checkingall accessories and supplies requiredduring the test procedures.
• Identifies the correct patient,and assists the patient and/or the patient’srelative with the registration and billing process requirements.
• Admits the patient to the department and/or visits the patient in a specified clinical area and independently performs the prescribed diagnostic test procedure.
• Provides the patient and/or the patient’srelative with clinicaleducation for specific and prescribed diagnostic test procedures that include the test indications, contraindications, goals and expectations, potential complications and/or specific instructions during the procedure.
• Assesses the patient before the procedureand performs the prescribed respiratory care services, monitors, and observes the patient during the procedure and re- assesses the patient after the test procedure.
• Operates and troubleshoots all cardiopulmonary medical equipment including Cardiac Monitors, Pulse Oximeters, Invasive and Non-invasive Mechanical Ventilators, Suction Machines, BloodGas Analysers, MedicalGases Equipment, Bedside Spirometer, Wright manometer and Oxygen Medical Devices.
• Performs independently the following Respiratory Care Services that includes:
  • Oxygen Therapy (Low Flow Oxygen Delivery System)
  • Oxygen Therapy (High Flow Oxygen Delivery System)
  • Oxygen Therapy (Heated High Flow Nasal Cannula System).
  • Aerosol Therapy (Heated or Non Heated Oxygen Delivery System)
  • Aerosol Drug Administration usingthe Small VolumeNebulizer (SVN-with Bronchodilators and Corticosteroids).
  • Aerosol Drug Administration usingthe Small VolumeNebulizer (SVN with Antibiotics, Mucolytics, Hypertonic and Normal Saline Solution).
  • Aerosol Drug Administration uses the MeteredDose Inhaler (MDI with Bronchodilators and Corticosteroids.
  • Respiratory Medication Stock Monitoring and Inventory.
  • Bronchial Hygiene (Sputum Induction and Collection).
  • Bronchial Hygiene (Directive Cough Assist, Deep Breathing Exercises).
  • Bronchial Hygiene (TrachealSuctioning – Oral – Nasopharyngeal).
  • Chest Physiotherapy and Postural Drainage (with portable percussor).
  • Chest Physiotherapy and Postural Drainage (with vest percussor).
  • Incentive Spirometry
  • Simple Bedside Spirometry
  • Simple Bedside Spirometry pre and post-with bronchodilator.
  • Peak Expiratory Flow Measurement.
  • Forced Vital Capacity Measurement.
  • Blood Gas Samplingand Analysis and interpretation (arterial–venous– capillary and fetal).
  • Blood Gas Sampling and Analysis and Interpretation (Electrolytes, Lactate and/or Bilirubin).
  • Arterial Line blood sampling, monitoring, and maintenance.
  • Artificial AirwayManagement (Oral Airway,Nasopharyngeal Airway, Laryngeal Mask Airway,
  • Endotracheal/Trach and Tracheostomy Tube).
  • Tracheal Intubation Assist (Elective, Emergency and/or Code Blue).
  • Tracheal Tube Removal and/or Assist (Post Weaning Procedure).Non-Invasive Mechanical Ventilator Management (NCPAPand/or BIPAP initial Setup and subsequent monitoring).
  • Invasive Mechanical Ventilator Management (Initial Set-up, subsequent monitoring, and patient transport).
  • Exercise Pulse Oximetry Monitoring (Six-Minute Walking Exercise)
  • Continuous Nocturnal Pulse Oximetry Monitoring.
  • Emergency Response and/or Assistance (Code Blue, Code Green)
  • Patient critical transport assistance inside or outside the hospital.
  • Patient Respiratory Care Education and In-services (Patient planned for discharge for respiratory care procedures and treatments and respiratory medical equipment set-up and preventive maintenance.
  • Assesses the patient before the procedure and administers the prescribed respiratory treatment with the respiratory medications that are required during the Pulmonary Function Testing (PFT) test and re-assesses the patient including the therapeutic or adverse effects of the medications administered.
  • Performs independently the following Pulmonary Diagnostic Test/respiratory treatment (small volume nebulizer – SVN) that includes:
  • Spirometry
  • Spirometry Pre and Post
  • Pulmonary Function Testing (PFT) Complete
  • Pulmonary Function Testing (PFT) Complete Pre and Post bronchodilator
  • Performs Fraction of Exhaled Nitric Oxide Measurement.
  • Continuous Nocturnal Pulse Oximetry Monitoring
  • Six (6) Minutes Walking/Exercise Pulse Oximetry Test
  • Reviews and evaluates the quality of the Pulmonary Function Testing (PFT) machine-generated preliminary report and submitsall preliminary reportsto the Pulmonary Consultant for evaluation and final results.
  • Assesses the patient before the procedure and performs the prescribed Polysomnography (PSG) Studies, monitorsand observes the patient and re-assesses the patient after the test procedure.
  • Performs independently the following basic Polysomnography (PSG) Studies that include Home Sleep Screen Monitoring and Home Sleep Screen preliminary report review.
  • Reviews and evaluates the quality of the Polysomnography (PSG) preliminary recording and submits a preliminary scored report to the Pulmonary and/or Sleep Medicine Consultant for evaluation and final results.
  • Communicates directly with the attending or ordering physician and/or the Medical
  • Consultant and immediately report the sudden clinical deterioration of the patients who may require transfer admission at the AHD Emergency Department.
  • Discharges the patient from the department after the test procedure following the hospital patient discharge policy and/or if the patient re-assesses the patient ensuring that vital signs are checked and noted within the normal range.
  • Assists the patient in completing the medical billing process and completes the patient’s diagnostic test Order Entry in the Power chart after each diagnostic test procedure.
  • Performs a follow-up audit for the turnaround time final test resulting in specific
  • Medical Consultants for all diagnostic test procedures performed as per hospital and department policy.
  • Prepares a monthly statistical report of all physicians who review and finally results of all the diagnostic test procedures performed in the department.

QUALIFICATIONS & SKILLS:

• Bachelor’s degree in Respiratory Therapy or
• Associate degree in Respiratory Therapy (minimum two (2) years course duration) or
• Bachelor’s in nursing followedby a Postgraduate qualification in Respiratory Therapy
• Basic Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS)
• Paediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) preferred
• Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP) preferred
• Basic Pulmonary Diagnostic Testsand Basic Polysomnography (PSG) Studies preferred

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:

• Minimum of two (2) years of clinical experience as a Respiratory Care Practitioner and/or as a Respiratory Therapist with a clinical background to perform basic cardiopulmonary is required and basic polysomnography studies preferred
• Minimum of two (2) years of clinical experience working in the neonatal, paediatric, and adult critical care units preferred